Huckleberry Ale
Coeur d'Alene Brewing Co.

Huckleberry AleHuckleberry Ale
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Coeur d'Alene Brewing Co.
 
Idaho, United States
Style:
Fruit and Field Beer
ABV:
3.5%
Score:
73
Avg:
2.85 | pDev: 24.91%
Reviews:
20
Ratings:
24
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Dec 23, 2012
Added:
Mar 31, 2002
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3 by EvanWilliams from Illinois

Dec 23, 2012
 
Rated: 2.5 by Jfowler05 from Maryland

Aug 03, 2012
 
Rated: 2 by Irrationalist from California

Apr 23, 2012
Photo of u2carew
Reviewed by u2carew from Massachusetts

2.65/5  rDev -7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
12oz Longneck
A) Pours with a big frothy head. Settles slightly. Lacing is big bubbled and semi-sticky. Clear body. Gold in color.
S) Fruit nose - I assume huckleberry hence the name but it doesn't seem real. May be a bit artificial. It has a chalky, sweet aroma like sweet tarts candy.
T) Chalky. Subtle hints of fruitiness - slight berry in nature but much too sugary to be real fruit. The flavors throughout are weak
M) Fizzy. Light bodied. Super dry in the finish.
D) Glad I bought only a single of this brew...this is not very good.
Dec 16, 2010
Photo of Thorpe429
Reviewed by Thorpe429 from Illinois

3.3/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
On tap at the brewpub in Coeur d'Alene in August 2009. Couldn't put this review in with the rest of my backlog earlier, as this place was listed as closed for a period of time.

One of the better beers we had a Coeur d'Alene. Maybe this was just that good in comparison to everything else. Pours a light yellow color with a decent head and a touch of lacing. The nose brings some fairly-nice berry notes, which continue into the taste. The taste, however, is a bit artificial. Feel is pretty light and cooling. Drinkability is decent. This might have been their best beer and that's simply because it tasted artificial rather than having all sorts of off flavors.
Nov 30, 2010
Photo of deereless
Reviewed by deereless from Colorado

2.26/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2
A: Loads of sea froth head, pale gold to straw in color, lots of active carbonation - 3.50, S: Huckleberries are present and provide a slight blueberry aroma, the nose is mildly medicinal, light grain smell - 2.50, T: Palate is quite tart with grain husks and a sharp bitter after bite - 2.00, M: 2.50, D: Without a date it is hard to know whether the beer is past its prime or if this is standard issue, after reading some of the other reviews my perceptions seem validated, a little too tart/off for my liking which really compromises the general sweetness I associate with huckleberries - 2.00
Jan 28, 2010
Photo of GweedoeBRew
Reviewed by GweedoeBRew from Massachusetts

3.7/5  rDev +29.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5
I actually really liked it. I had read some reviews and didn't have very high expectations, but got to the brew pub and ordered it right away... and really thought it was interesting. I wasn't sure what the Huckleberry would taste in the beer and I think it was good. Not as over powering as most "fruit" beer tend to be... but enough of the flavor to make you know it is there. Would I sit down and drink 5 of these at once... no... But I would say if you go to Coeur d'Alene Brewing... try it... cause it isn't bad
Jun 18, 2009
Photo of KJH
Reviewed by KJH from Washington

3.4/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
This beer pours a light straw color with minimal head.

There is no hop presence in the aroma. Initially the scent of any berry was heard to detect but it does have a slight presence.

The huckleberry taste is only evident later in the taste. The first taste almost reminded me of a normal cream ale. But the berry tang appeared very late, just about when you're ready for the next sip.

This beer is very light and refreshing. Something unique to sip as you're finishing some outdoor chores before fall sets in. Would probably pair well with a chicken dish as long as the dish is not overpowering.
Sep 15, 2008
Photo of MTNboy
Reviewed by MTNboy from Germany

2.78/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Appearance- This beer is a straw yellow and is little hazy. A little less than average head and lace.

Smell- It had a very fruit like sweet and sour aroma and there was a little bit of a peppery smell to it as well.

Taste- It was alright it wasn't what I thought it was going to be so many people had raved to me about this beer. It was a sour fruity but yet sweet at the same time beer. It has some earthy, grassy and grainy tones too.

