Pitched Blue: Black & Blueberry Ale

Evaluated as a BJCP2015 Style 29A (Fruit Beer), with the underlying style of ‘Black Ale’ for which BJCP2015 doesn’t have a category, but it sounds like American Black Ale (Style 72 in the GABF2017 guidelines). The beer pours a deep ruby red tinted dark mahogany with a huge poofy head of tiny tan bubbles that persists and leaves Belgian lace on the glass. There is quite a bit of roast in the aroma, but more like the smoother debittered type. There are hints of toast and bread crusts, along with a moderate amount of floral hops (and a bit earthy), and a slight blueberry character. The flavor brings out a huge blueberry note along with confectioners sugar and cotton candy. A moderate roast (but not astringent) supports the fruit well, along with medium floral hops and a slight earthy note that could be either from the hops or the malt. Medium low hop bittering keeps the fruit as the main attraction in the flavor. There’s a bit of carbonic bite, fairly high carbonation, and a medium full body. The combination of blueberry and not-quite-chocolate-not-quite-coffee roast would pair nicely with cedar plank salmon on the grill basted with honey.