Buckerfield Brewery's Berry Ale

Photo from Beck's Beer Blog

The Buckerfields Brewery does a terrible job of providing pictures for their brews. The only pictures that are viable are ones from other beer blogs around the internets. But at least they brew some nice tasting beers.

Obviously, this is a fruit beer. I generally like fruit beers, as long as the flavor is put into the beer correctly. It needs to be brewed in, I think. Otherwise it just tastes like beer with flavoring in it. I couldn't say as to which was which in the case of this Berry Ale, but I do know that I liked it. A lot.

The beer gives off the nostalgic aroma of raspberry kool-aid. This was not a turn-off for me, for many fond memories of mine involve a large plastic pitcher of that delicious summer treat.  The first taste is not raspberry at all, but a pleasant burn with the robust strength of a solid ale. Sort of thick, but sprightly.

The body of the brew's flavor is reminiscent of raspberry ice tea, calm and refreshing. This strengthens somewhat after the swallow to taste like raspberry flavored Crystal Light. Yet the fruitiness of both these flavors does not make the beer not taste like a beer. The ale-ish-ness continues throughout the drinking experience, and at least for me, made for an incredibly refreshing brew. It was like a beer drinker's sangria.

This is one beer to go out of your way to try if you are ever in Victoria, British Columbia. Just head for the Swans pub, and get yourself a pint on a warm summer day.