Pineapple Sour
Side Launch Brewing Company

At my lady Pamela's house; canned and chilled, 473mL in a pint glass. From my favourite LCBO at Tecumseh Mall in nearby Windsor. Canned February/25. My 10th beer from the Collingwood, Ontario brewery, and 3rd for 2026. Incredibly adored by Gracie the cat...

Poured a very light beer color. Not much foam or lacing at all. Pineapple and hops aroma to it.
Taste is sour. More sour than Mill Street Pineapple i just finished....but....hold on.....more overall "beer" flavor as well on the after taste. This is a better Pineapple beer than Mill Streets. Still not necessarily my type of beer but again, it's cool to have something out of my comfort zone. Would I get it again? Probably not, but i know I really like Mountain Lager and Wheat beer from Side launch, so I'll get those instead.

If you like sour beers with a pineapple flavor then this would be right up your alley.

Poured a 473ml can into a pint glass. A big three finger bubbly white head on a clear pale gold. The head soon dissipates. no lacing.

Smells of pineapple. The taste follows the nose. Overall fruity but moderately sour. No hop presence.

A light body and moderate carbonation. Overall an interesting brew. mildly sour. Simple but effective.

 

473 mL can from the LCBO, included in Side Launch's IPA Mix Pack. Dated Apr 4 2023 and served slightly chilled.

Pours a foggy, translucent golden-yellow colour, with at least three fingers of fluffy, foamy white head exploding from the surface. It collapses at a steady pace; five minutes later, it has been reduced to a frothy collar and sudsy, eighth-inch cap that lingers for a little bit longer. Scant lace deposition, but it looks good otherwise. It smells of fresh pineapple, watermelon juice and bubble gum, with hints of stone fruit, lemon yogurt and floral, citrusy hops.

Big pineapple flavours at the forefront, with a mishmash of other notes developing by mid-sip: wheaty grains, indeterminate citrus, melon and stone fruit, with mild lactic acidity. Pineapple and tropical fruitiness round out the back end, concluding with a light, floral bitterness followed by pineapple juiciness fading into the aftertaste. Medium-light in body, with assertive carbonation that briskly brushes against the palate; feels a little prickly, but ultimately quite smooth. Fair drinkability.

Final Grade: 3.56, a B grade. Side Launch's Pineapple Sour IPA ain't my jam. There's an identity crisis going on here: the pineapple is lopsidedly dominant, while the 'IPA' and 'kettle sour' aspects of the flavour profile mostly just interfere with one another. That is to say, this is not a great sour IPA, nor is it a great fruited kettle sour - a jack of all trades, and master of none. This one will sink or swim based on how much you like pineapple: I'd still recommend this if you're just in it for the fruit, but if you're hoping for a quality sour IPA? Ehh, not so much. I don't see myself buying this again, but you never know.

Sorry just not my thing
July 16 2023