Style: Tart Ale

Pairs well with a mobile game, something to play for a few minutes while going somewhere or waiting in line.

Welcome to another craft beer review for Games And A Glass! This week I am reviewing another beer from Tröegs Independent Brewing, located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Their beer for this week will be their Raspberry tart ale, an ale brewed with raspberries, sea salt and coriander. But of course, before going into the review, let’s talk about Tröegs Brewing.

Tröegs’ website details the fun and adventurous history of its two founding brothers and how their brewery came to be.

“When they were young, Chris and John Trogner were always inventing some new way to entertain themselves – like building skate board ramps, dabbling in car top surfing, or creating a homemade cannon. And while their father was always shaking his head at their latest endeavor, you might also catch a prideful smile on his face.

When college approached they went separate ways – John (the older one) headed to Philadelphia while Chris took off for Colorado. With John finishing school and realizing he had little desire to jump into the corporate world, Chris found a new calling as the burgeoning microbrew scene captured his intrigue as much as the ski slopes. Before long he was homebrewing, and as Chris relayed near-mythical tales of guys making an actual living brewing beer, a marquee of lights flashed in John’s head, and he made the decision to join his brother for the Great Beer Rush.

With Chris grinding through school (and moguls), John scoured Boulder for a job, any job, in beer. One day he walked into Oasis Brewpub just as they were having “a little emergency.” He asked if there was any brewery work available; a guy walked out from the back, tossed John a t-shirt and handed him a mop. A brewer was invented.

Suddenly, there was a multitude of crash courses in electrical wiring, plumbing and welding and formal brewer training as John found his creative faucet. At the same time, Chris made beer the focus of every project assignment, started hatching a business plan, and just after graduation headed to brewing school in Europe. One night, over probably a few too many test brews, they hit upon the name – Tröegs. It combined their last name with kroeg, the Flemish word for pub.

However, the draw of home got the best of the wayward brothers. As their brewery idea moved from incubator to fledging, the boys returned to their native Central Pennsylvania to launch Tröegs Brewery. They tacked the odd moniker on an old warehouse on Paxton Street in Harrisburg, sold their first pint, Tröegs Pale Ale, on July 18, 1997 and lived happily ever after…

Oh no. Wait. This is the where the story of Tröegs Independent Brewing begins. Chris and John jumped headlong into their brewery, and found a lot of support from family and friends along the way. In the beginning it took eleven people to run the packaging line, so pretty much all hands on deck. Some of these early volunteers still walk the halls today – serving as the foundation of the Tröegs community.

As the brewery grew, the Tröegs community morphed into a home for kindred spirits with wide and varying ideas, which partly explains the Tröegs portfolio of tangential offerings. Troegenator, a big brooding Doublebock as your lead beer, why not? Hopback Amber made with a piece of brewing equipment John meshed into the brewhouse, why not? Mad Elf, their holiday offering with way more production headaches than profits, why not? In a very real way every beer at Tröegs is a Scratch Series beer – a random concept the brothers hatched for their 10th anniversary that still serves as the launching point for new beers.

In early 2010 as the old Harrisburg warehouse was starting to feel like 20 ounces of beer in a 16 ounce pint glass, the Tröegs team started to dream of a new brewery. What Chris sketched became a reality in Hershey on October 24, 2011.

The new facility has two brewhouses, one for daily production and another smaller pilot brew system for research and development beers. The brewhouse is in the middle of the Tasting Room, and a large public tour path cuts through the heart of the facility pulling back the curtain for all to see. Soon after opening, a Snack Bar was added to create food as original and interesting as the beer. The Scratch Beer Series continues to thrive as more than 200 different brews have been created featuring both local and exotic ingredients to feed the collective muse.

The Tröegs “family” continues to expand, as more than 175 co-workers have joined to welcome visitors with open arms. Feel free to ask questions, we all love to talk about Tröegs and our continuing exploration. Why not, indeed.”

In case you didn’t read my last review with Tröegs, some of their year round beers include their Perpetual IPA, Troegenator Double Bock, and Sunshine Pils. But they’re also known for their extremely popular and unique annual releases, including Mad Elf and Nugget Nectar.

Their description for the raspberry tart reads, “Tart red raspberries are the star of this refreshing show. A first fermentation with lactobacillus gives this beer its pucker, while a second pass with our house ale yeast produces soft, fruity esters. A hint of Himalayan pink salt amplifies the flavor of tart raspberry jam, and coriander adds delicate notes of wildflowers.

We taste: tart raspberry jam, wildflowers, hint of salt.”

And now onto my thoughts!

Nose: The raspberry aroma here is pleasant. While it’s on the lighter side, similar to last week’s cherry wheat in that you can still notice its friendly presence. I admittedly wish I had more to say about this beer’s aroma, but it’s a simple one. It’s light and it smells nice, plain and simple.

Palate: This beer is extremely easy to drink and feels very light. The raspberry taste fades very quickly with each sip, and there’s a slight bit of tartness and saltiness to the beer that gives it an interesting character. I do wish the raspberry itself was stronger, but I think the beer has an interesting enough profile all around. Ultimately, it’s a tasty beer that I am enjoying.

Overall: This is a fine beer! It doesn’t do anything to blow me away, but it has an unique combination of tastes to it. At 4.5 percent ABV, it’s very light and easy to drink. But that also means that the raspberry, its main selling point, is on the lighter side as well. Regardless, I like this tart ale and it’s a nice choice for a different fruity beer in the summertime.

I’d like to thank you for reading my craft beer review. If there’s ever a craft beer you’d recommend I try and/or review, please let me know and I will try, to the best of my ability, to acquire it! And remember, like a fine alcoholic beverage or a memorable video game, please enjoy in moderation.

While you’re here, feel free to check out The Spirit Shop NJ on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! Located in Cherry Hill, New Jersey and where I currently work, we have dozens of craft beers with new ones coming in weekly! Check us out!