Judge's Review: 88 Rating - Whiskey Hour by Pontoon Brewing

Whiskey Hour by Pontoon Brewing is being evaluated as a Fruit Beer (2015 BJCP Category 29A). Lemon and lime were added to an imperial Berliner weisse base beer that was additionally aged in a whiskey barrel. It’s a deep amber beer with subtle haze. Despite the high carbonation, no head ever formed during pouring.

The nose is reminiscent of a Sprite with intense lemon, lime and slight candy-like sweetness. The restrained oak and lactic acid help to complement the sweeter notes. No hops or malt are present.

The flavor picks up where the aroma left off with a sweet-tart juxtaposition. The lemon simple syrup is balanced by the lactic acid, which results in a zippy finish with lingering barrel, citrus and tannins. Despite being a beer, malt and hops are largely absent.

Whiskey Hour is an interesting offer from Pontoon that comes off as more of a beer cocktail than a beer. This makes sense, as the brewery was likely emulating a Whiskey Sour with this brew. It’s sweet and syrupy upfront but the lactic acid and bright lemon character clean up the backend. The quality execution, though, is what will keep you coming back for another sip.