Drip au Lait Raspberry

Drip Au Lait by Urban South Brewery is being evaluated as a Fruit and Spice Beer (Category 239B) from the 2015 BJCP Style guidelines.

This is a fun style to judge given the wide parameters; yet the call is decidedly toward balance and pleasantness.

This beer starts with a moderately light lactic aroma with raspberries. High fruity esters of ripe fresh berries are present. No malt or hops are detected in the aroma, which ends slightly phenolic.

The color of this beer is a darker pink lemonade that is hazy, highly effervescent and crowned by a white, thick and foamy head.

Flavors of sweetened raspberry juice embrace the taste buds. It has a low amount of roastiness from the coffee beans. No malt or hops were present, while the balance is decidedly toward the fruit. The finish is soft and acetic, with a short fruity aftertaste of raspberries. This is a very flavorful beer that drinks like a raspberry mimosa.

Light in body, it has a high degree of carbonation yet absent of warmth and creaminess. The astringency perceived comes from the lactic fermentation characteristic of the yeast.

Overall, this is a sweet beer with a tart finish that could possibly be mistaken for a fruited soft drink. No bold alcohols in the flavor or aroma means it could be popular with the younger crowd. The coffee flavor at times gives it a phenolic note in the finish, while, intertwined with the raspberries, it comes across as artificial. Seems like the coffee spice addition is almost unnecessary.