The Bruery Enticing Boysenberry 4Pk

The Bruery Enticing Boysenberry 4Pk is a kettle-soured blonde ale brewed with boysenberries, vanilla, and salt, packaged in four 16oz cans at 5.1% ABV. Produced by one of Orange County's most respected craft breweries, this release draws on over fifteen years of sour ale development to deliver a fruit-driven beer with clean acidity and layered complexity.

Quick Facts: ABV: 5.1%  |  Origin: Placentia, California, USA  |  Style: Sour Blonde Ale  |  Brewery: The Bruery  |  Format: 4-Pack, 16oz Cans

Production & Heritage

The Bruery was founded in 2008 by Patrick Rue in Placentia, Orange County, California — its name a portmanteau of "brewery" and the founder's surname. The brewery built a national reputation through barrel-aged ales, Belgian-inspired styles, and inventive fruit-forward sours. Enticing Boysenberry is part of the Enticing series, which showcases The Bruery's approach to approachable, fruit-driven sour ales. The base blonde ale is kettle-soured for clean lactic acidity, then conditioned on boysenberry fruit — a method that achieves deep berry character without the extended aging timelines required by spontaneously fermented beers. Vanilla and a touch of salt round out the recipe, adding creamy depth and a subtle savory counterpoint.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Ripe boysenberry dominates the nose immediately, with waves of jammy sweetness and a gentle lactic tang just beneath the surface. A faint vanilla undercurrent emerges as the beer warms in the glass.

Taste: The first sip delivers juicy, tart boysenberry fruit balanced by clean lactic acidity. At mid-palate, creamy vanilla smooths out the tartness, while a subtle salty note keeps things grounded and prevents the fruit from skewing overly sweet. The overall impression lands somewhere between a berry dessert and a refreshing sour — fruit-forward without becoming syrupy.

Finish: Dry and refreshing, with lingering boysenberry jam and a whisper of vanilla cream. The clean acidity snaps the palate back, inviting the next sip without residual heaviness.

How to Drink Enticing Boysenberry

Pour into a tulip glass or snifter at around 40–45°F to let the boysenberry aromatics open up fully. Drinking straight from the can works for casual sessions, but a pour reveals much more vanilla nuance on the nose.

• Boysenberry Shandy: Mix half-and-half with lemonade for a bright, berry-forward summer drink that plays off the existing acidity.
• Sour Float: Pour over a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream — the beer's lactic tartness and boysenberry fruit create a genuine dessert pairing in a glass.
• Berry Radler: Combine with sparkling water and a squeeze of lime to stretch the fruit flavor into a lower-ABV refresher.

Best For

• Introducing craft-curious drinkers to the sour ale category with an approachable, fruit-forward entry point
• Warm-weather backyard sessions where refreshment and flavor both matter
• Pairing with brunch dishes like berry-topped waffles or lemon ricotta pancakes
• Gifting to fans of The Bruery who gravitate toward the brewery's fruit-conditioned releases

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Enticing Boysenberry taste like? Juicy boysenberry tartness leads the palate, balanced by creamy vanilla, clean lactic acidity, and a subtle salty note that keeps the sweetness in check. The overall character is bright and dessert-like without becoming heavy or cloying.

How does Enticing Boysenberry compare to Dogfish Head SeaQuench Ale? SeaQuench blends Berliner Weisse, gose, and Kölsch traditions with lime peel and sea salt for a saline, citrus-driven profile, while Enticing Boysenberry leans into bold berry fruit and vanilla over a kettle-soured blonde ale base. Both are sessionable sours, but Enticing Boysenberry prioritizes rich fruit depth where SeaQuench emphasizes crisp mineral refreshment.

Is Enticing Boysenberry good for sour ale beginners? Yes — the kettle-souring process produces a clean, controlled acidity far gentler than wild or spontaneously fermented sours, and the boysenberry and vanilla provide familiar, welcoming flavors that ease newcomers into the style.

Where is Enticing Boysenberry made? It is brewed by The Bruery at their facility in Placentia, Orange County, California. The brewery has operated from this location since its founding in 2008.

What foods pair well with Enticing Boysenberry? Creamy goat cheese softens the acidity while echoing the beer's tangy character. Dark chocolate torte creates a rich contrast to the bright boysenberry fruit. Grilled pork with a berry glaze mirrors the beer's jammy sweetness. Lemon tarts amplify the citric tartness. Charcuterie boards with cured meats and dried fruit provide savory and sweet counterpoints.

What sizes does Enticing Boysenberry come in? Enticing Boysenberry is available in 4-packs of 16oz cans.

Is Enticing Boysenberry worth the price? It positions as a mid-range craft sour, priced in line with other fruit-conditioned specialty 4-packs from established breweries. The use of real boysenberry fruit, vanilla, and The Bruery's reputation for quality sour ales supports its placement in this tier.

Why Enticing Boysenberry?

The Bruery has spent over fifteen years refining its sour ale program, and Enticing Boysenberry distills that experience into an everyday-accessible format. The kettle-souring method delivers clean, precise acidity that serves as a transparent backdrop for the boysenberry fruit — no funky off-notes, no acetic sharpness, just ripe berry character with vanilla and salt complexity layered on top. For drinkers who want the depth of a fruit-conditioned sour without committing to a single 750ml bottle or chasing a limited barrel-aged release, this 4-pack fills a genuine gap. It represents The Bruery's fruit-forward identity in a format built for sharing.