Dead Spadina Monkey - Pineapple
Indie Ale House Brewing Company

 

Appearance: Slightly hazy medium golden apricot. The head is nice looking 2 fingers of loose puffy foam, moderate dissipation and recedes to a great ring and plenty of surface floating islands. A few dabbles of lacing mar the glass in small irregular patterns here and there, and most fade away altogether by the time you hit the bottom of the glass.

Aromas: From the once the cork belched out the neck I caught a fantastic blast of farmyard funkiness. But from the glass it's all about the pineapple. Loads of pineapple! Some pomaceous sour mash fruits like apple and pear, and I can start to grasp it's cider vinegar in the tail end along with some light wood resin and faint herbals.

Taste: Compared to the scents, it is a really mellow subdued flavour. The first few sips are clean and refreshing and brings the flavours across the palate more as hints than full flavour. Of course, the more you drink some of the residuals add up and the flavours are a bit more noticeable. The pineapple definitely shows up, and it has a slight dry apple cider taste when the flavour hits its peek. Retains plenty of fruitiness, and the sour is more of a tanginess than actual sour or tart.

Mouthfeel: It's refreshing water attribute put its in a slightly thinner side of a full medium body. Carbonation is a mid way between inert and lively, I think I'd like a little bit more fizz and pop, but it does have a great finish - doesn't really get much cleaner or drier, and next to no lingering sensations or aftertastes.

Overall: I really liked the pineapple notes, and the sour-thats-not-quite-sour-but-still-sour, that was what sold me on it.

Pairing: I'm agreeing with @MasterSki on this one - Jalapenos would be killer. A slice or two of raw jalapenos tossed right into the brew and give it a few minutes to take up the flavours. But, if you aren't that bold, I am definitely in the mood for a slice of Hawaiian pizza with jalapenos, big slices of Canadian back bacon, and large chunks of pineapple.

 

Bottle from the brewery. Served in a Bellwoods snifter.

A - White foam settles to a near-complete cap, collar, and splotches of lacing. Lightly hazed golden body that is a shade darker than pineapple in color.

S - Pineapple! Interesting actually, as it almost smells hoppy, as I associate pineapple with certain tropical hop varietals. Light oak and vinegary acidity in the periphery, but this is very fruit-heavy at the moment. As it warms, it picks up a peppery note to it; almost vegetal, as well as some musky overripe fruit funkiness. There's a hint of Windex-esque chemical in there too that sort of comes and goes.

T - The taste is a bit more 'generic American sour', but it's a reasonably good one, with a nice mix of acidity, funk, fruitiness, and vinous oak. Less overt pineapple, here although it's got the appropriate mix of sweet and tart flavors that define the fruit.

M - Medium in body. Very dry and enamel-melting. Stomach starts to churn from the acidity after a 6oz pour, but it doesn't burn going down. Pleasant carbonation, but could actually use a tad more spritz. Quite tannic between the fruit and the oak.

D - This is one of the better wild beers I've had from Indie. Split a bottle at work and it was enjoyed by all. Considering getting another bottle, although I think this is probably best fresh as I can't see the pineapple holding up. I think adding some jalapenos to this would be killer too.