Mankato Rhuby Rhubarb Sour

Mankato Rhuby Rhubarb Sour. 5 % ABV. 10 IBU. Mankato Brewing, Mankato, MN.

Lightly hazed, pale crimson appearance, very rhubarb-y, slim head, soon gone.

In the nose: Starts shy, slowly unfolds. Yeah, there's rhubarb in there. And the promise of the sour.

In the mouth: Intense, a powerful pucker. A touch of sweet pops up from time to time, a flush of the rhubarb flavor, then sour takes over once more. Sour power cools off a bit, but never leaves the palate. Light-bodied, refreshing and easy-drinking. Can was consumed in no time.

Rhuby is a smooth tart who is 
delightfully sour, incredibly sassy, and tougher than anyone this side of the river.

It's a good beer, and...something tells me I should
trademark my catchphrase before it's too late.

I want to know more about this Rhuby. For one, why does she have a Skeletor tattoo?

Sweetland Orchards Scrumpy Cherry Rhubarb

Sweetland Orchard Scrumpy Cherry Rhubarb. Hard Cider with natural cherry and rhubarb flavor. 6.35% alcohol by volume.

Light, pale crimson coloring, slim to none head on it.

In the nose: Tart. I get it. Big, tart cherries, with rhubarb undertones. Nice, fruity, funky.

In the mouth: Wow. Big pucker here. Juicy, fruity, tart. Nice. Tasty, tasty. Refreshing and third-quenching. Cherry and rhubarb flavors occasionally displaced by apple. Delicious combination.

I still don't know if I know how to write about cider. But this one, it's a good cider and you can drink it.

Schilling Hard cider Lumberjack Rhubarb

What, another cider? Hold on, there's more after that.

Schilling Hard Cider Lumberjack Rhubarb. 100% Fresh Pressed Apples. 6.0% ABV. Produced and bottled by Schilling Cider, Seattle, Washington.

A lot of gobbledygook on the the label that I cannot read.

Rhubarb? Rhubarb Cider? Sure, of course, why not?

Clear, light pinkish hued, high carbonation.

In the nose: what am I getting? Is it mostly apples? Yep. With some rhubarb mixed in? It's not really coming through, just slightly.

In the mouth: big carbonation, rhubarb coming through sticking it out right next to the apples. Big Tart, lightly sweet. Increasingly tart.

If I were an active enjoyer of ciders, I could see the appeal here.

Blacklist Rhubarb Wit

Blacklist Rhubarb Wit. Belgian-style wheat ale brewed with spices & rhubarb. 8.0% Alc. by Vol. Brewed & bottled by Blacklist Brewing, LLC, Duluth, MN.

This one was a gusher when I  opened it. Is this typical, or did I mishandle it? It's stable long enough. Lost a little bit to the table, the floor, the rag....

Heavily clouded, pale reddish coloring, huge, brilliant ivory head, leaving meringue-like topping, looking good.

Aroma: soft, spicy, definitely Belgian yeast at work. No rhubarb evident yet.

In the mouth: Soft, smooth, malty, with just a hint of the vegetable. It's getting bigger as we go, but never too big. And who wants that? So here's just enough vegetable sweetness for flavor and body, and I like it. Not bad at all. And it gets better as it goes. Removes some of the citrus zest I really like in a wit, and replaces it with completely different flavors. Rhubarb flavor gets stronger, but doesn't deliver it's truly sharp and tangy essence, which is fine by me. You don't really want that. This skirts shy of the full flavor of the plant, but gives just enough.

This is only the second rhubarb wit I've heard of, the other being from Urban Growler. Hope it's still on, it would be nice to compare them.

Surly Cultivate 2015 Rhubarb Saison

This is the second time that Surly has done a special beer for the Chipotle Cultivate event that occurs in Loring Park, with beer, music and lots to learn about burritos. Last year, it was also a saison, that time with dandelions. Here, we have it with rhubarb. It was taproom-only for a while, and I got a keg for my special Surly Showcase at Acadia a few weeks ago, sitting dow to review it now.

Lightly clouded, dark reddish hue, slim, but lasting cream-toned head.

Aroma is mildly bitter, and slightly tart, growing tarter (is that a word?). Yeah, there's rhubarb in there.

In the mouth: jumps on board with the flesh of the fruit evident, moderate bitterness, lush malt, minor tart. Complex, curious, and effortlessly refreshing. You might be afraid of "rhubarb salons", scared of whatever flavors you fear lurk inside, may not think it would work, ...but it does, brother it does.

This is a multitude of things. It's herbal/vegetal, but not sweet, a little bitter, a little tart, ending on a dry note. Medium bodied, easy drinking, ....6% ABV, sources tell me. And that's about all I can find out. But, it matters little, for it is good beer and I can drink it.