Prickly Pear Braggot (Brothers' Reserve Series) - Widmer Brothers Brewing Company

vacax

California

2.98/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours an orange gold with white head, good retention and lacing. Aroma is fairly sweet with a taffy smell, candi sugar, chicory, some alcohol presence, not too much honey but it does blend with the malt nicely. While the nose comes together, the taste does not quite do as good of a job. Spicy sweetness begins with a heavy caramel malt on the finish. It has an odd corn flavor that combined with the sweetness actually reminds me of a malt liquor. Actually, some malt liquors taste better. While I find obscure styles interesting just for the sake of them, the taste here is hard to appreciate. Medium to thicker body, silky with moderate carbonation, bitterness is a bit astringent yet there is an over the top cookielike malt clashing. Interesting to try, but that is about it.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2010 05:37:12 | More by vacax

Kelp

New Hampshire

3.25/5  rDev -9.7%

04-29-2013 07:49:26 | More by Kelp

merc7186

New York

3.93/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Bomber into snifter glass.

A: Amber/Golden Straw Hue, Passes Most Light, Mild Head Ring, Minimal Lacing

S: Buckwheat Honey

T: Buckwheat Honey, Mild Pear Juice, Mildly Boozy

M: Mediocre Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Semi Sweet, Mildly Boozy

Overall, a nice balanced braggot with a minimal amount of pear juice.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 02:59:44 | More by merc7186

harrymel

Washington

2.75/5  rDev -23.6%

03-18-2013 22:57:23 | More by harrymel

oline73

Maryland

3/5  rDev -16.7%

03-16-2013 02:29:58 | More by oline73

t0rin0

California

4/5  rDev +11.1%

03-07-2013 12:25:54 | More by t0rin0

baybum

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -2.8%

02-10-2013 23:03:06 | More by baybum

Bildo

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +18.1%

02-01-2013 18:42:39 | More by Bildo

SocalKicks

California

3.75/5  rDev +4.2%

01-23-2013 04:54:07 | More by SocalKicks

cliff1066

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev +4.2%

12-23-2012 00:32:15 | More by cliff1066

Glibber

Idaho

4/5  rDev +11.1%

10-06-2012 01:55:39 | More by Glibber

generallee

New York

3.75/5  rDev +4.2%

09-02-2012 13:01:28 | More by generallee

halo913

Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev -2.8%

08-11-2012 14:37:48 | More by halo913

LiquidAmber

Washington

4/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review from 4/2010 notes. Poured into a small canning jar. Pours a medium orange amber, one finger white head and light lacing. Light fruit and honey aroma. A mild, pleasant malt and honey flavor. Fruit and malt middle. Dry finish although generally fairly sweet. Honey flavors not as intense as mead, but a nice change of pace.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 22:38:29 | More by LiquidAmber

FullObs

Illinois

1.75/5  rDev -51.4%

08-03-2012 19:52:38 | More by FullObs

morebeergood

Massachusetts

3.43/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On Friday, I tore off the page for my 365-beers-a-year calendar, and this was the beer for 7/06/12. I knew I had a 2010 vintage in the cellar, so tonight was the night I was going to drink it. Put it in the fridge for a few minutes before opening. Poured into a large mouthed goblet. Lots of fizzy champagne-like carbonation, but no head. Random bubbles floated upward continuously. Dark orange color. Aroma was fruity from the prickly pear juice. Taste was interesting. This is my first time to try this style. Sweet from the honey, yet tart from the pear. Very spicy though, made it a slow sipper. Mouthfeel was thin but sticky, so not my favorite. A decent beer hybrid, but not one I'd drink often. Bonus points in the overall category just for the uniqueness.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2012 20:08:58 | More by morebeergood

sludgegnome

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +11.1%

06-09-2012 20:53:38 | More by sludgegnome

sulldaddy

Connecticut

3.68/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Sampling a cellar temp and stored bottle poured into a snifter. The beer pours a bright clear gold hue that looks like a cider as it enters the glass. Actually gives off a little more copper hue when held up to the light. Fizzy bleached white head fizzes away to nothing before the bottle is back on the desk from pouring into the glass.

Aroma is pears and light sweetness, maybe a bit of white grape too, generally mild and fruity. Some faint black peppery booziness is present but subdued in the background.

First sip reveals a light body with fine and very prickly carbonation that fizzes in my mouth the entire sampling. The thinner body is expected with the honey and pear juice additions.
Flavor is what is expected with light fruity notes of pear and white grape and some general sweetness. Not really any hop hits and the booze is pretty well hidden as well. The beer is a little dangerously easy to drink and sneaks up on me a little before I finish.
A sweet crisp easy drinking beer that could be a little cloying by the end of a 22oz bottle. Worth a shot but know what you are getting into so you are not disappointed when you take your first sip.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 04:30:25 | More by sulldaddy

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer was one I had been looking forward to trying for a while and I finally found a stash to buy one. The beer poured out as a golden color with a fizzy white head that settled rather quickly. The smell of the beer was sweet with some fruity notes to it, it also had some funky aromas in there too but nothing overwhelming. The taste of the beer started off with the pear-like flavors... some light metallic notes when chilled too low. The flavors finish off with the sweetness of the honey. The mouthfeel of the beer has a decent thickness to it, it's also pretty smooth. Overall this beer was good, I found it to be a solid Braggot but not the best I've had.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2012 03:08:00 | More by Knapp85

Wetpaperbag

Washington

4/5  rDev +11.1%

02-08-2012 03:52:31 | More by Wetpaperbag

Kahlerbock

Kansas

3/5  rDev -16.7%

01-17-2012 20:36:00 | More by Kahlerbock

mactrail

California

3.95/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sweet and tangy nectar. Honey flavor is quite pronounced but the fruit and spice give it some competition. Long nose of flowers and orange marmelade. Modest carbonation in the golden brew. Thick and rich in the mouth, though not sticky. Lots of residual sugar, and the honey flavor makes it taste even sweeter. But that's what you came in here for. Fruit could be anything, but it reminds me of sugar cane and canned peaches. Dates, with that same intense sweet flavor as honey. But a surprising bitter edge finally creeps up in the aftertaste. Still you'd never call it hoppy. It 's a good one for dessert in a glass.

This seems like it fits the description of the style. I guess I will have to try some other Braggots. You could do a lot with the wealth of fruit flavors people have tried with Saisons and other styles.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 05:22:54 | More by mactrail

buckyp

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +11.1%

01-10-2012 01:46:23 | More by buckyp

Faina

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +11.1%

01-05-2012 03:44:51 | More by Faina

haveasam

New York

5/5  rDev +38.9%

12-20-2011 03:30:55 | More by haveasam