Cavalier Bleu Blueberry I.P.A.

In what was perhaps a foolish gesture, I cracked open a 600mL bottle of Cavalier Bleu Blueberry I.P.A. while actively rooting against the Cleveland Cavaliers in their match-up against the Indiana Pacers. Almost immediately after uncapping the 6% alcohol ale, the Cavs extended their fourth quarter lead and I regretted my decision. At least the beer was good.

A member of the Wild Oats Series from Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company in Vankleek Hill, Ontario, Cavalier Bleu is a certified organic ale brewed with blueberry juice. As a result, the beer has an unusual fuchsia hue and pours with a sudsy pink head. The beer packs a quirky aroma that is bitter, fruity, and metallic. It has a fairly bitter taste, supplemented with a winey edge. The addition of blueberry juice makes a subtle contribution—something I found extremely surprising, given the funky hue it gave the suds—a nice little tart berry burst.

An unusual ale, Cavalier Bleu is an enjoyable little tonic. It doesn’t seamlessly blend bitter and fruity flavours in the way that more citrusy IPAs tend to, but the resulting combo is interesting. It is a bit too tart, perhaps, and it could definitely be a few ticks stronger, but it’s a nice beer  with some distinction in an IPA genre that is sometimes plagued with carbon copies.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.