Collaboration Series: Ichigo Highway - The Bruery

alpinebryant

Connecticut

3.76/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A: Pours a hazy murky strawberry brown with white bubbles at the top.

S: Aroma of funky overripe strawberries. Similar to what one would expect when pulling out some over ripe strawberries from the fridge after they have warmed up to room temperature and practically melt when you touch them. Tart acid and some lemon rind.

T: Whew this is sour. There are some of those Red wine tannic flavors along with American oak and over-ripened strawberries. Sour lemon rind and sweet strawberries dueling it out for top flavor. Some of that battery acid flavor and of course the Bruery sour lacto flavor.

M: Medium body that is dry with a lot of carbonation.

O: Overall, not horrible, slightly too may strawberries however I have never been a Strawberry beer fan so this automatically made me a bit harder on this beer. It has a nice color to it which I liked probably most out of all the characteristics in this beer as it reminded me more of an Oude brune at least in color.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 17:47:26 | More by alpinebryant

ngeunit1

California

4.33/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Hazy red-orange with a finger of frothy slightly off-white head. Fades fairly quickly.

S - Caramel malts, strawberries and other berries, oak, red wine, vanilla, Brett and other funky yeasts, some sourness.

T - Sweet caramel malts, lots of tart strawberries and other berries, oak, red wine, brett and other funky yeasts, lactic acid, vanilla, some sourness.

M - Medium bodied, moderate carbonation. Smooth with a tart, funky, and sweet finish.

D - Super tart, but nice and complex and still has some balance.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 06:56:59 | More by ngeunit1

ehammond1

California

3.8/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle (2012)

The Bruery
Orange, CA

(Aged for 6 months)

An initially clear ruby and crimson with a quickly forming, though immediately disappearing, noisy head. The leave the glass dotted with stick. The later pours have significantly more cloudy sediment. A pretty color, no doubt, but the beer doesn't have much stick or head retention.

The aroma is my favorite part of this beer. This smells of fresh, smashed strawberries, and little else. There's perhaps a touch of a green vegetal character as well, but I'm really searching for anything but strawberries. At times, I wished this had more of a complex aroma, but I'd only be criticizing this for something that it simply isn't. This is a mildly sour strawberry ale, and in that venue (small as it is), this aroma succeeds marvelously.

The flavor isn't quite as successful as the aroma, though there's still good amounts of fresh strawberry character left after 6 months of sitting. There's a mild to moderate sour presence, along with some Band-Aid character, and a bit of a bread crust flavor on the finish. Incredibly drinkable.

Thin to medium bodied with low to moderate carbonation.

A very drinkable, strawberry-forward (slightly) sour ale. I like it quite a bit.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2013 01:36:18 | More by ehammond1

merc7186

New York

3.94/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Big bottle poured into tulip glass.

A: Hazy Reddish/Pinkish Hue, Passes Some Light, White Head Ring, No Lacing

S: Bitter Strawberries, Mild Red Wine

T: Red Wine, Bitter Strawberries, Tart Cherry

M: Average Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Semi Tart, Bitter

Overall, i can see why strawberry sours arent common because the strawberry taste melds with the red wine barreling...decent still.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 00:12:12 | More by merc7186

writerLJBerg

Oregon

3/5  rDev -23.3%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

750mL courtesy of Shane. Thanks!

A: Off-brown with a dark creme head. Doesn't leave appreciable heads, and it's not an attractive beer.

N: Strawberries, funk, acetone, and some diacetyl. Has some cheese flavors and a slight nutiness. Some glues smell is a turn off. Grapefruit and apricot round it out.

T: Funk, oak, strawberries, bleu cheese. Bracingly sour with a high amount of horse blanket and dry leather. Oak, and more of the glue taste. Grapefruit and oak.

M: Lively carbonation, light body. Normal range for Bruery led sours.

