Bluebeery Flavored Ale - Marin Brewing Company

beerguy101

California

4/5  rDev +22.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Light gold color, medium head, with a slight berry nose. A light bodied ale, nicely malty and medium hopped. Blueberry flavoring subtle, not very sweet. Mild smooth taste. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is smooth. Aftertaste is slightly fruity, yet slightly bitter.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2003 01:29:29 | More by beerguy101

Gobzilla

California

4.25/5  rDev +30.4%

01-17-2013 05:56:03 | More by Gobzilla

BubblesandFoam

California

4/5  rDev +22.7%

01-05-2013 00:26:01 | More by BubblesandFoam

t0rin0

California

3.25/5  rDev -0.3%

11-22-2012 02:35:21 | More by t0rin0

ambruns1979

California

3.5/5  rDev +7.4%

10-29-2012 05:55:03 | More by ambruns1979

beerpadawan

California

3/5  rDev -8%

08-27-2012 16:24:47 | More by beerpadawan

tizride

California

3.25/5  rDev -0.3%

07-24-2012 23:54:19 | More by tizride

Nerudamann

Arizona

3.08/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

Look – pale golden color, like a pale Hefeweizen. Hazy, with about five fingers’ worth of frothy off-white colored foam that dissipates somewhat slowly.

Smell – much like it claims, it has a fruity/berry type of smell, but more on the artificial side. It doesn’t feel like it has real blueberries added to the mix, but that would explain the name wouldn’t it?

Taste – much like the smell, the taste is full of a berry-like flavor, but that’s all it is, a flavor. As a beer, it’s on the malty side, and a bit pungiant or musky. There’s a bitterness in the finish that goes away very quickly.

Mouthfeel – pretty well balanced, but does lean a little more on the watery side.

Overall – not a very thought-provoking beer. Decent taste though.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 03:10:09 | More by Nerudamann

KevdoggNasty

4/5  rDev +22.7%

03-30-2012 06:38:50 | More by KevdoggNasty

shelby415

Oregon

3/5  rDev -8%

02-26-2012 08:37:40 | More by shelby415

TGS

California

2.5/5  rDev -23.3%

02-16-2012 03:20:22 | More by TGS

JustinQ

California

3/5  rDev -8%

12-02-2011 02:53:08 | More by JustinQ

cbarrett4

Oregon

3.58/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Tasted from tap next to Boulder Kinda Blue. This won.

A - rather uninspiring copper hue with lackluster carbonation and not much head so to speak of.

S - Smells like wheat with a little blueberry going on, sweet cereal malts too.

T - It actually tastes good, like blueberry pancakes or muffins, rather nice.

M - medium to light bodied but with good textural balance.

D - ehhh... it's good but only in moderation

Serving type: on-tap

08-11-2010 19:00:10 | More by cbarrett4

emmasdad

Colorado

3.35/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Brought this one back from San Diego for my wife. Pours a hazy yellow color, with quite a few floaties and a decent finger of white head. Very nice blueberry aroma is immediately evident, along with a little bit of yeast. On the palate, this is mostly blueberries, with just a hint of sweet malt. Not a great fruit beer, but decent.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2010 01:20:22 | More by emmasdad

guinness310

California

3.03/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

poured into a pint glass...

A: pours a hazy yellow-orangeish body with a tiny head that dessipates very quickly.

S: light hints of blueberry and a mild malt scent come out.

T: the first thing i notice is that its got alot of carbonation. not so familiar with this style, so im not sure if this is common in fruit ales. Its go a bit of a chemical/artificial taste to it.

M: mouthfeel is light-medium bodied.

D: might be ok on a hot day for my girl, but definitely cannot replace a good weizenbier for me.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2009 07:50:38 | More by guinness310

ironlung

California

3.53/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Yellow haze w/no head.

S: Can't smell much on this one maybe just a little fruit.

T: Good, totally light and fruity. Great alternative to a hefe on a summer day me thinks. Also, I bet chicks will dig this beer!

M: Like a soft drink. Leaves a fizzy/fruity flavor.

D: Very high. I'd have never ordered it but the bartender poured it by accident and offered it to me free, so I figured what the heck...I was pleased. I'm going to pick some up for the gf.