Mouthfeel- Film and thin the flavor sticks.

Drinkability- My first huckleberry beer and I willing to try other so I can forget.
Aug 14, 2008
Photo of iconoklaztor
Reviewed by iconoklaztor from Indiana

3.72/5  rDev +30.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 5
Received this brew in a trade! Cheers!

Pours an almost pissy yellow with very little head. Not much in that department. Lets just get down to it. Now, I dont know what a huckleberry is other than fin but I do know this is a surprisingly refreshing brew!

There is a almost fruity taste (probably huckleberry) and its very crisy. I actually like it

Its very drinkable and refreshing and probably cheap at the same time.

Overall, probably not the best brew in the world but damn its refreshing!

Cheers!
Jul 14, 2008
Photo of youradhere
Reviewed by youradhere from Washington

1.06/5  rDev -62.8%
look: 2 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1
I sear I don't know what is wrong with this place, they call themselves a brewery... Took a sixer home because the waitress said the tap was dry; bad move. Opened it and took a whiff out of the bottle- smelled like stale beer and bad fruit. Poured into a pint glass, almost no head which quickly dissapeared. Color was nothing to sniff at; the aroma once in the pint glass fruited up a bit, but still stunk. I've made fruit beers before, they aren't hard and have tasted way better. I think the beer tasted almost soapy (in a bad gagging way), and I poured the rest of the pint down the drain. I've tried to give bottles away to visitors who visit for a beer or two; no takers and so I brought the 5 bottles with me camping and left them there, full, in the trash. Nuff said.
Mar 18, 2008
Photo of GClarkage
Reviewed by GClarkage from California

2.6/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
11/06/07- Received as a gift from BA member Talisker.

Presentation- 12oz bottle with no freshness info on the bottle or label. Poured into a standard pint glass.

Appearance- Light golden color. A bit hazy and clouded, from the yeast I suppose. About a 1/4 inch head upon pour which evaporates soon thereafter. No lace to be found here.

Smell- At first it seemed like some kind of stinky scent. Then I realize I was smelling wet grass that had been rotting in garbage can. Musty is a very good word to use. It does have a fruit quality...maybe it's even a good example of a shootoff of "barnyard". Maybe I'm being a bit harsh on the scent? Didn't really care for it that much though.

Taste- Very grainy at first taste. Almost a stale flavor. Fruit does come through, but it's very mild. Maybe even a touch sour. Reminds me of the 5 year old bottle of Eddie McStiff's Blueberry Ale I had a few years ago. Maybe just past it's prime.

Mouthfeel- A bit thin, a bit watery and a bit setzery...seems like I just wrote this line for another beer recently. Mid range carbonation level.

Drinkability- Despite it's lack of real fruit flavor, it was still kinda refreshing, believe it or not. Hmmm, some kind of subliminal liquid here?
Nov 07, 2007
Photo of Talisker
Reviewed by Talisker from California

3.09/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Had on tap at the brewpub in Coeur d'Alene (also picked up a six-pack of bottles to take home, but the review here is the tap version).

This beer is not exactly *better* than my review scores indicate, but it's certainly more fun to drink than you would guess from the numbers alone.

Unremarkable medium straw color, some unattractive murkiness. The aroma is fascinating - fresh cut grass with more than a hint of dry fruit. Makes huckleberry seem the perfect fruit addition for a beer.

And while that fruit delights in the flavor - the huckleberry is deliciously present, not sweet, not overpowering - the underlying base of this beer is a letdown. Grainy (in a bad way), lager-y (in a bad way). Could work if there were a nice pilsener-y touch, or even a richer ale. Texture is fine - definitely a quaffer from that perspective.

But as it is, this is a beer that does fruit extract right on top of a beer done wrong. But that fruit is great, and stands out even when the beer is too cold - on a hot day I would drink a few of these over a macro-lager any time.
Oct 28, 2007
Photo of dnichols
Reviewed by dnichols from Washington

2.06/5  rDev -27.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
I was served a three ounce sample at the Alehouse in Moscow, ID.

A: It poured a pale gold body with a slight head that receded fast and was so weak it could barley muster any lacing.

