Fruit and vegetable beers are interesting brews with many possibilities.  Some brewers use actual produce in the beer to achieve natural flavors, but many employ extracts, syrups, or processed flavors to simulate the desired taste.  Fruit beers are popular during the holidays: such as pumpkin beers for Halloween/Thanksgiving and cranberry for Christmas. If you're on our email list, you may have gotten this month's Craft Beer Newsletter, which featured several pumpkin beers in honor of the fact that fall is finally here.

Today, I am tasting Shipyard Brewing Pugsley’s Signature Series “Smashed Blueberry”; also look for their “Smashed Pumpkin”.  The blueberry blue bottle tells the story of this 9.0% ABV blueberry powerhouse.  It is a hybrid between a Porter and a Scotch Ale, an intriguing combination.  It is being served chilled in my Guinness tumbler.

Appearance:  Pours a coffee brown with a massive Coke colored head (not Coke itself but the foam that results from pouring a warm Coke).

Nose:  It smells very much like fresh blueberry pie.  There are hints of a baked crust and jammy fruit.  Coffee from the Porter lingers in the background.  Violet Beauregarde flashes in my mind.

Taste:  Not overly blueberry, in fact the fruit flavor hovers in the background to accentuate the forward coffee flavors.  Hop presence sticks to the front of the tongue while the blueberries gush for a pleasant finish.  A burst of coffee returns with every exhale. As it warms up the Scotch Ale is more prevalent.  Slight chocolate and caramel notes flash in and out of the blueberry essence. 

This beer has complexity for days.  A treat for people who like a sweet flair.  You can find it for a limited time at your local ABC.

Beer blogger Adam Shugan is the resident beer expert at our Newberry Road, Gainesville store.