Judge’s Review: 87 Rating – Purple Haze (2025) by Abita Brewing Co.

Fruit Beer | Year-Round | USA

By John C. Tull

Judges Rating: 87.00
Aroma: 22.00
Appearance: 6.00
Flavor: 33.00
Mouthfeel: 9.00
Overall Impression: 17.00

Purple Haze (2025) by Abita Brewing Co. was judged as a Fruit Beer (Category 29A, BJCP 2021). This beer has a very strong raspberry aroma with typical fruitiness and some fruit pith that hints at a slight woody quality. Other than the fruit, there are no dominant aromas slipping through, which suggests a very clean ferment and mild malt quality. The color is pale rose with a touch of haziness, typical of high-pectin fruits like raspberries when brewed in beer. The pale head is also slightly rose tinted, very fine-bubbled and quite persistent on the edges of the glass.
The flavor is aggressively fruity with a big burst of raspberry character. There is a noticeable tannin quality, perhaps a result of the fruit pith, which finishes with a slight puckering quality. Again, the malt is restrained, allowing the fruit to be the showcase of this beer. The mouthfeel is slightly astringent with the puckering quality noted above in the finish providing a perception of dryness. Overall, this is a cleanly fermented beer with a strong fruit character that is not cloying or overly fruity. The raspberry character is well defined without being a “soda pop beer,” but rather a good expression of the essence of raspberry with a restrained base style supporting the fruit.