Slice the Pies
Other Half Brewing - Center Street

Slice the pies, with a brewer from Michigan...well, I'd expect there to be cherries in this and indeed, there were, there was so much else going on here as this *almost* felt like the crunchee beer that I reviewed right before having this. Never did this feel like an American IPA as there was an absence of overt hops with the fruit and flavors overtaking any burn or bitterness that might have stuck out here. The end result was a dessert beer that wasn't sweet but was plenty fruity and filling down to the last sip!

This had a deep, rich blueberry hue to it bordering on violet with a *ton* of sediment floating in it. The stuff that was suspended in the liquid was quite light as what was on the bottom was quite darker and heavier in nature. Tons of blueberry cobbler, pie crust, potpourri, perfume, and deeply tart cherries in the nose as the taste was just as sweet, floral, fruity, and varied from the get-go. Sticky jam and an underlying, rustic wood rounded out this taste as it felt quite natural and pie-like as this felt baked and crusty although it was hard to discern some of the flavors that were listed on the can. That's not to say that this was a bad beer - as it wasn't - but this might have had a bit too much berry and underlying tartness for some to fully appreciate everything that was going on here.

Enough booze was in this as there was a good amount of stickiness, dark juice, and puckering mouthfeel for this to appeal to a wide audience. For those who appreciate a good American IPA that stretches the style to the edge and kept it fun in the process, this would be a wonderful brew to reach for and savor. This was such a fun collaboration that never felt artificial or contrived as it was just as good a dessert beer as any IPA or Weise that Other Half as ever released. Canned on 4/12/19 with "R" written underneath that, a shot of whipped cream would have rounded this enjoyable brew out nicely!

 

 

Opaque dark red, nearing purple, with a thin pink chain.

Taste mimcs lightly tart cinnamon cherry pie filling with biscuits, but a mild ruggy hoppiness lurks in the background that makes it seem a little unintentionally off.

Pours a slightly clouded red to lilac color with a small pink head on top.

Smells pretty intriguing on the nose with a unique blend of ripe, sweetened sour cherries and slightly herbal fruity hops. Papaya, big chunks of fresh cut oranges and sweet pineapple add to jammy blueberries and an additional note of flowery vanilla.

Has a soft mouthfeel with a surprisingly light body to it and a challenging interplay of sweet cherries and bitter hops, equally defining the finish of the beer.

Tastes of overly sweet, jammy cherries and blueberries from first glance, amped up by wooden, sweet cinnamon and lots of rock sugar. There is a recognizable hoppiness in this, with unriper blueberries, lime and mango, but they don‘t manage to bond successfully with the sweet adjuncts in this. Finishes with carrot syrup and a softdrink-like sweetness to it, while leaning heavily on the fruits, establishing a long lasting, sticky, one-dimensional sweetness.

This pushes too far without being able to taste either like a good sour or a good ipa.

 

Never had anything like is in my craft life. Game changer of styles

 

Growler from OH poured into an Alchemist teku...

It is colored like Blackberry Fusion Jell-O if only some pink cranberries were added with the result being unadulterated Dwight Schrute beet juice. Not full on milkshake. It has some clarity. Low head resolution. Staying in the canned fruit aisle I can draw out cherry pie filling and pear cubes. Moving to the baking aisle gives off wafts of demerara sugar, almond flour, and coconut flour. Lastly, ripping open a box of Nilla wafers I get faint whisps of sweet vanilla. Here's the catch and it follows to the flavor: if you stick your head too far into that cookie box all you get is stale cardboard no matter how shockingly sweet the initial burst. However, this gives it a resplendent quality of sour Bing cherries over sugary maraschinos. The blueberries figure to be out-of-season almost an afterthought along with the cinnamon on the backend. Overall, low on the IPA characteristics as this figures to be more on the tart cherry lemonade spectrum than any sour juice bomb.

 

 

L - 1-finger pinkish head atop an opaque maroon body.

S - vanilla, brown sugar, graham cracker, mixed berries. Really does smell like pie!

T - lots of tart, sweet mixed berries, coated in brown sugar, sprinkled with vanilla and cinnamon. Doughy middle, with a little sour lemon. Finish is a bit rough, perhaps due to the myriad ingredients. Low bitterness. Moderate sweetness. No booziness.

F - medium-full body with appropriate carb.

O - all about a pie beer.