New Belgium Brewing Juicy Watermelon

“A light ruby-colored beer with moderate clarity and little-to-no head. An herbal aroma, reminiscent of cucumbers, parsley, and lime zest. The flavor is definitely fresh watermelon, with rose water and a peppery-like, fruity spice flavor in the swallow. Quite tart, but not sour, with no real malt character. Lime hangs around through the aftertaste, where it tends to dominate alongside the faint lactic sourness. Pleasant mouthfeel, not thin, with a fruity sugar character without being sweet. No alcohol presence.”

**Aroma:** “Hops express as citrus and pine with some fruity orange notes. Malt is subtly bready, hiding behind the hops. Very fresh like a spring herb garden. Soft, well-rounded hops aroma. Nice blend of tropical fruit (papaya, mango, light pineapple) and spicy hops character. Hints of Thai basil and oregano. Very intriguing.” **Flavor:** “Earthy, wet, piney, and herbal. Flavor picks up where the nose left off. Similar elements here, with the spiciness more in the fore, adding some lemongrass to the other herbal elements. Light bitterness doesn’t distract from the hops flavor.” **Overall:** “A balanced, pleasant, and quaffable brew. The mix of hops rounds out the rough edges, and hops bitterness is lower than some other examples making this beer very approachable. Body has good depth but minimal character. Overall, a pretty good session IPA.

**Aroma:** “Under-ripe watermelon up front gives way to a hint of funk that comes across a bit musty, but not unpleasant. Tartness comes through as lime juice, perhaps pineapple. Earthy undertone with a phenolic edge, with a vegetal note and musty/sweaty aromas.” **Flavor:** “Underripe or watermelon rind with some lemon and lime mixed in, almost like a watermelon margarita. That tartness is accentuated by a hint of salt that’s funky and refreshing. Some of the fruit sweetness creeps back into the finish, and the aftertaste is all melon and salt.” **Overall:** “A challenging spiced sour beer—the extra spice is just on the far side of identifiable. It tastes like trying to get the last hint of watermelon from the rind, eaten with salty fingers. Not terribly complex, but enough fruit to be interesting and refreshing on a warm summer day.”