Serving type: on-tap

09-29-2008 21:01:16 | More by ironlung

mrasskicktastic

New Jersey

2.5/5  rDev -23.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A - A hazy golden color with a faint lavender tint. Medium sized head that faded quickly. Some scattered flecks of lacing linger.

S - Predominantly light malt on the nose, there is also some clean smelling noble hops and some subtle blueberry. Not bad.

T - First, there is the light malt, then comes a slightly sweet, tart flavor - blueberries I presume, although it doesn't taste much like real blueberries. Aftertaste has some crisp, clean tasting noble hops, but it is dominated by a lingering tartness and some malt.

M - High carbonation, almost soda-esque, numbing, thin, a little refreshing.

D - Meh. Okay. I am generally not pleased by fruit beers. This one is not too artificial tasting. It is more mediocre than bad.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2008 07:41:52 | More by mrasskicktastic

Murchmac

California

2.25/5  rDev -31%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Beers pours a golden straw color with an upfront smell of blueberries. Not a very complex beer, cant taste much hops, can only taste water, pepper, and blueberry finish. I've never been impressed with many of Marin Brewings beer. This one feels like it's been sprayed with pepper mace. If you like spicy beers with a hint of blueberry, this one's for you.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2007 04:31:04 | More by Murchmac

cswhitehorse

Oregon

3.58/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The blueberry pours a hazy straw color. The head is foamy and then takes off pretty quickly.

I enjoyed the smell of this beer. You really could smell a great citrus with blueberries. Deep in is a little hint of a maltiness.

The taste was good. It is definitely a refreshing type of a beer. Not a lot of complexity to it.

Since the beer was so light to me it didn't leave much for mouthfeel.

I would drink this beer once or twice a year during the summer months of July, August or September.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2007 02:52:49 | More by cswhitehorse

Gueuzedude

Arizona

2.9/5  rDev -11%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Simply 'Blueberry,' not a very inspired name on this beer. This beer has a hazy, pale, straw-gold color and is topped by a frothy, initially one-finger thick, pale, off-white colored head. The aroma smells definitively of blueberries as soon as I start to pour this beer. Reminds me of blueberry pancakes. Underneath the blueberries, or perhaps part of their character, is a touch of acidity. If you smell really intently, you might notice a touch of clean, yet thin, malt character, but you really have to dig for it underneath the blueberry notes. The aroma is pretty one-dimensional, but at least it smells like the beer's name.

Quite dry tasting, yet the blueberry character is noticeable from the get go. It actual tastes of concentrated blueberry flavors, perhaps like you would find in a blueberry syrup, but without any of the sweetness. The dominant blueberry flavor actually adds a perception of sweetness to the finish that in actuality does not exist. The blueberry flavor is not over the top, in fact it is probably at a good level. It is certainly the largest component of the flavor though, as the base beer hardly musters any contributions to the flavor profile. The beer is very light in body and quite refreshing actually. Not horrible and it would certainly appeal to those who like fruit beers that are not very heavy on the beer taste.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2007 22:04:42 | More by Gueuzedude

blitheringidiot

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Picked up a bomber from Hi-Time in Costa Mesa, CA just to try something different. "Ale with natural flavor and artificial color." 5.0% ABV.

Pours with a light cloudy golden apricot hue containing suspended particles topped with an off white collar ring settling down to nada.

Scents are overtaken by the blueberry aspect with a blueberry syrup like aroma revolving around blueberry yogurt.

First swigs: A blank canvas ale infused with blueberry...nada mas nada menos. Air and water diluted ale. Slightly metallic.

Feel is thin and gentle like flat club soda with a touch of blueberry fruit. Feel is diluted and weak.

Last swigs: An entry level fruit beer at best. Compliment: Nothing egregious except the feel. Curiosity killed the cat. This Marin stared at me for to long. I should have looked the other way.

