The second beer up from the gracious Buckbean Brewing Company sample package is their pint can of their Original Orange Blossom Ale. This American Amber/Red Ale was created in the mid-1990’s to accompany a festival in Riverside, CA called the “Orange Blossom Festival.” At 5.8% ABV, this sessionable beer can be served year-round with consistent results.

I’m really enjoying more and more craft breweries that are serving their beers in cans. These cans are a full pint and are too much for a standard pint glass. The pour was slightly cloudy and copper in color. The orange hues really shined through making this an awesome beer to look at. While there was a tiny white head on the beer, the scents from this beer rocketed from the glass.

Initially in the nose you’re hint with an amazingly sweet and delicious bubblegum flavor. Some slightly bitter hops come in to force a balance in flavors, but in the end some grapefruit and candy orange slices come in to dominant. The overall sweetness is the winner, though a bit musky. It’s definitely an euphoric smelling beer.

The mouthful on this was amazing! Medium in body and balanced carbonation teamed for a gentle and crafted feeling. Sweet orange citrus, wintergreen candy, and a sticky bubblegum linger lead the mouth. A slight bite of bitterness helped save this from being nothing but sweet malt and hops, which was great.

I’m much more impressed with the Orange Blossom Ale from Buckbean than I was with the Tule Duck. While the research leans towards being almost the same American style, the Blossom is the clear winner here. The flavor is complex, it stands out and leaves a fresh and enjoyable finish in your mouth. Sessionable? Absolutely. This is one to keep stocked in your beer fridge, I can’t imagine this one not going over well.

Overall: 8.5/10