Great Divide Brewing Company - Wild Raspberry Ale

In eight years, we've only featured one beer that falls into the fruit beer category. Why? Most domestic fruit beers are not well made. As real fruit is both expensive and adds a fair amount of complexity to the brewing process due to their natural sugars, most brewers brew their fruit ales with flavor extracts that make you feel like you're drinking a raspberry pie, not a beer. Great Divide uses real red and black raspberries to flavor this unique ale. In fact, they use so much fruit in this beer that one year they preordered 85% of the entire US Black Raspberry crop! This ruby-red ale is well balanced between the fruit and the caramel and Northwest 2-row pale malts. But, you'll also note a fairly hoppy finish from the Perle and Tettnanger hops. Look for a strong, but not overpowering, raspberry aroma. Overall, one of the best fruit beers that we've ever reviewed. A perfect accompaniment to spicy Mexican food or a chocolate or fruit desert.