REVIEW 30: ILLUSIVE TRAVELER GRAPEFRUIT ALE

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:  USA

BREWERY:  The Traveler Beer Company

STYLE:  Shandy; Fruit/Vegetable Beer; Pale Wheat Ale

ABV:  4.4%

PURCHASE:  Six-pack of 12-oz. bottles, $13.99.

SERVING:  12-oz. bottle, poured into pint glass. Initially heady; the first bottle's head took up half the glass. A slow pour got it to about an inch. However, the third bottle produced even less . . . with a fast pour. Weird. In any case, this is one of the least retentive heads you'll ever encounter in a beer; dissipation was very quick.

APPEARANCE:  Golden-orange and effervescently hazy. Off-white head with no lacing. At all.

BOUQUET:  Upon first encounter, grapefruit is most prominent, as can be expected. But its influence begins to wane halfway down the first serving. Rolled wheat is noticeable, as are other citrus essences, namely lemon--this is brewed with lemon peel, per the label. No hop factor, and other grains seem nonexistent, too.

PALATE:  Light-medium body with soft carbonation that is slow to accumulate--a common trait for this style. Again, zero hop factor; no surprise there. Wheat and malt notes are minimal as well. Citrus, citrus, citrus. That's the name of the game with this one. Starts as a sort of lemon-grapefruit hybrid, with the lemon remaining and the grapefruit seemingly giving way to orange toward the finish. A bit of zest in the aftertaste. Seems to have the taste profile of a sports drink more than an actual ale, truth be told. 

MUSINGS AND METAPHORS:  This is more of an alcohol-infused thirst quencher than an actual beer; if Gatorade opened a brewery, this could be the result! Not that I'm complaining.

But beer purists likely will. So what? This could stand to be fuller-bodied and a little more assertive in the palate. But it amply serves its purpose. It's extremely refreshing and beyond smooth, which makes it an ideal candidate as a Memorial Day barbecue companion; or, as I like to say, as a mow-the-lawn brew. 




GRADE:  B

*SPECIAL NOTE:  This beer was formerly known as "Illusive Traveler Shandy."