Braggadocious

Braggadocious by Pontoon Brewing is a Braggot-style ale, an Imperial Berliner Weisse with Vanilla Mead and Strawberries. I am judging this according to the 2015 BJCP Style Guidelines, Category M4A, Braggot.

Moderate strawberries and sweet vanilla greet me as I approach the glass; fragrant, fresh honey follows closely behind. The pour is a murky, opaque deep pumpkin orange with virtually no head, despite a few white bubbles attempting to congregate. An underlying soft mineral tartness is quickly consumed by sweet honey, lightly tart strawberries and vanilla. Further underneath is a bread-like malt sweetness.

The strawberries remain dominant throughout as I delve into further deep sniffs and larger quaffs. The lactic sourness of the Berliner weisse component remains a near-peer to the strawberries while the vanilla sits ringside. The honey character presents some straw late in the glass. This braggot finishes medium-dry with lingering strawberry and lactic tartness, though it stops short of puckering sourness. The body is full, carbonation low and there is a slow, soft alcohol warmth.

This braggot deserves a roasted vegetable dish, which includes beets, as its companion. Consider finishing off your meal with a thick graham cracker-crusted cheesecake.