If you look up Blackberry Farm on Google, you'll find it described as, "posh resort with acclaimed dining and spa." This could very well be unrelated to the brewery which is in the nearby town of Maryville, Tennessee, which is just south of Knoxville. What could also be unrelated is the idea of farming blackberries. The fact is, there's some place nearby called Blackberry; but it doesn't really have any complete description. There is a Blackberry Mountain to the east, and that has several things that are named after it. I wonder if the farm is actually named after the mountain. The world may never know.
The taste is very different than what I expected. It has more bitterness than the aroma led me to believe, and the malt is more caramel in its nature. Flowers and tea seem to have jumped in where the orange was supposed to be, and the loss of orange is noticeable and unfortunate. I think this may be suffering from my expectation rather than its delivery. I don't like the sip, but I had an expectation in my head of what it was going to be. It may not be as bad as I'm making it out to be, but it might be. Let's go for a full swing and find out.
Tip-in is moderate carbonation tingle with flowers, caramel, and a hint of that orange entering the picture. The center of the beer is absolutely delightful as peach joins the complexity of the other flavors with a little pine in it to boot; it is smooth, full, and flavorful. The finish has the bitterness in it, but now it is fully warranted by the flavor of the beer, and the result is a refreshing beverage.
Bottom Line: It's pretty darn good beer.
3.25/5
