Kveik - El Papi
Shades Brewing

a fabulous release in this series, this one a collaboration with purgatory, thanks to my brother in law and also homie for sharing these, love all the crazy flavors that keep on coming. this is done with agave, basil, and jalapeno, a remarkable mix of flavors, especially laid into a tart full bodied sour ale, really a cool idea and nicely put together. hazy and murky and loaded with sediment like all of them are, the bottom inch of the can or so is borderline undrinkable, but the rest of it is delicious. this has sort of a pickle juice vibe, the basil and the tartness and the little bit of pepper heat, not sure the agave adds a whole lot as this is neither sweet nor botanical, but there is good complexity to this overall. the basil pops, fresh and natural, very impressive, the pepper is all on the finish and pretty mild, but they go very well together. for how flavorful this is, the finish is pretty quick, snappy even, nice and puckery and bubbly too, better feeling than it looks like it will be, and overall very good, especially in a morning or hangover context for this one. i continue to be a huge fan of this series, some insanely interesting beers coming out right now. shades is making a name for themselves in a hurry!