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Episode Notes\n\n

Episode 46: Unity Vibration\u2019s Ginger Kombucha Beer

It\u2019s the Two Minute Beer Review!

I\u2019m Andrew Burkum, and once again I\u2019m your companion as we face down that massive craft brew aisle in search of the hidden treasures we\u2019ve been missing out on all along.

This week we\u2019re taking a look at Ginger Kombucha Beer by Unity Vibration in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Is this beer good for the whole body\u2014including the tongue? Let\u2019s find out!

This Kombucha Beer is supremely clear in the glass-having only the faintest yellow tinge as an accent. The smell is powerful ginger, although there may be just a little bit of a crisp vinegary edge to it as well somewhere in the background. Though the label mentions that this is in fact a beer\u2014made with hops\u2014I do not detect any hops presence in the nose.

But what about the taste? Unity Vibrations Kombucha Beer is surprisingly sweet and mild\u2014not sour at all. I have to admit that I was expecting a sour from the scent as well as from my previous experiences with non-alcoholic kombucha beverages. But there\u2019s nothing of that here\u2014sour haters are safe to give this one a shot. Just as in the scent, I don\u2019t detect the specific flavor of hops anywhere in the brew, but that\u2019s ok. I\u2019m not sure a strong hop presence would work with this mild flavor profile. The ginger is definitely here, but it\u2019s nowhere near as spicy on the tongue as it is in the scent. At the end of the swallow there is a very bready, yeast flavor that leaves just a bit of pleasant body hanging around before the next sip.

So a Kombucha Beer. I have to admit that I was a little skeptical about this at first, but as a dedicated beer explorer, I couldn\u2019t resist it. And overall I will say that it\u2019s a tremendous success. It\u2019s a very pleasant beverage that somehow straddles the line between kombucha and beer, and I think it will be accessible to drinkers of both. If I had one wish for this one, it would be that that ginger in the flavor was a bit spicier, like it is advertised in the scent. This one little nitpick aside, I highly recommend that you search out a bottle of this brew and give it a try. It\u2019s interesting, it\u2019s innovative and it might just become a new favorite of yours. It also carries a nice 8% ABV, which will surely assist you on your search for a more harmonious state.

Well that\u2019s all for this week, but I hope you\u2019ll join me next week as I try Colossus of Clout Red Ale by Strike Brewing Co. in San Jose, CA! Is this one worthy of the title of one of the wonders of the ancient world? We\u2019ll find out next week! Look for links to this week\u2019s beer and brewery in the show notes.

Before I go, just a quick request. As many of you know I live in California\u2019s Central Valley. That means I have access to a lot of beers from the hundreds of breweries around the area. But I know that lots of you who are listening are from all over the country\u2014some of you from other parts of the world! I want to try and share your local favorites as well. If you have something that you think needs to be exposed to the world on the Two Minute Beer Review, would you do me a favor and contact me on twitter @2minutebeer (with the number of course) or email me @2minutebeer@gmail.com? I would love to hear from you and do my best to make sure that your local beers and breweries are represented as well as mine.

That\u2019s all for this now, but I\u2019ll see you next week as we continue on our quest to taste all the beer!

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Music: River Meditation by Jason Shaw used under Creative Commons License

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