471. Four Day Ray Brewing (Fishers, IN) - Hot Pink Strawberry Rhubarb Jalapeño Blonde Ale

“Beat the heat with Hot Pink, a spicy and jammy blonde ale that pairs perfectly with the summer sun. This blonde is very fruit-forward with the freshness from the strawberries. The sweetness is balanced with a bit of heat in the back of the throat. This brilliant collaboration of flavors creates a beer that glows hot pink providing a fun, refreshing, unique drinking experience perfect for any occasion. Awarded a bronze medal at the 2017 Great American Beer Festival.”

Um. Yeah, so leaving aside the fact that it sounds like they think they reinvented the wheel, stop for a second and look at that picture. Seriously. Take your time. It ain’t getting any pinker. I was sort of hoping for something lurid like the watermelon variant of Sun King’s Sunlight cream ale, but this just looked like…you know…beer. It does have a genuinely jammy taste, however; it’s not sweet, but that strawberry flavor and aroma is exactly the same as the taste of the Smucker’s strawberry jam out of those little plastic disposable containers they give you for spreading on your toast at the diner. The jalapeño presents as spice rather than flavor and is more than “a bit of heat in the back of the throat”—at least on the first sip. It’s got a lot going on for a blonde ale, but it’s just a hair short of impressive.