As you might have noticed if you read my review of Narragansett Summer Ale, I am rather fond of lugging back local delicacies here to Georgia whenever I visit Rhode Island. I grew up in Rhode Island, of course, and lived most of my life there. It seems hard to believe that I’ve lived in Georgia for ten years now, but such is the case. Still, I’ll likely never surpass the amount of time I lived in the Ocean State, and so like to bring back a taste of that state, preferably in bottles.

My latest trip was this past July, and the heat was of epic proportions. Luckily, though, there were quenching summer brews to help assuage it. The aforementioned Narragansett Summer Ale proved up to the task, to be sure, as did another local favorite of mine: Newport Storm Rhode Island Blueberry. In a way, this was only fitting, as Narragansett is Rhode Island’s oldest beer brand and Newport Storm one of her newest.

 I am on record with my predilection for blueberry beers. Some beer geeks tend to look down on fruit beers, but I think they can work extremely well, and the blueberry works better than most with beer. Coastal Extreme Brewing, makers of the Newport Storm line of beers, crafts their blueberry ale from pale and wheat malts for drinkability, blueberry juice from fresh Rhode Island-grown blueberries, and Pilgrim and Magnum hops for balance. The beer is fermented with ale yeast but at colder temperatures more familiar to lager brewing.

Newport Storm Rhode Island Blueberry pours to a hazy orange, almost amaranthine color with a thin, fizzy, and short lived head formation and a vibrant fruity blueberry nose. The palate is composed of a bit of caramel malt followed by a quick hit of fruity blueberry. The latter builds into the finish where it combines with a gentle hop bitterness to keep this one from being cloying, and makes for a refreshing, tasty summer brew.

One of the things I like most about this beer is the fresh blueberry flavor it packs. I have a few blueberry bushes growing in my back yard, and I’m reminded of popping a few in my mouth fresh from the bush when I sip this beer. That makes for a delicious, quenching, and sessionable. The moderate 4.6% alcohol content by volume also helps there. As wonderful a summer brew as this is, it’s also great in cooler months, and is brewed and bottled year round towards that end.

Oh, and the caps are pretty cool, too. The one from the bottle I popped tonight says “There is no escape. It is your beer”. Extra geek points if you can name the movie that was paraphrased from.

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