O: Complex but it never comes together in an appropriate way. Not really worth the 18 dollars. But then again, I don't know why breweries insist on trying to create strawberry sours. They don't seem to work very often.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 03:28:49 | More by writerLJBerg

jeonseh

Indiana

3.99/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by nasty31

A - Hazy orange with light brown and light strawberry red

S - Strawberry margarita with light lactic acid and lemon that gives it a slight tartness

T - Tart lemon and slight lactic acid up front. As it goes on, there is light strawberry sweetness. The finish is light funk and lemon tartness that carries on with the strawberry aspects

MF - Light body with lots of carbonation. Finish is slightly astringent from the tartness

O - Interesting sour with the strawberry sweetness that interacts with the tartness of the lemon and the lactic acid

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 02:47:55 | More by jeonseh

smakawhat

Maryland

3.65/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the bottle into a snifter glass at Smoke & Barrel DC, for the bottle share. from notes.

A nice light peach amber body color, slightly dull but seems to let the light through, and some slight filmy top, but manages a thin collar while drinking.

Funky nose for the bouquet, with some noticeable heat. It comes off as kind of powdery strangely with some sort of powdered fruit drink angle. An interesting nose, but it's not that enjoyable to me, but certainly nothing offensive or offputting.

A good hit of peach fruit on this on first sip. Mellows out with frequent sips and fills the mid palate. Strangely the body doesn't seem to hold up very much and it's quite thin, with a little bit of tart and funky angles.

Overall kind of fleeting, and not much to say about this one, smells and tastes more peachy than strawberries to me.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 20:01:44 | More by smakawhat

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.68/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750 mL bottle poured into a snifter.

Appearance - Reddish body. Moderate haze. Nice surface foam. Great retention.

Smell - Musty strawberry. Acidic, but more musty than anything. Malt is present in the back.

Taste - Great strawberry flavor. Slightly acetic with a touch of solvency. Dry with only a touch of malt here.

Mouthfeel - A little rough but nothing like other Bruery sours. Dry and well carbonated.

Overall - Pretty good for a Bruery sour. A little bit of an off flavor from the strawberry sourness.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 01:20:47 | More by Alieniloquium

mdfb79

New York

4.09/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

From 02/16/13 notes. 750ml bottle poured into a wine glass.

a - Pours a deep, hazy ruby red-purple color with two inches of bright white head and moderate to high carbonation. Looks quite nice.

s - Smells of tart strawberries, cherries, sour dark fruits, fruity malts, spices, oak, red wine, light sweetness, and some light funk. Nose is very nice; tons of strawberries and nice sour dark fruits. Big fan of the nose.

t - Tastes of tangy strawberries, red wine, tart dark fruits, vinegar, oak, spice, vanilla, and fruity malts. No real funk and more vinegar here, but still a ton of strawberries that I like. Not as great as the nose but a very good taste.

m - Medium body and high carbonation. Acedic, and a little too carbonated for me.

o - Overall I liked this one a lot more that I was expecting to after hearing some people talk about it. There are a ton of fresh strawberries throughout, with sourness all over and light funk in the nose. Very nice beer I look forward to having again, going to drink my bottles sooner than later so the strawberries don't fade. Worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 19:53:20 | More by mdfb79

DovaliHops

California

4.3/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours a slightly hazy, reddish-orangish-pink color with a small white head that disappears quickly. Scent is...WOW! I know most people say that a beer loses its fruitiness after being in the bottle for a while, but this is my fifth time opening one of these bottles, and this is the most strawberry I've ever gotten from it. Tons of strawberries and strawberry jam. Funky, but not too much. Sweet berries and oak. A slight hint of citrus in the aroma as well. Taste has just as much strawberry flavor as the nose implies. Out of all the bottles I've opened, this one is smelling and tasting the best. A few months in the bottle must have helped this one out. Funky, dust-like yeast flavors with sweet, ripe strawberries and pleasant sourness. This is not one of the most sour Bruery beers, but it is nicely soured. Strawberry seeds and cranberries are present. Tasty oak and lip-smacking strawberry sour. Some white zin flavors as well. Mouthfeel is dry and light. Nicely carbonated. Drinkability is VERY HIGH! Overall, there has to be some sort of drastic bottle variation with some of these people who are getting band-aid and plastic in the nose/taste. I will admit that when I burped, I did get a slight plastic-like flavor in my mouth, but this beer is excellent. I've maybe had like three strawberry sours in my life, and this one may just take the cake. Solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 07:24:33 | More by DovaliHops

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

4.24/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours red and brown, like a lighter red wine almost, this was aged in wine barrels, so that may be where a small part of its appearance comes from, red with a very thin head on it. Aroma of strawberries is better than any strawberry beer I've ever come across. Great.

