Double Forever Motueka
Other Half Brewing - Center Street

 

Undated can poured into a Teku. Guessing this is 1-2 months old based on the other cans I received in a shipment from a friend.

Pale gold, pineapple juice body. Totally opaque and medium-heavy haze with light murk. Creamy looking body and head. Tight, soapy bubbles of off-white. Minimal head retention but nice, sudsy rings of lacing.

Incredibly fruity on the nose, with a unique medley of notes. Big pineapple, mandarine, dark grape, and mixed berry (blue, black, and raspberry). A wonderful sweet tea aroma wafts in behind the fruit. Grassy with a little pine. Slight Juicy Fruit note. As the beer warms the fruits start to become more stone and tropical dominated, and are leaning towards overripe. But that fantastic tea note remains steady. It's not a huge nose, but it is definitely nuanced. I honestly don't know what to expect on the tongue.

Quite dank and oniony up front, somewhat yeasty, then sweet but mild fruit flavors take over. Lemon-lime, grapefruit, sharp orange juice, candied grape (think sweet Riesling), and a touch of berry (but much less than on the nose). White peach, a little pineapple, some nondescript tropical fruit, and a hefty dose of starchy greens and grassiness at the end. There's a pleasant and pronounced Lipton Iced Tea element at play, clearly carrying over from the nose, which I really like. Also a slight peppery cracker element. Unfortunately the starchy greens get more pronounced -- with more bite -- with each sip, and the fruits once again become overripe and muddled the longer I sip on it, revealing a negative aspect to the sweetness. There are taste components that I really love in this one -- dankness, mild fruits, sweet tea, and peppery twang -- and others I really, really don't (starchy bite and the candied, overripe sweetness). Honestly tough to grade, but I find myself shaking my head at the end of each swallow, which probably says a lot.

I almost always use "soft" and "silky" when describing even decently made hazies -- that's kind of the idea -- but this one is particularly light while simultaneously velvety. Not sure how much of that is the liquid, itself, and how much is the juxtaposition of the softness of the beer against the harshness of the starchy bite. Either way, it results in a wonderful mouthfeel.

Unique in its elements, but unfortunately the taste is abrasive, overall. Unfortunate given its other attributes. Might just be a hop varietal that doesn't mesh well with my palate.

Tropical fruit sweetness on the nose. Just a hint of pine.

Taste is big and fruity. Bright citrus flavors with very low bitterness. Tastes like candied fruit in the best way. A hint of pine keeps it from being cloying. Nice long finish that borders on being tart but the sweetness wins out. Nice balanced mouthfeel with decent carbonation and a hint of creaminess.

Great DIPA from Other Half. I tend to like beers that feature Motueka and now I see why in this Motueka-only beer. I'm drinking it on a cold snowy day but this would be fantastic to sip on a warm, sunny day.

Other Half Brewing Co. "Double Forever Motueka"
16 fl. oz. can coded "14:41 11-24-20" and sampled on 12-10-20

Notes via stream of consciousness: I had a hard time finding information on this beer but it seems it's brewed with hand selected Motueka hops from New Zealand. It's poured a murky kind of golden-tan colored body beneath a short head of white foam. It's opaque, and looks kind of like the khaki colored pants I have on. The aroma isn't as bold as I thought it might be but it's certainly there. It's citrusy with lots of citrus pith, and piney. On to the flavor I guess... it's quite a bit bolder than the aroma let's on. Candied lemon lime is something that Other Half noted in their description for it and that's certainly there! I personally get more lime, at least lingering, but the lemon is there as well. I'm not sure really what else is there. Some guava... soft, almost vanilla-like peach... subtle mango ~ I'll just call it "tropical" if that's OK with you. The pine I thought I found in the aroma isn't there, but it is somewhat herbal, mainly in the finish. It's almost minty, and a little like old, dried oregano. It's an interesting display, and although I was just about to complain that it's a little limited I've now changed my mind. I don't want anything else adding in and muddling up this very pleasant and unique kind of lime milkshake taste. It's soft and smooth and creamy, most likely because of the medium body and heavy extra proteins, and the lime comes through in exactly the same way as opposed to the sharper citrus that you usually find in beers like this. I guess I should have noted already that the malt is basic, and perhaps a bit oat-y, and sweetish but not too sweet. I'm not finding a lot of bitterness here, although there is some hop burn. Nor does the alcohol really show although that's got to be adding to that burn. That's what keeps it in balance, and dries it in the end, the hop acids and alcohol. But this isn't really even that strong, is it? Nah, just 8.5%. This is a wonderful treat for me right now, soft and supple and relaxing, and somewhat tropical with the sun pouring into my kitchen. I'd say I'd like another but I can attest that even though it's 'only' 8.5% two in a row would probably be a bit much. If you get a chance to try this one don't let it slip through your fingers.
Review #7,101