Beer is good. Happy beering.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2007 06:01:47 | More by blitheringidiot

jletts

Washington

2.28/5  rDev -30.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

This beer poured a strong golden amber with a very attractive sugar-white head with some lacing, and smelled primarily of blueberry with other berry fruits, some strawberry, maybe cherry. The taste was a completely different story; the flavor was very disappointing. It started a bit bitter with some hop notes coming through and sweetened into a blueberry-like flavor with an artificial blueberry taste at the end. In fact it finished very flat and water-like with a bubbly, watery mouthfeel. When I burped I was revisited by the artificial-like aftertaste of the beer. In fact, this beer reminded me more of flavored seltzer water than of beer. The label stated that it was made with natural blueberry flavors, but I think Marin Brewing failed to harness the awesome power of the blueberry. Being that blueberries are my favorite fruit in the world, I was excited to try this one. But I found it to be unpalatable. I dumped the remainder of the 22 down the sink.

Note: I did notice a slight bluish tint to the beer as I poured it down the sink. I guess that's the artificial coloring mentioned on the label; it didn't show in the glass at all. I had to cleanse my palate after this beer with a Wipeout IPA.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2007 21:44:30 | More by jletts

guitarmage

Oregon

4/5  rDev +22.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Vibrant pale yellow, green tint, very pale, nice white rocky head, about an inch thick, dissipates fairly quickly. I don't know why they point out the artificial colors, the beer looks pretty normal.

Smell: Blueberry and blueberry muffins, a faint malt and yeastiness, blueberry.

Taste: A yeasty spiciness that's saturated with blueberry, fades into a super biscuity finish. Blueberry, to biscuit. It's really a simple brew, two distinct stages.

Mouthfeel: Light bodied, a piercing carbonation hits and fades away. Clean and very crisp.

Drinkability: I'm new to this style and brewery. The beer is very drinkable and the blueberry is very present, but it's not sugary or artificial tasting. I like it, it'd be great with fruity pancakes or brunch.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2007 05:45:07 | More by guitarmage

BeerRun13

California

3.08/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Kind of a murky golden orange with a purple kind of highlight. A small off white head leaves a little lace. I don't think I like this artificial color concept.
Tons of blueberries hit the nose.
Flavor is much the same. Blueberries are strong, but there is also some sort of pungent flavor as well.
Light bodied, creamy and a touch dry.
This one's just barely okay to drink, but I just can't seem to get past the artificial coloring.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2006 19:58:36 | More by BeerRun13

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.6/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I've had a small handful of blueberry ales over the years and the color has always ranged from amber to orange. When I saw that this one contains artificial color, I thought I was finally going to see a bluish blueberry beer. If it ends up being some variant of the usual amber-orange, why add coloring at all?

Lucent yellow-gold with pastel lemon edges. What did they do, add yellow food coloring? The crown is simple white, creamystiff and lasts for a bit. It looks even better after a second pour. Almost no lace. Apparently, the blueberry ale of my overactive imagination doesn't exist. This one looks pretty good, though.

The aroma is enjoyable since it passes the most important fruit beer sniff test of all... it smells like the fresh fruit for which the beer is named, without losing its underlying 'beerness'. This is one of the better aromas of the half dozen blueberry ales that I've had to date.

Not so good on the palate. Some of the 'ideal fruit beer' boxes can be checked, while at least one big one remains empty. What this beer does right is that the base ale is a decent one. It's lightly sweet and acceptably malty, with a modicum of countering hop bitterness. A fairly solid platform.

What else it does right is that the relative proportions of 'beer' and 'blueberry' are just about perfect. The fruit is neither too subtle nor is it overpowering. What is does wrong is that the blueberry flavor tastes artificial. In fact, it tastes soapy. Not enough to completely ruin the experience, but enough to keep me from loving it like I do a few other blueberry ales (Bar Harbor and SLO).

The body/mouthfeel is standard-issue fruit beer. That is, it's light-medium and is moderately carbonated. Light enough to be refreshing on a warm summer day and firm enough to keep the flavor from running away and hiding mid-mouthful. No complaints here.

Marin Bluebeery Ale (note the extra 'e') is an okay effort that clears the first two of my fruit beer hurdles with ease, but trips and falls on the final jump. I won't buy it again even though it's readily available in my neck of the woods. It's beery enough, but the berry needs a little work.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2006 23:29:27 | More by BuckeyeNation