Shiner: Prickly Pear

I have been extremely busy with life and work and the Cavs in the playoffs the last few weeks and have neglected to post any new beers, however i have a few lined up now for this week and next. So lets start it off, Shiner: Prickly Pear! This beer hails from Shiner, Texas and utilizes a truly southern ingredient, the prickly pear. This fruit is not often used in Northern Culinary and brewing because it grows on a Opuntia cactus, the small one with a lot of  round shaped pieces. The fruit itself is used in a ton of things in south western united states, margaritas and juices being among them.

The beer itself, as you can see is a pretty standard color, its clear, not too much head on it yada yada. Taste wise, it has a very subtle prickly pear taste to it. The first sip I actually didn't taste anything other than the hops, but after a couple of sips you get the pear flavor. The sip starts out bitter and ends with a slight sweetness. Not too much of an after taste associated with it either, pretty clean finish. I wouldn't recommended drinking this while eating anything as the food would just drown out any flavor other, however it is quite refreshing to drink on a hot muggy day. It was first made in 2012 and rings in at 4.9 ABV and 20 IBU, nothing special alcohol and bitterness wise, but overall an enjoyable summer beer.

A little about the brewer, they were founded in 1909 in Shiner, Texas and have alot of craft brewing experience behind their delicious products. I have family in Houston, so I was first exposed to Shiner while visiting. Since then I have started to see their products becoming more common, first the classic Shiner Bock, then the Shiner Ruby Redbird (a delicious grapefruit lager) and of course the famous Shiner Holiday Cheer. Most of the beers they make are seasonal, but everything that Ive sampled I have enjoyed.

Overall i give this beer a 6/10, while it is good, it doesn't go above and beyond to me for the price, $9.99 for a 6 pack. I do recommend that you try it, as it is something different and enjoyable.