Blueberry Ale - SLO Brewing Company

BeerManDan

California

2.73/5  rDev -29.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Had this on tap at the brewery. In the glass it showed an hazy orange yellow. The smell was of hops, spice and malts. The aroma of blueberries did not come through. When tasting this beer, right away I didn't like it. All I tasted was a sick sweet/bitter strong taste of what I can only disscribe as a medicine flavor. This as far as I'm concerned was their worst beer!

Serving type: on-tap

12-27-2002 21:54:26 | More by BeerManDan

Reidrover

Oregon

3.5/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Found in the canned goods outlet in Salem Or.
Nice looking dark amber beer ,with reddish tones , small off white frothy head.
The aroma is quite nice , nice strong blueberry aromas that seem natural and fresh, some toasty malt aromas too underneath.
In the taste the blueberry is not quite as pronounced as in the artoma , but there is a strong malty sweetness then the blueberry comes through at the end of the mouthful.
Quite nice on the palte , long lingering fruity aftertaste.
A good attempt at a refreshing, summer fruit beer. Not bad at all.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2005 04:44:39 | More by Reidrover

Overlord

California

3.5/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Amber colored, white-ish head that dissipated quickly.

Taste is wheat and honey, with a surprisingly sour taste of blueberries sprinkled in. Hit the spot, but certainly not a beer I'd want more than a pint of in one sitting. Mouthfeel was a bit strange, and the smell was probably more of a high light than the flavor.

Interesting.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2007 22:33:20 | More by Overlord

Gusler

Arizona

3.53/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

It’s been almost three years since I’ve sampled this beer, and have never been a real fan of fruit beers, of course I do like the occasional lambic to break the monotony of all those over the top ales.

Translucent golden amber color on the pour with the head modest in size, white in color and frothy in structure, the lace a nice sealing sheet upon the glass. Nose is sweet as one would expect, crisp and clean, start also sweetly malt, and top is middling in its feel to the palate. Finish is moderately acidic, hops pleasant and the sweet blueberry, continues to the very dry finish, drinkable and pleasant enough.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2003 16:07:02 | More by Gusler

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.58/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours out looking like a non fruit beer, i.e., yellow w/ a white/off white head, not much lacing or retention. Aroma was a little bitter blueberry.

So it keeps the sweetness down, something a lot of the fruitier colored beers have a hard time doing, but you don't get enough blueberry flavor here like you do in some of the blueberry stouts on the market. Not bad, keeps bitterness/sweetness balanced, but just not enough fruit/blueberry character to it.

Carbonation seems a little on the high end. A little better if you let it sit, but as it warms you won't get more fruit, and its what i would call a hot weather beer, so you probably want to drink it cold, maybe pop the top and put it in the fridge for 5 more minutes.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2011 21:20:56 | More by Beerandraiderfan

Jordan

California

3.6/5  rDev -7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This years Slo Blue seems to have gone south. The hops are sharp and crisp, like a pils, notes of blueberry and spice. Another bummer about this years Slo Blue is the lack of hearty sediments, only a little cloudiness gives the perception of something left relatively untouched. Highly quaffable, enjoyable brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2003 21:48:28 | More by Jordan

DESTRO

Nevada

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

pours and hazy orange with a nice sticky head. smells of blueberries with a light spice kick. the blueberry flavor come through first but isnt too strong and is followed by a malt sweetness and a little hop hit but the main taste is of light blueberries. nice carbonation and light refreshing mouthfeel. great hot weather brew, very refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2003 19:20:23 | More by DESTRO

Jason

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Presentation: 12 oz brown long neck bottle with no freshness date. “Ale fermented with blueberry juice” stated on the label.

Appearance: Hazed orange amber with small flakes of sediment floating around, head retention is quite eye appealing with a dense rocky start after the pouring then subsiding to a sticky lace.

Smell: Smells of fresh pressed blueberries with a subtle spiciness within that suggests nutmeg and a raw earthy aroma.

Taste: Carbonation is at a crisp medium level, moderate body with a thin maltiness. Fresh blueberry flavour that hits hard beginning to middle. Sweetness from the malt follows the fruitiness, bitterness is balancing a cut right trough the blueberry flavour. A mix of hop bitterness, sweet grain and residual blueberry hold tight in the end for a really good after taste.

