Thunder Canyon Orange-U-Glad

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Sampled on 4/18/2009 at the brewpub from a 4oz sample. This fruit beer pours a very cloud, opaque yellow gold color. Small sized white foamy head. The aroma is orange and tangerine, maybe some malt. A medium bodied fruit beer. The malts are fruity and sweet, some wheat. Lots and lots of orange flavors. The hops are floral. This beer is like orange juice and beer mixed 50/50. Yet it tastes way better than that sounds. Nicely balanced. Good carbonation. Touch of banana and clove in the background. I could lose my beer geek card by sayng this, but I really liked this beer. It would have to be on a warm summer or spring day, but You could drink a lot of this one out on the front porch. Mouthfeel is full. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is sweet and orange.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 6

This beer is incredibly hazy, it is down right murky in appearance and is a light amber, orange tinged muddy color. There is almost no head, with barely a ring of white bubbles. The aroma smells simply of orange juice; nothing more, nothing less, though it is perhaps a touch muted compared to an actual glass of OJ.

Not surprisingly, the beer tastes like a blend of orange juice and a wheat beer. It has the sweetness of OJ and a citrus-like bite characteristic of orange peel. The beer has a tartness to it that helps a little bit to balance the sweetness. This is pretty light bodied, but the murkiness suggests a touch of fullness that is actually present. The orange flavors definitely dominate the flavor profile of this beer, but there is a touch of tart, grainy wheat to the finish.

This is the beer worlds version of a mimosa; the beer provides the bubbles and tempers the OJ just a bit, but doesn't really add a whole lot in the way of flavor. This seems to be a bit of a departure from beer, but it would be a good brunch accompaniment. It definitely has the refreshing thing going for it.