Smuttynose Hanami Ale

I’m a big fan of Smuttynose beer, and the appearance of their Pumpkin Ale on shelves is always a delightful sign that summer is going to end soon. So when I saw the six-pack with the cute little Japanese girl and manekineko on it, I was basically doomed. I’m such a sucker for seasonal beers.

The label promises that the beer is made with an ample dose of cherry juice, which had me a little nervous, because cherry is often one of my least favorite flavors, when it appears in that cloying, maraschino-cough syrup kind of flavor. I’ve tried one other cherry-type beer before, Sam Adams Cherry Wheat, and didn’t like it much at all. I wanted to try something new, though, and Smuttynose has never done me wrong before, so I bought it.

Delightfully enough, there’s none of the cough drop flavor in Hanami Ale. First gulp gives a very bright, sour-sweet, real cherry taste. It’s remarkably sweet and fruity at first, but not so much that you’d confuse it with one of the soda boozes that are so popular with the kids these days. The first cold sip is the sweetest, but as it warms up in your hand and airs out, the cherry mellows out and it tastes like a very sharp beer. Definitely good for drinking just by itself, and chased some spicy noodles quite well.

BUY IT AGAIN: Yes, probably, since it’s only available for a few months! I’m such a sucker for seasonable brews.