As a wise man once said, “I wasn’t prepared for the smell.”
That wise man is MassLive’s Nick O’Malley who also served the vital role of directing me to where, exactly, at The Big E I could locate the fabled “pickle beer.”
The answer: the Connecticut state building, and specifically the Connecticut Craft Beer Works tent at the back of the building. There, for $13, I purchased 20 ounces of Pickle Sour Ale, which was garnished with a pickle spear.
The beer is brewed by Connecticut Valley Brewing Company, which describes it as “the ultimate flavor fusion” and “the craft beer that’s like a pickle-packed party in your pint glass.”
When I was handed the beer, the first thing I noticed was the smell: some unholy combination of dill, pickles and beer. After removing the pickle spear to drink the beer, I was surprised at how little pickle flavor I actually detected.
My pickle sour ale tasted well, like a sour ale. Not a ton of pickle in sight.
At first, that is.
As I continued to drink, and after taking a bite of my beer-covered pickle, the pickle of it all began to overwhelm my senses. The beer, once a crisp, refreshing antidote to the growing heat of the fair, had become too sour to bear. I’m ashamed to say I didn’t make it all the way to the bottom of my 20-ounce pour, though maybe that was the right choice given that it was roughly 10:30 a.m. when I was handed my beer.
In the heat of the moment, I gave the beer a six out of 10. In hindsight, that seems generous. If I were to return to The Big E, I don’t think a second Pickle Sour Ale would be on my agenda.
