Without question my favorite of all of the First Growth Series so far. 22 oz bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, the usual First Growth presentation.
Not an especially attractive pour that generates a murky, reddish brown body, a nice, thick, creamy head but a carbonation that at first seems a little on the high side. After it all settles down it does produce a creamy feel and a less prickly mouthfeel than I first thought it might.
Nose and tastes give some gentle tartness and a really fruity feel. There is a truly fruit based cherry note but the sour element is pretty restrained. Almost sweet and sour. Not much dry character (I was half expecting some grape skins or other tannin notes that never really came on strong). Finish is satisfying with more of that restrained twang.
I like this beer a lot. Good depth of mouthfeel, a solid fruit note and a tiny, tiny tart note come together really nicely. Well rounded and a tidy beer that made me very pleased.
The other interesting thing about this beer to me is that although the BA db currently lists this as a Dubbel, AND notwithstanding the fact that there are many beers with more “fruity” character, nevertheless this beer STILL feels, tastes and drinks much more like a fruit beer to me than any other style.