New Belgium Old Cherry

I received a gift in the form of a few cans of Fat Tire,  and a release new to the bottling line, Old Cherry. I like Cherries, I am ok with Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat, so I thought, hey, lets give this guy a try!

New Belgium Old Cherry – 12 oz bottle poured into a New Belgium Glass (I am not the New Belgium shill I am making myself out to be) 6.5% abv.

Appearance: A dark orange-ish read. Poured with a fluffy head that subsided into a stripe with a Belgian-like lacing. By that, I mean more sparkly than webby.

Aroma: Earth like yeast and bread crust and ripened sweet cherries.

Taste: Pretty much like Fat Tire with real cherry juice. The cherry in the beer doesn’t taste artificial like Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat. It finishes with a bit of malt at the end, and a pilsner like bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Rolls around my mouth like a fizzy fruit juice. Not very bitter or tart, despite being an ale setting the stage for cherries.

Overall: In the category of fruit beer, this is a must try. I have had many blueberry and strawberry beers that have tasted like they are using artificial flavors, much like candy. This really tastes like beer and fruit in harmony, which I can respect. I usually like one or the other, but this is pretty well done for a fruit beer. If I was New Belgium, I would put this next to Fat Tire on the shelves. This could be the craft beer gateway for some.