S: It had the aroma of children's medicine. Instead of cherry it produced a sweet huckleberry odor that overwhelmed all other elements of the beer.

T: It is fruity...as expected. But the lack of any other flavor was a disappointment, moreover, the berry flavor was not subtle...it assaulted my mouth with a sweetness reminiscent of a soda or berry flavored Kool-aide. The low ABV did little to clean the palate leaving a lingering mouth full of sticky sweet syrup.

M: Thin and watery body with a sweet and sticky aftertaste.

D: I would never order this beer again...but might recommend it to someone who does not like beer. Its more of an alcohol fortified soda than a beer..perfect for the coed who wants to drink with her friends but has no tolerance for beer.

Comment: I rarely drink fruit beers so I may be overly harsh. However, the extremely low ABV and over the top fruit flavor left little to recommend this beer.
Oct 28, 2007
Photo of ElGordo
Reviewed by ElGordo from Oregon

3.07/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
12oz bottle purchased at Huckleberry's in Spokane. Part two of a huckleberry beer face-off with Laughing Dog's Huckleberry Cream Ale.
Pours a light golden color topped by a small, fizzy head that vanishes very quickly. Aroma of mild huckleberries, a touch of sweet malt, and more than a little cracked black pepper. Palate is again a mixture of huckleberries and cracked pepper, with a touch of astringency thrown in. Body is fizzy and on the verge of being disagreeable. Finish is somewhat dry and peppery.
In the face-off, this beer gets its ass handed to it by Laughing Dog's Huckleberry Cream Ale. It's not particularly bad, it just pales in comparison.
Jun 21, 2007
Photo of chrisms86
Reviewed by chrisms86 from Washington

2.81/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Have a keg of this on tap on roommate recommendation. To be honest I don't like fruit beers and have always stayed away, but was pleasantly surprised with this one.

Pours with an inch thick head that glues a webbing on the inside of the glass as you sip it down. Mouthfeel is slightly frothy but mostly thin. Tastes of hucklberry (duh) with some herbal notes, mostly one-dimensional flavor. Very easy drinker, not filling, but after a couple the sweetness gets to me.

A great brew if you're into fruit beers but I am not.
Jan 20, 2007
Photo of jdhilt
Reviewed by jdhilt from New Hampshire

3.53/5  rDev +23.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Served on tap as 16oz glass ($3) at the brewery in Coeur d'Alene, Id. Pours with two finger white head that goes slowly to a ring leaving some lace. Clear amber color. Light carbonation and medium bodied. Strong, fruity huckleberry nose. Starts sweet, light, nice summer ale. The ABV is 4.9%.
Jun 29, 2006
Photo of RJLarse
Reviewed by RJLarse from Washington

2.68/5  rDev -6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
I picked up a six-pack of Huckleberry Ale at a grocery store for my daughter’s graduation party. I poured this beer in to a pint glass.

Pours a pale gold color and is slightly hazy. A wispy one-finger white head is gone quickly and produces almost no lacing.

The smell is fairly strong, sweet and all about huckleberry.

The taste is sweet and fruity, huckleberry, with a very mild hop flavor mixed in. The flavors are a bit one-dimensional.

Mouth feel is crisp and refreshing, highly carbonated.

This is a drinkable beer, but probably not one of my first choices. I’m just not much of a fruit beer fan.
Jun 06, 2006
Photo of woemad
Reviewed by woemad from Washington

1.74/5  rDev -38.9%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5
Bottle purchased at Huckleberry's (how ironic) in Spokane for the sale price of $0.99 (I think its normally $1.19). Poured a cloudy orange color, with virtually no head. Slight spotty lacing. Smell has a hint of huckleberries scent, but this is put into the background by an overbearing smell reminiscent of really strong shampoo, like one would use on a particularly dirty animal. This same shampoo flavor is very present in the taste. Again, one can detect a huckleberry flavor in the background that would be pleasant if not for the company it keeps. I'm only 1/3 of the way through this bottle, and I'm already thinking of tossing it down the crapper. If this isn't a bad bottle, avoid this at all costs, up to and including going without beer if this is the one thing available to you.
Dec 01, 2003
Huckleberry Ale from Coeur d'Alene Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 73 out of 100 with 24 ratings