Honor System - Blackberry And Black Currant
Other Half Brewing - Center Street

The color is a rather unnatural beet-red-to-violet. The beer is very dark and it is difficult to determine, but I'm going to say, it's NOT clear. One-half inch of dense foam forms a dark, pastel-violet cloud that holds for a few minutes before settling to a ring. Small spots of lace and a dense viscosity of juice leaves a film on a PBGC "Sparkles" dimpled mug.

The aroma has sharp acidity and tart, fruity berries that dominate. Unsurprisingly, blackberry and currants rule supreme.

The flavor and the nose are close partners, though the flavor adds ripe blueberries to the mix. Tartness is the primary driver with sweetness being loud from the backseat. A long finish starts mild and abruptly ends with a sharp bite.

This beer has a full body, far more than I expected from a Berliner Weisse. Alcohol seems to be higher than indicated on the label. A soft texture of fruit nectar is interrupted by light, fizzy carbonation.

I find these beers to be enjoyable on occasion. I suspect few folks would consume more than one on any given day. This might be better suited for a midsummer garden party.

 

 

 

This was another beer brewed in Rochester that I picked up in Brooklyn recently. Other Half's been brewing a ton of Berliner Weisse brews lately and this was on par with the rest of them. Thankfully, the alcohol was quite low in this one as it was a true session beer and relatively close to stylistic form. Sure, it had a lot of fruit in it but if that's what you're after, you've found your match here!

The pour to this was interesting with the liquid being a deep, reddish-violet blueberry hue with a frothy raspberry head that quickly settled down. Very little lacing was seen on the side of my pint glass as well, with only a few dots lingering as I worked my way through this. Lots of blackberry, currant, acetate, yogurt, and raspberry in the nose as the taste was just as fruity, cultured, and tart as the aroma indicated. Fruited indeed, the decent amount of carbonation and basic, crispy body were enough to keep this from feeling one-dimensional.

Ditto for the near-unnoticeable presence of alcohol too. No date on the bottom of this can but there wasn't any sediment in the liquid or on the bottom when I finished this off. While not typical for the style, this was fun, easy to drink, and never felt like a cliche. I'm certainly glad that what they're brewing upstate is available here, as I enjoyed taking a break from heavier beers with this!

 

 

16oz can purchased at the brewery. Pours a dark purplish red with 2 inches of bubbly pink head. Some lacing. Sour aroma of berries and yogurt. The taste is tart with blackberries, yogurt, funk and maybe a bit of toasted bread. Berry and yogurt finish with a hint of cherry. Light mouthfeel with lots of carbonation. Slick mouthfeel. Very little alcohol warmth.