Bottled by Shipyard for Virgin Islands-based St. John’s Brewery, refreshing tropical-fruited pale ale punctuates ripe mango sweetness with brisk lemon-hopped papaya, passion fruit and pineapple delectation. Peach-lacquered maraschino cherry, strawberry, blueberry, and tangerine illusions come and go above honeyed wheat spine. Unfortunately, quality has gone down. Phenol-hopped fizzing and perfumed tongue overwhelm soapy watermelon and mango illusions of light summery dessert treat.

Worthy ‘strangely refreshing’ fruit ale perfect as easy-drinking light-bodied poolside fodder. Juicy Jolly Rancher watermelon theme maintains sweet thrust above dainty hop-fizzed strawberry Seltzer spritz to cereal-sugared wheat-honeyed spine. Tangible lemonade tartness works its way into artificial melon flavoring. Serve to anyone with a sweet tooth.

On tap, soapy washed-out yellow-cleared fruit ale lacks luster. Brazilian acai berries, a dietary antioxidant, never bolsters pallid softie. Fizzy dry-hopped raspberry, blueberry, cranberry, and cherry souring mires subsidiary lemon-limed green apple, Granny Smith apple, and white peach tartness. Dull white-breaded spine of arid light body only makes things worse.

Updated, downgraded, unbalanced version of former ‘Laughing Buddha’ labeled fruit beer (with sinewy yeast sediment) lacks proper mango influence to fragile pale wheat spine. Leathery white grape acridity, comparable to Belgian gueuze, encumbers lemon-soured mango tartness and unripe peach nullity that becomes overbearingly mouth-puckering in its acidic dryness. Serve with barbecue steak or pork to bring out further illusions.

Reddish brown-hued  ale with solid-bodied grain-deepened berry persistence and bustling carbonation feels processed. Refreshing but not nearly as rich as originally anticipated from pungent fruit whiff. Brewery defunct: 2001.

Sparkly light-bodied magenta-hued black currant-centered ale aged in medieval castle (Kasteel Brewery) comes across shyly dry and bitterly fruited. Fizzy soda flow enlivens raspy raspberry-boysenberry-elderberry tang, but citric nuance stays distant and faint dry cherry finish hinges on astringency.

Inviting spruce waft stimulates tangy orange brightness, dainty berry sweetness, and dim peach-grapefruit-quince tartness complementing deep floral hop bittering.

Simple, plain, auburn-cleared ale lacks sufficient bruised orange tang and mocha malt sweetness. Instead, herbal-hopped earthen peat resin, crisp tobacco-dried nuttiness, and lazy raisin-date-fig slumber saturate citric malfunction.

Tangy cranberry funk and vinous Lambic cherry pucker confront unobtrusive fermented marionberry sweetness. Creamed wheat backend and light chocolate malting mellowed by watery texture. Perfect for dessert or pouring over cheesecake.

True thematic banana bread waft and drier banana chip mouthfeel sweetened further by honeyed wheat Graham cracker expansion. Mineral-watered crystal malting backs up banana-seeded bubblegum midst of fascinatingly peculiar clear amber banana-breaded fruit ale. 2011 version: Dry-spiced cinnamon-ginger conflux overcome by medicinal alcohol-burnt astringency, compromising up-front banana breading and relegating wheat-sugared candied apple subsidy.

Snazzy refreshment ferments honey and fruit juices without becoming too sweet. Soft grain bitterness settles in well. Problem: too difficult to pick out berry luster.

Could a grape jam company succeed at making fine ales? Toned down purple grape aroma and lime-embittered unripe grape dryness overwhelmed by withered hop fizz and bland soda sweetness, managing to be fairly unique but not overly peculiar. Brewery defunct: 2008.