I was back up at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota a couple weeks ago for an appointment, and stopped in both Minnesota and in Wisconsin to pick up beers I can’t get here at home in Illinois. I’ve had a few beers from New Glarus, and have enjoyed them – particularly their raspberry tart (which I haven’t reviewed yet, but picked up a bottle to review later). So, I was expecting this one would be pretty good. It’s a somewhat relaxing Sunday evening, so I thought I’d sit down enjoy this one and review it.

Location: Poured into a tall hefeweizen glass from the 750ml, wax-dipped bottle at my home in Bloomington, IL.

Numbers: No idea what the ABV or calories are since it wasn’t listed on the bottle.

Appearance & Aroma: It’s a dark, rust-colored, reddish-brown hue, and very, very hazy. There was almost no head, just a thin layer of bubbles across the top of the beer, but there was a nice aroma that was a somewhat warm, strawberry rhubarb sweetness.

Taste & Feel: The body was medium to full, and the mouthfeel was fairly crisp. There was a smooth, sweet strawberry flavor up front, with a bready-yeasty background. The sweetness grew in the middle, with both strawberry and rhubarb tartness entering the picture. The finish was a nice balance of sweet and tart flavors, with the tartness lasting for a bit in the aftertaste, giving way to the sweetness after a while.

Food Pairing: There a good mix of strawberry and rhubarb sweetness and tartness, that tastes exactly like my wife’s strawberry-rhubarb pie. I would love to see what this tastes like as an ice cream float, as I think it would go great with vanilla ice cream. As for a meal, I’d pair it with something lighter – such as turkey and mash potatoes or a baked rotisserie chicken – and let the flavors of the beer take center stage.

Overall Impression: This beer reminded me of my wife’s strawberry-rhubarb pie, with a nice balance of sweet and tart with some pie-crusty breadiness in the background. A lot of fruit beers like this have an artificial flavor, but this one tasted very natural. Although it doesn’t necessarily taste like a “beer,” I really enjoyed the flavors as more of a “dessert beer.” Overall, if you can get your hands on it, and enjoy strawberry-rhubarb pie, definitely give this one a try.

My Rating:

Reader Ratings[five-star-rating]