Selins Grove Razz Merry Ale

Hey, this is actually a little tart. I didn’t expect that. Has a snappy tartness and a sweet, sharp, dry raspberry fruit syrup flavor. Punchy and tart and prickly on the tongue. Resembles somewhat New Glarus Raspberry Tart, but less complex and less deep. Finishes pasty and mildly dry. Surprisingly good.

Draft @ Selin’s Grove. Pours a deep, red raspberry color; light pink head that fades to a thin perimeter of bubbles. Solid, sweet red raspberries and red fruit syrup in the aroma; basic legitimate fruitiness. Medium-to-full mouthfeel: lots of dense, red raspberry and red fruit character; a slight viscosity, almost syrupy, and reminiscent of strawberry / raspberry jolly ranchers; a mild cranberry-like tartness and acidity; relaxed carbonation. Medium, raspberries and sugar in the finish; a very slight stickiness.

While I love selins grove brewing I was not a big fan of this one. It seemed to be a confused beer. it didn’t know if it wanted to be an amber ale or a fruit beer. I think it would have been better with lighter malts to let the raspberry shine through, and thought that the fruit+carmel malt+ spicy yeast was a bit off for a combination even though I must admit that when writing that it doesn’t sound bad, and I’m not usually one who thinks that beers need to be kept in strict categories. Just wasn’t my thing

Growler thanks to Lauren & Greg. Aroma of raspberry fullness. Brown with reddish tinge. Little head. The first sip is ridiculously delicious - a sweet/tart raspberry cake. Tastes like ridiculously fresh fruit mixed in with a rich, full ale. A treat. Tart, malt finish hangs around in the mouth a while, making me savor more and more. Easy to drink, easy to enjoy. There’s a subtle bitterness to the beer that makes the sour/tartness of the raspberries much more pleasing and is overall much more balanced than, say, Fort (DFH). I wish this could be bottled but I’ll enjoy every last drop of it from the growler.