Notes: If you are into fruit beers this is a great pick, other than the sediment particles this is a really good fruit beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2002 12:54:48 | More by Jason

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.98/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Perfectly clear bright gold with not even a hint of blue. The bone white head is frothy, has decent staying power and deposits only a small amount of lace. The nose is very nice and is reminiscent of blueberry pie: berries and pie spice of some kind (nutmeg perhaps).

The flavor profile is nicely balanced between sweet and bitter, with a yummy blueberriness that I wish was less muted. Blueberry tends to come on stronger as the beer approaches room temperature. The finish is modestly bitter, dry and respectably long. I can taste berries long after the swallow. Medium-bodied.

SLO Blueberry Ale is one of my first fruit beers and is a good one at that. As I type, it's December with snow on the ground, so the beer doesn't really fit the season. I imagine that it would be outstanding on a hot summer day.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2003 19:42:29 | More by BuckeyeNation

beernut7

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Late Spring be the time for blueberry ale. This is the first West-coast blueberry beer I have sampled. Turns out not much changes here coast to coast. Pours a deep golden hue with a sticky foam lace. The aroma is heavy with fresh blueberries and malt. This brew comes very close to a liquid pie. A heavier body supports a good malt presence balanced with a peppery blueberry flavor and mild bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2003 09:03:03 | More by beernut7

Bookseeb

Washington

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance is an orange amber with minimal head that settles to a thin layer. Smell has the hint of blueberries, hops and spice. I can also taste a hint of the blueberries, spice and the right amount of hops. Mouthfeel is medium with good carbonation.
Not much on fruit beers, but this is a lot better than I antisipated, a good well rounded brew thats not infused with an artificial blueberriness that I've experienced with others.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2008 00:00:59 | More by Bookseeb

beertaster13

Washington

4.1/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a nice amber with a frothy creamy off-white head. A hint of blueberry sneaks out as you pour. The smell is wild with blueberries, a honey glazed grain is pleasant to the nose. The taste while not overly blueberry is quite tasty. A great amber caramel with blueberry finish is perfect. A good summer brew, great with a nice tart.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2005 00:49:20 | More by beertaster13

TastyTaste

Minnesota

4.33/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Zorro for the bottle.

Appearance: Clear copper, much like an APA, with a nicely formed head, creamy and thick when it subsides.

Smell: Sweet and sour blueberry, malt, carmel.

Taste: Rich and sweet, but still very enjoyable a for a blueberry dessert beer, very interesting. Finishes dry, like a blueberry should. Very approachable, balanced, and not overpowering.

Drinkability: Doesn't go wrong where many fruit beers have before, I can enjoy it for what it is.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2007 06:25:50 | More by TastyTaste

connecticutpoet

Connecticut

4.43/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This was a good yellow beer with a rather large head. More so than I expected.

The aroma was of blueberries and aromatic hops, with a hint of pine in the background.

The flavor was first of bitter hops, which then faded gradually into blueberries. It was refreshing that the blueberry taste was more prominent than in some, but that it was not the primary focus.

This was a good brew. Try it if you can.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2004 04:19:29 | More by connecticutpoet

Zorro

California

4.65/5  rDev +20.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Pours a mildly cloudy gold brew.

Smells like a blueberry pie with some malt and hops.

Taste is mildly sweet and of blueberries. The fruit flavor isn't over done in this brew. This is ale PAIRED with the flavor of blueberries. This brew has a solid pale ale flavor of malt and light bitter hops that complements the berries. A superior fruit beer, hell it is a superior pale ale too!

Mouthfeel is very good.

Drinkability is great. This is a local brew that you WANT to drink a six pack of. Most fruit brews over-emphasize the fruit component, this one doesn't do that. This is a brew that is great ALE that just so happens to be made with blueberries.

A Unique brew that everyone should try.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2004 04:14:45 | More by Zorro

SoCaliC8

California

5/5  rDev +29.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

My favorite beer in the whole wide world. There use to be only one place that I could get this beer (Barney's Beanery in West Hollywood, CA) but they have since stopped carrying it.

It's flavorful and light and amazingly refreshing. I love this beer like nothing else and holds a very high number one on my list.

If anyone knows where I can get this beer at in SoCal, please let me know!!

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2010 17:13:49 | More by SoCaliC8