Hoppa Smurf is a Blueberry Rye Indian Pale Ale with 6.7% ABV from Manayunk Brewing Co., located in their titular Manayunk, PA.
Before even pouring there is overwhelming smell of sweet blueberries, closer to blueberry cereal or pop-tarts than fresh blueberries, but still deliciously enticing. The aroma literally fills the room, with only traces of floral hops making their way into the air.
Perfectly deceptive, the first sips have some notes of blueberry with the Chinook and Amarillo hops taking over as the main flavor components. They bring pleasant flavors of citrus, some pine and just enough bitterness to balance the blueberry beginning and sweet malt finish.
Fruit flavors in beer comes in many shapes and forms, from lambics, to wild ales, to citrus style pale ales. Manayunk themselves did this, this year through their mango and grapefruit session IPAs, but it is quite rare where drinkers get a prominent fruit presence like blueberry without having to sacrifice hoppy bitterness and balance.
