Play In The Hay (Pineapple)
Kuhnhenn Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoyed on tap at Kuhnhenn for Summer Solstice '13. Pineapple Play in the Hay pours a murky brown color, shockingly darker than the blueberry sour, filled with some sediment that just hangs in suspension. A white-ish, gray-ish ring outlines the top of the beer which has essentially no head formation, possibly due to the pour.

All it takes is one whiff to get my mouth watering and my saliva glands pumping. This sucker smells tart as hell. Pineapple is definitely present in the aroma, but its stage-time is split equally with notes of vinegar, cherry skins, lactic acid, and a huge burst of lemon zest. Hints of dry Brett notes bring up the rear and finish with a slightly wet hay and wet cork-like finish.

Oh, wow. Just... wow. The first sip is so incredibly sour, hitting my palate even harder than it hit my nostrils. Huge bouts of tart pineapple, ripe green apples, and heavy notes of cherries, white wine vinegar, and some lemon-like acidity. It's the type of tartness that strips the enamel from your teeth and the taste buds from your tongue. Very raw and powerful, like a liquid Shock Tart in my glass.

Brett is thankfully much more noticeable here than it was in the blueberry sour; light cellar funk, wet hay, cork, and some finishing mustiness, leaving the palate very dry and ripped of all flavor except for the incredible sour combination you've just digested. Warmth only makes this brew more complex, bringing in heavier notes of white grapes and more acidic cherries. Oh my!

What a tasty beer. Very thin, crisp, and light on the mouth. I'm almost having a hard time believing this beer clocks in at 9% ABV. No hint of alcohol whatsoever; very dangerous, considering this drinks about as easy as apple juice. Kuhnhenn has always impressed me and they continue to due so with their sour beers. Incredible sourness, nice funk, and decent complexity. I wish they bottled stuff like this sometimes!