Taste, damn, they really got the strawberry to come through on this. Good amounts of sweetness and sourness from it, the strawberry flavor cannot be denied, its all up in this one. Strawberry is so difficult it seems to get to come across in a beer, this one is seriously the best I have ever had. Good tannic dryness and oak as well, nice mouthfeel touches as it warms. Solid.

I can't really tell you where people have been picking up plastic notes from this stuff, this tastes au natural all the way through. Extremely underrated in my book. It delivers as a fruit beer, it delivers as a wild ale. Its carbonation is just right. Top of category in terms of strawberry beers.

Serving type: on-tap

02-13-2013 01:04:42 | More by Beerandraiderfan

emerge077

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Happy birthday Eric, thanks for sharing this one!

Reddish orange, scant swirl of skim and patchy lace around the edges, bright clarity, can see right through it.

Funky wild strawberry aroma, reminds me of Oudbeitje a bit. Leafy, fruity, wet woody oak. Pretty sour, sharp with a dry tannic aftertaste. Seems to lose carbonation after awhile in the glass. Authentic strawberry character, nice and sour. Overall something I'd try again.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 01:32:20 | More by emerge077

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Thanks for the killer Califiornia brews, ObeMaltKinobee!

Appearance. Pours a a nice deep peachy red with a half finger of off-white head.

Smell. Woody and earthy, almost mushroom-like funk and homemade strawberry jam. There's a little bit of a hot plastic or pvc chemical smell that must just be a combination of the funk and strawberries, but a little unpleasant nonetheless.

Taste. Nice leathery funk and tart fresh strawberry. Nicely sour and plenty of lingering old funky barrel-wood in the finish. Just a touch of sweetness.

Mouthfeel. Medium body and smooth, fairly low carbonation.

Overall. The smell wasn't a big winner with this beer, but it tastes tart and refreshing and it won't be hard to get through this bottle. Thanks again, ObeMaltKinobee.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 01:02:59 | More by Rutager

Spectre

California

2.88/5  rDev -26.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3

A. Light colored thick brown with a white head

S. Has a sour scent with a hint of strawberry

T. Flavor is of a sour bitter green strawberry. I was expecting a little more sweetness.

M. Not smooth but goes down fearly easy

Overall not a taisty beer, I was expecting more of a framboise flavor. Too bitter and the ripe strawberry after taist doesn't help

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 12:11:27 | More by Spectre

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Share with rudzud as usual.

Light creamy fizzy head fades almost instantly, typical fruit/sour head, murky strawberry jam maroon colored.

Nose explodes with strawberry, fresh and juice as well as light jammy fruit, a light bready yeast, a fairly yeasty smell, light strawberry seed or step "green tannin" like aroma, some sour funk, hint acidic almost fruit vinegar, a light wood dust like,.

Taste starts fairly sour, acidic and tart, with plenty of strawberry. Strawberry jam galore, fresh puree strawberry, and light syrup. There is again that light seed tannin, and light vinous flavor, with hint of barrel oak dust and dank shelf. Light funk with the sour, that brings hint of yeasty flavor and green like tannin. fairly acidic with hint of vinegar. Finish is long slightly sweet and flemmy, fairly sticky actually lingering strawberry galore, syrupy jam, and light acidic tart funk.

Mouth is med to a bit lighter bodied, lots of carb, fairly acidic.

Overall quite nice, the strawberry is awesome, sour is nice but a bit too sour for a great strawberry beer, and that green seed stem tannin flavor and aroma I think is a part of all strawberry beers but isn't a great flavor. Barrel is there but barely, but as a sour its fairly nice.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 17:23:23 | More by jlindros

rudzud

Massachusetts

4.24/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Shared with JLindros and poured into a Kate the Great tulip.

