Kveik - Boysenberry Pie
Shades Brewing

yet another whacky but tasty brew in this series of sour ales that defies logic. this one really hits the pie notes well, graham cracker crust and vanilla creamy whipped topping both on point, and the berry flavor is solid, natural, not too sugary, and fully compatible with the very mild acidity this has, not all that sour at all, which i think is smart to keep this desserty like the name suggests. for me the cinnamon is a little out of place, thats a different kind of pie, and while its not overdosed or anything, part of me would rather have this just be the fruit and the vanilla. i also get the purpose and even possible necessity of the lactose, but this is sweet rather than tart to finish, and although it does give a creaminess to the texture and contribute to the pie factor here, its a tad more than i need, especially with the vanilla also being relatively forward in the flavor mix. its got a gorgeous flamingo pink color, not too cloudy until the very bottom, a bit more cleaned up looking than some of the others in this series have been, but thats a pretty low bar, and it still doesnt hold any head, despite having enough carbonation to not feel still on the palate. a very neat mix of flavors here where all the elements can be appreciated. if you have been keeping up with this wild series, this is another fine installment, but perhaps a little less intriguing than the best of them. festive and fun, and glad to see these getting a little more refined over time from a quality standpoint, hopefully that trend keeps up, it has been the only thing holding these back...

edit: a can of this got lost in the depths of the beer fridge but has aged oddly great, more sour than ever now, even sharp to drink, but the fruit flavors still pop, the whole thing is so well integrated, its not too sweet, seemingly even more lively now, and whatever solids were in it have settled and stayed in the bottom, so this is electric light purple with great clarity now, maybe i should start forgetting all of these in the fridge awhile, i think time has somehow improved it! improving the look score to reflect...