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Joseph Formanek's picture

Judge's Review: 92 Rating - Fruit Cup Vol. 2 by Pontoon Brewing

September, 2021

Fruit Cup Vol. 2

Fruit Cup Vol. 2

Georgia
United States
Fruit Cup Vol. 2, Pontoon Brewing
Description 

This German style tart ale has Key Lime, Raspberries, and Vanilla. Kettle soured with lactobacillus, this tart beer embodies the perfect spring time inspired sour. The berries are added during the secondary to create a juicy, yet tart, sour beer that is bursting with flavor.

Beverage Profile
ABV: 
6.1%
Served at: 
42 - 46º F

 

 


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Judges Rating: 
92
Aroma: 
24 / 24
Appearance: 
4 / 6
Flavor: 
38 / 40
Mouthfeel: 
9 / 10
Overall Impression: 
17 / 20

Fruit Cup Vol. 2 by Pontoon Brewing is quite the flavor experience! While the base beer is nominally a BJCP 23A Berliner Weisse style, the addition of berries, lime and vanilla really dominate the package delivering a complex alcoholic fruit juice experience. This brew is being evaluated as a BJCP 34B Mixed-Style beer with a 23A base style. 

The aroma of this beer is strongly berry with a touch of lime and tartness. No hops are noted, which is appropriate for style. The beer is quite turbid, and from all intents and purposes looks like raspberry juice. There is a very fleeting pinkish-colored head with little retention present.

Raspberry flavors dominate, with a touch of lime and vanilla and moderate lactic sourness. The base beer flavor is hard to detect, except for the lactic tartness, but this is not unexpected considering the intensity of the fruit/berry flavors present.  The vanilla component comes through more strongly in the finish, and the marriage of the berry, fruit and vanilla flavors linger well into the aftertaste to meet the next sip.  As expected with the style, hop character is minimal. The alcohol content of this beer dramatically exceeds guidelines for a Berliner Weisse, but again this is expected with the additions used in the formulation. The finish is dry and crisp, the body is a is light/medium, and the carbonation is moderate. 

If you are a fresh raspberry juice aficionado, this is the beer for you! The level of tartness works well with the berry character, and the lime and vanilla adds an appreciated complexity. It isn't quite a Belgian Framboise, but it is an interesting approximation.