Local-on-the-Go: Florida Beer Rundown Part 2

I don't know about you, but I love beer label art. Yeah, at its core, it's just marketing, but it can also be an expression of a brewery's philosophy or an area's character. Beer labels say something about where they come from and the people that make them, and sometimes they just help fit the mood of the beer drinker.

Name: Hurricane Reef Pale Ale
Brewery: Florida Beer Company
Location: Melbourne, FL
Variety: American Pale Ale
ABV: 4.8%
Cost: <$10 six pack

Take Hurricane Reef Pale Ale for example. That label just SCREAMS "take me out on the beach." Does it make the beer taste better? Well, not really, but it's like eating candy corn around Halloween versus eating candy corn in April. It tastes the same, but it doesn't feel the same.



The beer's color is a coppery amber with a foamy, bubbly eggshell-colored head. The scent is somewhat yeasty and fruity. The flavor is dry and hoppy with muted grapefruit accents. The initial sip is smooth and slightly sweet, but the finish is a bit sharper.

I've had worse pale ales, but I've also had better. However, I think most people would find this beer enjoyable, and it could be a nice introduction into microbrews for those unfamiliar with small brewery offerings.

Rating: 6/10 - Well-rounded but lacking in oomph; best enjoyed on the beach!



Name: Hurricane Reef Raspberry Wheat Ale
Brewery: Florida Beer Company
Location: Melbourne, FL
Variety: Fruit Beer
ABV: 4.7%
Cost: <$10 six pack

OK, so the label is the same as the Pale Ale, just red. No speeches about labels this time, I swear.



The color is sort of a burnt amber or sienna. I'm not sure - I'll have to check my 96 crayon Crayola set. The head is off-white and dissipates quickly. The scent is that of bubbly raspberry and malt. There definitely is raspberry flavor here, but it feels slightly artificial and watery. It is also quickly kicked off the tongue by general beer flavor. The result is an unbalanced and generally unsatisfying drink that isn't particularly refreshing.

It's actually not the worst fruit beer I've had. It's not even the worst fruit beer I tried while in Florida. That would be the Key West Southernmost Wheat, which I forgot to shoot. Probably because I only drank two before I decided the rest weren't worth it and I left them in the fridge, forgotten. Unpleasant and sour and just ick.

Rating: 3/10 - Unbalanced and unsatisfying, it fails as a fruit beer and a wheat beer.

Contact me at mibeerguy@yahoo.com if you have any questions, requests or suggestions!