Belt’s Beer Garden: Sweet Dreams

Deciduous Brewing Company hails from Newmarket, New Hampshire - a small town about an hour north of Boston in southeast New Hampshire - and has been open since August of 2015. Over the past five years they have made a name for themselves and, in July, the beer blog MOBEER just named them the best brewery in New England - beating out big names like Trillium and Treehouse and Hill Farmstead.

So when I came across the opportunity to get a can of their fruited sour, Rainbow Dreams, you know I jumped at the chance...especially because their beers rarely ever leave New England.

This version, the ninth incarnation of Rainbow Dreams, was made with milk sugar and a massive blend of raspberry, guava, mango, and blackberry - in fact, they used twice as much fruit as they normally do! It has a 5.5% ABV and a single can does cost a bit more, at $8. It was canned on August 21st and reviewed on September 22.

It poured an insanely dark pink color and was thicker than most sours and completely opaque. There was very little head, no more than half of a finger, and almost instantly all that remained of the foam was a razor thin line around the edge of the glass.

The brew smelled exactly like a fruited sherbert. The lactose gives off some creamy, sweet notes while the mixture of fruits sit just underneath. The raspberries and blackberries led the way while the mango and guava weren’t really noticeable at all in the smell.

My first sip began with a super creamy and soft mouthfeel before the sour notes prickle my taste buds. It wasn’t insanely sour nor did it make me pucker...but it’s just a nice little tickle that tightens the cheeks some.

That tartness is pushed aside after a moment when the milk sugar and fruit flavors begin to appear.

And, like with the aroma, the taste is that of sorbet. The raspberry and blackberry once again lead the way giving off a slightly tart sweetness.

The guava and mango once again remain quiet...until the beer nears the end. On the backend, there is a tropical pop of mango juice that washes away the tart berry flavors and finishes off the beer with a nice clean flavor.

It does end slightly sticky from all the fruit and lactose but, otherwise, it’s a very clean finish and a very crushable sour.

Drinking this was the EXACT SAME as drinking the melted sherbet left over in your bowl. It seriously tasted that similar to sherbet...but with the added bonus of alcohol! YUM!