Familiar fruit

I use "nectarine" quite a bit in tasting notes, but I can't remember the last time I actually ate one. Or even saw one. I'm pretty sure they're real, though. And now Sierra Nevada has put some in a beer: Wanderland. The description is simply "nectarine ale", and it's a clear innocent yellow colour. But this being 'Murica, the strength is amped up to an unreasonable 7.5% ABV. Do nectarines work as good as hops do in strong pale beer?

Well no, obviously. But this isn't the syrup monster I pretty much expected it to be. The aroma is inoffensive: an estery banana kick with just a hint of stone fruit in the background. Lurking. But the flavour is clean! It's patently strong, even a little hot, but it's a clean burn, a lot like a Belgian golden ale. The fruit adds a perfume to the finish; slightly artificial, like candy chews. Does it taste of nectarine? Not really. I use that word when something is soft and juicy, whereas this is hard, and even a little dry.

I'm not sure what to make of it. It's not a silly fruit beer, but nor is it a serious strong ale. I appreciated how understated the added favouring was, though think that would work better in a lighter, fluffier wheat beer or the like. At least it's not another IPA. Well played on that, SN.

Which brings us to the next one with a sigh. Sierra Nevada are really stretching thin the Hazy Little Thing brand extensions. The newest is a west-coast-style imperial IPA, so "Thing" is the only applicable term of the three. With a crowbar and zero shame they've forced the name Big Little Thing onto it.

The aroma was disarming, however: I got a sweet mix of apricot, sherbet and candied grapefruit peel, with the added promise of a warming malty hug. The flavour is big, but surprisingly balanced, starting on a sweet floral lavender perfume, backed by lemon drizzle cake and fruit gums. And then there's a punchy, pure west-coast grapefruit bitterness keeping it all in check, fading on a serious oily herbal note: eucalyptus and rosemary. Even for a 9%-er it packs a hell of a lot in, and is fiercely good value at €3 a can. The only feature it has in common with Hazy Little Thing is that it's absolutely delicious, but that's fine by me.