Unibroue Éphémère Sea Buckthorne Berry – Fruit / Vegetable Beer at 5.5% ABV | 13 IBU (C$6.88 at NLC Stavanger, 750 ml, packaged on 14-Feb-2020, acquired 23-Jul-2020, reviewed 26-Jul-2020)
Appearance: slightly hazy deep gold with a massive rocky white head, excellent retention and well-defined soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: tart berry, wheat, doughy yeast, faint funk. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter, moderate-low tart. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, off-dry crisp lightly tart finish. (4/5)
This thing uncorked with enthusiasm, causing me to scramble for the glass in anticipation of the gusher, but that didn’t actually happen despite the massive head. I wouldn’t know a Sea Buckthorn – or its berry – if one or both bit me on the butt (though I do vaguely recall having encountered a Sea Buckthorn foam in a dessert in some hoity-toity restaurant) so I have no idea how authentic the aroma and flavour are. However, there’s a distinctly cranberry-ish tartness that works well with the underlying wheat, so let’s give them the benefit of the doubt and say they are. More to the point, both the sweetness and tartness are pleasantly restrained and reminiscent of actual fruit, making this easy to drink and quite refreshing. One’s certainly enough, but for what it is, it’s quite nice. It’s actually a lot nicer than the cranberry version, and in fact, I’ll say it’s actually the best out of the six or seven of this series I’ve had. (15/20)
7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
