Marionberries!

Yes that is a real berry, not a made-up name.

Have I ever seen them before?

No!

I don’t know about you but when I think Marionberries I think of Portlandia!  I am not a huge fan of the show, but I catch glimpses of it in the background whilst my husband watches and laughs hysterically.  I find the show to be more annoying than funny, but nevertheless….Marionberries.  Portlandia has an episode called ‘Brunch Village,’ in which mysterious Marionberry pancakes are mentioned at least ten times.  I was pretty sure that they made-up the name until I discovered…Stumptown Tart!

Stumptown Tart is a Belgian Style Ale brewed with Strawberries, Raspberries, and Marionberries.  Most beers that I have tried with berry flavors are insanely sweet and not good; I am not even sure that you can call them beer at that point.  However I really like Belgian style beers so I decided to give it a try.  For the most part it was a good choice.  Stumptown Tart is a fairly light and refreshing beer with a tart beginning leading itself to a mellow finish.  While the beer does smell of ripe berries/Marionberries, it surprisingly doesn’t have a lot of berry on the palate.  Overall a great light beer for a hot summer day with a hearty meal.

It is quite ironic that Marionberries are in the show Portlandia when Stumptown Town is brewed in Portland, Oregon.  I think the show should endorse the beer…then pay me for giving them such a fun idea. 

Cheers to tart Marionberry beer!