Hap and Harry's-Kings of Leon "Cherry Leon" Lager

At the time that I'm writing this, it's summer. As the heat comes on, I start to look for beers that are going to be a little more refreshing when I get done mowing the lawn or working outside. Something that is a simple lager with maybe a little bit of cherry added sounds like it might fit the bill perfectly (like the wheat with cherry that I really liked). After all, I haven't really found that I much of a fan of shandys. Let's see what these guys can do.

The pour of the beer could easily make one think that this was a cherry soda of some kind. The bubbles in the head are of the short-lived variety. The color of the beer itself is not the stark red that you might get from a Fanta or the like, but it doesn't generate the idea of a beer at all. The aroma is a little more beer-like, with a very sweet malt, grains, and cherry overtones. This should be interesting.

First sip is certainly not the sour that I had feared it to be, but it's not as endearing as a cherry beverage would normally be expected to be. I mean, yeah add cherry to Coca-Cola or Mountain Dew, and it enhances the flavor to the point that the beverage feels more thirst quenching. This beer actually comes off as very dry at the end, and the cherry just seems to be fog that makes it hard to see the actual flavors of the beer underneath. It's not a terrible sipping beer, but I wouldn't sip it for very long.

Tip-in is a strange attempt at harmony with grains and some grapefruit trying to mingle with cherry that can't decide if it wants to be tart while carbonation pretends not to exist. The middle is a much more pleasing melding of the cherry into the still present grains with a bit of a doughy bread malt joining in and a few more citrus fruits lining the hallway. The finish is a tang of tartness coming from the cherries for the dry trail off.

Bottom line: I know they're looking for their niche, but I don't think this is it.

1.5/5