Redd’s Blueberry Ale: Fruity Refreshment and Not too Sweet

 

Redd’s Brewing, a subsidiary of Miller Brewing Co., is widely known for its Apple Ale. One of the more popular brands and flavors, Redd’s Apple Ale helped launch the brand and it continues to rank among the go- to flavored brews for those who want to drink beer but cannot get past the often bitter flavor profile common to so many craft beers.

The popularity of Redd’s Apple Ale has led to one obvious side effect: The launch of different flavors. Some are better than others and one that I rate among the better ones is Redd’s Blueberry Ale, the newest members of the Redd’s lineup.

Pour me Some Berry Brew

Redd’s Blueberry Ale pours to a golden/tan color with a nose that includes scents of berries, apple, and grain, much like a dessert. There is no foam on this beer- it pours out of the bottle completely headless and remains that way to the end.

This fruity ale serves up flavors like blueberries (duh!), apple, a little bit of yeast, and even some bubblegum notes. The flavor alternates back and forth between sweet and tart, with sweet winning out in the end but not by the wide margin common to other fruity beers of similar style. The beverage contains 5 percent alcohol by volume and is sold in 12 oz. bottles and in 16 oz. cans.

Am I Blue?

I know what everyone is thinking. Fruity mock beers like Redd’s  Blueberry Ale are too sweet, taste too much like Kool- Aid, and don’t have enough real beer flavor to take seriously. I agree that many of them do, indeed, fit these descriptions and when I first heard about Redd’s Blueberry Ale, I began to wonder if I, too, would be bogged down with a case of the blues. Would this beer be another excessively fruity, artificial tasting malt beverage worthy of a new home in my kitchen drain? Or, would it pass my tests of taste scrutiny well enough to continue drinking?

Redd’s Blueberry Ale, it turns out, is a better “beer” than I expected. Yes, the fruity character is there and combined with the yeasty notes, apples, and malts, makes it very dessert- like in taste and it would likely match up well with a fruity after- dinner snack. I have tried the other Redd’s flavors and some of them were too sweet while others had a dissatisfying, almost oil like mouthfeel. I don’t have those issues here. The flavor profile does swing toward the sweet end of the spectrum, but there is some room for tartness and enough balance to satisfy.

Try Some Redd’s Blueberry Ale

My bottom line with Redd’s Blueberry Ale is that it’s a better flavored beer than others and definitely better than many of the “malternative” beverages on the market. Redd’s Blueberry Ale is not gluten free, so don’t think the fruity profile makes it devoid of gluten. Remember- this drink is still brewed with a malt beverage base and it can still wreak havoc on celiac sufferers.

I still prefer a good malty fruit beer when and if I decide to be fruity, but Redd’s  Blueberry Ale is actually a decent option and one of the better beers in the Redd’s family. Give it a shot and see for yourself. The beer may be inspired by blue fruit but the taste will leave you feeling anything but blue, with a crisp refreshment good for the warmer days just ahead.

Rating: 6 Cheers out of 10