Petes Wicked Strawberry Blonde

One odd thing I have come to grips about my palate is that while strawberries are one of my favorite fruits, I usually cannot stand anything flavored with strawberries as it becomes overly sweet. This beer fits into the later category. Yes there are strawberries in the aroma and taste but I did not find that it helped or enhanced the beer in any way.

(Bottle) Aroma very strongly of strawberries. Flavour dominated by strawberries. The strawberry aroma is quite authentic, but I don’t like it. I don’t like fruit beers. In particular, I don’t like this one: the strawberry doesn’t blend with the rest of the beer, which has a sort of wheaty sourness and a very mild bitterness to it. Although you taste mostly strawberries while drinking this one, the little beer you do taste does not blend well with the strawberry. I would pass on this one.

Bottle, Pours clear dark gold with a fading white head. Light body and somewhat watery body with medium carbonation. The strawberry in the aroma covers up just about everything else. Lightly sweet taste the emphasizes the ’straw’ part of strawberry. A tiny bit of bitterness in the finish. Interesting, but not something I’d go for again.

THOUGHTS: One of the first craft beers I ever had. I thought it was OK way back when — sort of really different but not really for me. But now it doesn’t even seem unique. It’s not bad, just nothing special. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a clear, light orangy yellow with fair carbonation and an average to large, slightly off-white head that mostly diminished and left good lacing. The aroma wasn’t awful, but really weak. There was light grassy hops, a little strawberry and maybe some wheat. The initial flavor was lightly sweet and acidic; while the finish was lightly sweet and bitter, moderately acidic and a little sour with and average duration. There was a hint of strawberry, but mostly metallic hops flavor along with some caramel malt. The light body was watery, but dry on the tongue with fizzy carbonation and a slightly astringent finish.

The aroma is strong with strawberry and barley. Clear light amber color. Flavor was disappointing- more corn than strawberry. Smooth on the palate... overall... I’m not impressed.