As a rule, I don’t care for fruity beers – which is what
makes this seasonal all the more interesting. Even though it’s flavored,
post-brewing and post-filtration, with Louisiana strawberry juice, there’s
enough malt and wheat to keep it from veering into soda pop.
In the glass, Abita Strawberry is the color of straw (how
about that?) with a tight, white head that lingers. You can smell the berry,
but again, it’s surprising - to me, at least - that the fruit doesn’t dominate.
The malt and grain have enough savory notes pushing back against the sweet that
they find some kind of balance.
I hesitate to give this a full-on recommendation. If it wasn’t
for the strawberry juice, the remaining beer would be a bit thin … but is that
like saying a tuna sandwich would be dry without the mayo? I’ll just say it’s
the first fruit beer I’ve had that I might
buy again. 4.2% ALC