As a DC gal born and bred, I love cherry blossoms. I think it’s the law of the local land. So when I moved up and away, I longed for those delicate blooms around the Tidal Basin. (Still do.) So I’m glad Baltimore brewers Oliver Brewing Company catered to my cherry blossom loving heart with their season offering, aptly titled Cherry Blossom Cherry Wheat Ale.
Substantial head on the pour, fluffy and deep. Don’t pour this one straight into the glass y’all, it’ll bloom out all over the place. Even a normal pour gives you a healthy head that lasts. This is an Instagram worthy beer, with a deep rich caramel color that begs for a clear glass.
Clean nose, with a hint of yeast and do I note a touch of caramel and smoke? I do indeed. But the light nose hides a substantial flavor profile in the taste. None of this weak sauce yeasty stuff. This is a solid beer that’s light enough to quench you on a hot, humid summer day. And that cherry is there, a soft touch like the sakura the beer is based on.
The caramel comes through as well, but in case you’re thinking this is a sweet syrupy beer, don’t worry. The sweetness isn’t the forefront here. On a sweet scale of one to ten, I’d give it a three, max. The wheat and smoke give this beer a depth that is sorely lacking in most fruit beers, and makes it a brew I’d definitely share with non-fruit fans. Well, maybe not share. I’d tell them about it. They can go get their own.
Goes well with summer salads – I’m having a roast veg and yukon gold one as I sip – as well as the requisite BBQ fixings. Blossom will play nice with the whole deal, from caprese salad to ribs, watermelon or cupcakes. (Okay, everything goes well with cupcakes.) Blossom makes a nice sipping beer as well, and I can see myself at the beach with a cold one or two.
But make haste; Blossom is a seasonal. Grab ’em while you can, or you’ll have to wait ’til next year. And you won’t want to wait.
Oliver Brewing Company’s Cherry Blossom Cherry Wheat Ale
Style: American Pale Wheat Ale
ABV/Alcohol By Volume: 5.5%