A - Poured a hazy strawberry jam colour with a half a finger of big bubbled head that faded to leave a thin halo.

S - Aromas of strawberries both fresh and jam and still strawberry candy along with strawberry wine! Lighter alcohol notes, like wine level alcohol in the aroma with a faint yeast aroma.

T - Taste is shockingly sour. Lots of flemmy sour notes. That detract from the strawberry flavours of this beer. Still though strawberry candy and jam comes through nicely , though almost "green" and bitter like seeds. Yeast is only faintly present here but works nicely with the berry super faint wooden barrel but for the most part this is berry and sour.

M - Mouthfeel is well, distractingly sharp here. Brightly carbonated keeps this super crisp

O - Overall I enjoyed this beer immensely. Love the strawberry notes here though its maybe a hair too sour and over carbonated. Still though, delicious

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 22:08:03 | More by rudzud

GRG1313

California

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

I had no intention of giving this beer a full review until I read the past few and find that my experience in opening two bottles yesterday may be quite different than some others.

Bottles I opened poured a clear but vivid dark cranberry red and with good bubbles and a pink albeit fast fading head. Nose is unique and most inviting fresh strawberry! I was amazed at the assertion of strawberries to the extent that it was "almost" too much. My conclusion is that the nose is pleasant, fresh, full of strawberry essence and inviting with a light hint of wood and funk.

Mouthfeel is nicely carbonated, well balanced with an acidic dominance but no so tart as to be overly "puckery." There is fresh fruit citrus tones in the acidic mouth that continues to invite.

Flavor profile is what I would call "sour 101." Meaning, it is a nice sour that is not too tart or acidic but clearly shows the acid. A decent sour to try the style even though it's a bit unique as one of the few strawberry brews around. It is balanced with hints of sweet fruit and a clear strawberry acidic dominance. One gets hints of vanilla that is also nicely balanced with the fruit and a light funk. I found the flavor profile to be somewhat unique but most pleasant. Sours seem to be dominated by cherries and/or raspberries, perhaps for the acidic and tart profile that they lend to the beer. The use of strawberries shows a like profile with perhaps a bit stronger fruit showing than most of us are used to.

Finish is tart, acidic and with a nice strawberry finish. Both bottles opened were identical. This beer should age well for those that want to try it with a bit less "sweet fruit." I'm sure a year will temper that profile. I like it now and will keep a bottle or two to see what happens. Nice effort.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 18:21:19 | More by GRG1313

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

2.51/5  rDev -35.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

Pours a slightly hazy pinkish amber color with a decent sized off white head that slowly dissipates to a cap on top. I can smell the strawberry as soon as I pop the top, but it smells like an artificial strawberry candy. Upon closer inspection I get the strawberry soda with a bit of hot tamales candies and an overbearing plastic and band aid phenolic. Bits of funk in the background as well. The flavor is tart with a nice strawberry presence, but that where the goodness ends. There's funk in there, but it not a nice funk. Plastic and rotten fruit come to mind. Medium body with a moderate level of carbonation and a tart funky mouthfeel. I couldn't finish this or get the taste out of my mouth.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 00:13:09 | More by johnnnniee

claspada

New Jersey

2.85/5  rDev -27.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a hazy, ruddy dark red, almsot light brown color with a quickly dissipating eff shell head.

Aromas begin with a strong amount of strawberry fruitiness with emerging odd Belgian yeasty notes that almost come across as burnt rubber. Mild funk as well.

The tastes follow the nose unfortunately with mild sour fruits and strawberry sweetness. There is that same off yeast induced "funk" but not like any other sours/wilds I have had recently. There is a decent lactic tartness and some red vinegar notes, but something is off here for me.

Mouthfeel is medium to light bodied with medium carbonation. Finish is mild in the tartness and the fruitness.

