North East Beer Review

This review is on Brooklyn Brewery Fonio Rising which is a 6.4% ABV double pilsner. I find Brooklyn Brewery very hit or miss to be honest. I have enjoyed pours such as the Sorachi Ace Saison Ale and Butterfly Photobomb but really disliked the Bodega Run. I feel that Brooklyn fall into releasing anything safe and approachable for reaching bigger audiences in supermarkets but mainly falling short of other options such as Full Circle and even the OG Brewdogs. During the course of this review I will cover the history of this beer and brewery, the pour, the flavour profile and finally my verdict.

History spanning almost 40 years.

Brooklyn Brewery was founded by Steve Hindy and Tom Potter in 1988. Born in New York when US craft brewing was still in its infancy. Steve Hindy is a former foreign correspondent who developed a love for European brewing and the different styles. On the other hand, Tom Potter brought business experience to the brewery and helped run the successful brewery.

The brewery has a reputation for combining traditional brewing methods with modern flavours which helped shape American craft beer. The States based brewery’s reputation had increased exponentially after expert brewmaster Garrett Oliver joined in 1994 by expanding from lagers to more bold and limited edition releases. These days Brooklyn is recognised worldwide for their bold and creative beers. In the UK, Brooklyn Brewery has a partnership with Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company in which their beers are brewed and distributed across the UK, being widely available in Tesco.

Brooklyn Brewery Fonio Rising was created to explore sustainable ingredients such as the Fonio grain which has been cultivated in West Africa for over 5,000 years. Fonio is special as it can grow in poor soil with very little water. This helps support farming communities in West Africa. Garrett Oliver became interested in fonio after learning about the grain through Senegalese chef and entrepreneur Pierre Thiam, whose company Yolélé works to bring traditional African ingredients to a wider audience. Their collaboration helped introduce fonio to modern brewing, giving beer drinkers a chance to experience a grain rarely used in mainstream beer.

Fonio Rising was a limited beer before the attention it gathered from larger audiences made it become a focal point for Brooklyn. It is double pilsner which shows that brewing can be both innovative and socially sustainable. It also illustrates the story and thought that goes into the beer with roots in West Africa.

A lively lager pour

Fonio Rising pours a golden to yellow straw colour which is clear in complexion. A thin bubbly head formed which disappeared in a couple minutes and it left no lacing at all. The carbonation was lively and you could observe a constant stream of bubbles travelling up the glass. Overall, a lively but typical lager pour.

A light and grainy flavour profile

Aroma

Brooklyn Brewery Fonio Rising opens with a light floral note which is quickly aided by a citrus edge. Hints of lemon and perhaps even grape with observed. As the beer unlocks, a grainy sweetness gently adds to the depth of this beer. This has a gentle hop aroma but in my opinion doesn’t shine through that well. Overall, this is a clean aroma but I feel it could be more hoppy.

Taste

On the palate, Fonio Rising opens with a light fruity flavour comprising of lemon peel, white grape and perhaps lychee. There is a malty almost roasted nut flavour which is followed by a deep malt sweetness which in my opinion overpowers the fruit. A herbal edge brings back some balance. The finish was crisp and dry. The mouthfeel light and lively. Overall, I didn’t really enjoy this one too much as it felt more like a lighter version of Tennants Super or other strong lagers. It is still drinkable but not the most palatable.

Time for my verdict

Overall, I like the message behind Brooklyn Brewery and trying to be more sustainable and investing in grain from West Africa. However, sometimes it kind of gets lost in the beer. I feel this was ok at best and as I said I would still drink it but not necessarily enjoy it. I feel this somewhat feels like a strong lager due to the percentage. I did hope this would have more depth of flavour but it really lacked it. For this reason, I have to give this a 2.75 out of 5.

Where did I purchase this beer?

I was gifted this beer from a work colleague. Cheers

Thanks for reading my review. If you enjoyed my review you will love my review on 1936 Swiss Lager.