Pyramid Apricot Ale.

I pulled this beer out of the box and said, "This beer is going to be terrible." I assume this is brewed from the same base as their hefeweizen, and this is also unfiltered, not that there is a terrible amount of solids in it. Nose is a a overripe, sitting-in-the-sun melon smell. Apricot is definitely present on the palate, would be almost sweet, if not tempered by the wheat. Finish is a bit too persistent, leaving a cloying, candy feeling. Color and mouthfeel are the same as their hefe. Not the worst fruit-based beer I've had and better than Ithaca. Might be an ok beer to have at a barbecue but only one.

Rogue Creek Ale.

Are you kidding me? BA claims this is a dubbel. From the name and taste, I would figure this more like a kriek/lambic. Muddy brown color, superfine head disappears into a ring around the glass. Mild fruit (cherry) flavor that mostly turns sour towards the end. Really disappointing. Maybe after a few years?

Unibroue Ephemere.

I had a taste of this at a brewfest, and while it's not something I'd necessarily buy, it was on sale for a good price. Fruit-based beers are always a gamble with a high variance in payoff. Unibroue is pretty well-respected by myself and abroad, so I would expect nothing less from them. And this one nails it pretty well. I'm kind of curious about how it does after some cellaring. But I don't really have the motivation for that with this. Maybe if the price is still good.

He'Brew Rejewvenation Ale.

This is kind of a weird brew. Half doppelbock, half Belgian-style dubbel with date concentrate. 7.8%ABV

Dark red, mahogany, almost opaque. But lighter bodied than the color might suggest. Nice fruity nose. It's a lot like a doppelbock but with more effervescence. As far as taste goes, nothing really stands out to me, so it's actually kind of boring. I think I can taste the date a bit with kind of an earthy finish. Though to be honest, if I had tasted this blind, I would have no clue about anything about it other than it tasted just a bit fruity.

Pumelo.

The sign at the store said it's a Chinese grapefruit. It's like a grapefruit. But all the skin is much tougher. And a bit sweeter. But it's too much work.

Southern Tier Cherrry Saison.

Aged with either French oak staves or aged in French oak barrels. It's not clear from their description, but from what I know of their brewery, I'm betting it's the former.

The oak and fruit gives a kind of wine-y taste though it finishes with a tart cherry. I found it a bit too heavy and sticky towards the end to be so refreshing as a summer workday ale.

8%ABV.

Southern Tier Raspberry Porter.

Considering that their raspberry wheat and their porter aren't very good, this one is surprisingly good. Clear raspberry without tasting overly sour, watered down, or artificial. The porter carries it well. Stronger chocolate tones. Wish it were slightly thicker because I'm thinking of Black Chocolate Stout sometimes.

Ellicottville Brewing Co. Blueberry.

This is actually brewed by Southern Tier for EBC, marked "malt beverage" on the bottle. For coming from Southern Tier and being blueberry, it was rather weak. Crystal clear body, thin head, low carbonation. Yeah, it's a malt beverage.

GuS Extra Dry Ginger Ale and Tuscan Melon.

I actually bought this soda thinking it was ginger beer and not ginger ale. I didn't read the label very closely. GuS is Grownup Soda, marketing their less-sweet taste. I like it, but I was a little disappointed with how little ginger bite there was. I'll probably just stick with Canada Dry, maybe a diet version.

The melon was decidedly less amusing than the one that said "I am DELICIOUS," but it was still pretty good. I had intended to buy a cantaloupe, but this looked like a cantaloupe and was the same price so I got it. I actually let it get a little overripe on accident, making it taste sweeter than normal, I think, unless that's its normal flavor. And unless that's its normal flavor, I couldn't discern any difference from a standard cantaloupe other than the different rind.

Grape-stuffed Chicken and Rice.

Adapted from Elise's whole roasted chicken.

I should bake things more often. I forget what killer food it makes, especially vegetables, if you've got the time. A couple chicken breasts stuffed with halved grapes, atop a bed of brown rice and onions that were sauteed in butter and some sliced zucchini. I cooked it for about 70 minutes on 375F which was not long enough because the rice was a bit chewier than I'd rather. Sprinkled with some salt and pepper as an afterthought and no garlic in any form (GASP).

The sweetness of the grapes, either in the chicken or in the rice really pull it all together, complementing the salt and pepper. Next time, I'd like to remember to add seasoning before putting it all in the dish.

Cantaloupe Salsa.

Sourced from Smitten. Very simple, though I had to use dried basil instead fresh (or cilantro). It ended up with kind of a herbal but stale flavor and fresh would have been way better. It was an interesting taste experience with an herbed heat from the basil and chiles that give way to tartness from the lime which naturally eases into sweetness from the red onion and cantaloupe.

Red Bananas and Orange Guava Juice.

I bought these red bananas on a whim. They're supposed to have a hint of raspberry. I had a lengthy discussion about them with a friend before actually having one, but the conversation would have been enough. The raspberry taste is just tartness in the beginning which subsides as quickly as the novelty of having a red banana. They're almost double the price per pound of regular bananas so unless I have a real reason for having red-skinned (looks disappointingly normal on the inside) bananas, I won't buy them again.

This, on the other hand, is the best juice ever. I've been a Pineapple-Orange-Banana man for quite some time, but this is newcomer may have converted me. To quote succinctly: "...a breeze rolled in, and I jizzed in my pants." Again.

Doritos and a melon.

I had been putting off trying this particular Collision for awhile just because the idea of a taco, particularly "zesty", did not sound all that appetizing. And I'm disappointed. The Zesty Taco tastes like dirty Mexicans and the Chipotle Ranch just tastes like ranch.

And this melon. Is just like cantaloupe. Just different on the outside. I was looking for a change of pace. And it had this sticker that said it was delicious. So I bought it.

Sam Adams Cherry Wheat.

I've had this one before, but that was a long time ago so I didn't really remember what it was like. The nose is actually really subtle but lingering (unlike a certain Apricot Wheat) and the cherry really comes through. I'm not really a huge fan of fruit beers, but this one manages to add some variety and, at the end of the day, stay a decent beer (again, unlike a certain Apricot Wheat). Good, but not something I would go out and buy on its own.

Ithaca Beer Co. Apricot Wheat

A regional brew I thought I'd try. There's a nice smell as soon as you crack it open and it hangs around the glass just right. Other than that though, there's not much to miss. The first one tasted pretty ok, an acceptably full wheat taste which was a nice change of pace from all the creamy beers I've been drinking. The second one seems to leave something to be desired. The head died way too fast and was too carbonated. Even if it wasn't going to be hit and/or miss, I probably wouldn't buy it in any quantity.