Overall this was a real struggle to get through and I untimately gave this one the kitchen sink treatment. There was just something off here that created this undesireable flavor profile that made this quite difficult to enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 15:37:11 | More by claspada

stakem

Pennsylvania

2.13/5  rDev -45.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

750ml bottle into a matching Bruery snifter. The brew appears a clouded light brown like cider. A tan head is composed of large bubbles that is quick to fade. A swirl agitates enough bubbles fron solution to keep a ring around the perimeter of the glass.

The aroma includes notes of strawberry/raspberry jam initially that fades to quite a bit of carbonic quality. It is metallic and mineral-filled with off character of plastic and band aids. The fruit inclusion is nice when that is all you focus on but the bad atributes of the nose are really bad.

The taste includes burnt plastic, minerals and some metallic quality. Bandaids and a really a carbonic mess of a brew. A very faint earth and seedy raspberry/strawberry character that is a bit pitted and natural tasting is present but it pales in comparison to the bad aspects of the flavor profile.

This is a medium to lighter bodied brew with a modest amount of carbonation. This has a decent amount of strawberry jam includion but overall is really a carbonic mess. The base beer is funky and off - not in a good way. This is one to avoid, I hardly drank more than a couple ounces and drain poured the rest of the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 16:02:30 | More by stakem

warnerry

Michigan

3.98/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a murky brown with a hint of orange. Huge strawberry aroma with moderate funk. Taste is acetic acid, light mustiness, and some fruit. Strawberry gets a bit overshadowed in the taste, but still present. Medium mouthfeel with lingering earthiness. Overall a nice sour, if maybe a bit too acetic.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 18:31:55 | More by warnerry

HuskyinPDX

Washington

3.9/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle opened on 12.22.12

A - Pours a murky apple cider brown with a one inch light tan head that fades slowly to the edges.

S - Funky, dirty socks, fruit, strawberry.

T - Tart strawberry, then some nice funk, wine barrel, finishes with more strawberry.

D - Decent carbonation with a medium body.

O - Nice sour strawberry, the wine is there, but is not over bearing. Hard to pull off the strawberry, but a nice job here.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 07:27:13 | More by HuskyinPDX

kojevergas

California

3.6/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750ml brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a Guinness goblet in me tasting in me gaff in high altitude Castle Rock, Colorado. Reviewed live.

Served straight from the refrigerator. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a two finger head of light khaki colour, nice cream, nice thickness, and good retention. Body colour is a caramel-tan. No yeast particles. No bubble show.

Sm: Sour oranges, tart sourness, pleasant biscuit malt, and pleasant malt. An average strength aroma.

T: Blood oranges (or strawberries, I guess), tart sourness, citric awesomeness, and a solid lightly citrus malt body. Quite well balanced. Well balanced. I quite fancy it. Built well.

Mf: Smooth and wet. Good carbonation. Good thickness.

Dr: Drinkable and enjoyable, but a bit lacking. Quite enjoyable. I'd have this again. A delightful sour. Quite tasty. Hides its ABV quite well.

High B

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 07:15:10 | More by kojevergas

UCLABrewN84

California

3.58/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle shared at mrbubbler's "end of the world" tasting.

Pours a murky orange-brown with a foamy khaki head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace slowly drip into the remaining beer on the drink down. Smell is sour, tart, and funky with some grain and strawberry aromas. Taste is much the same with a funky and earthy berry flavor that lingers on the finish. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer but it smells better than it tastes in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 05:23:37 | More by UCLABrewN84

inlimbo77

Delaware

4.1/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml, Fall 2012 release
Pinocchios restaurant tulip

A: Pours a cloudy pinkish orange color. Initially I got a slight layer of fairly white head. Basically no lacing. Faded quickly.

S: Big strawberry on the nose. Pretty incredible. Hard fruit to work with, from what I have heard. You also get some of the red wine barrel character. Seems like a dryness you can pick up even on the nose.

T: It's tart, especially on the tip of the tongue but certainly not crazy on sourness scale. Get some of that strawberry but not as much as the nose. Some tannic dryness from red wine barrels I guess. Fairly dry finish. As this beer warmed, I really started to taste more of that strawberry flavor. Really nice!

M: Medium bodied. Fairly good carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 16:11:26 | More by inlimbo77