Slushy XL - Slush Wars
450 North Brewing Company

As the war for best smoothie styled sour ale extends all across the galaxy, 450 North is bringing light to the battle with a tantalizingly tart ale with peach, pineapple, guava, prickly pear, sweet cherry and cherry ice cream.

Rusty mauve and caught in a deep and ruddy appearance, Slush Wars picks up on an opaque density and a bubbly froth of deep purple and maroon. As a host of tropical, stone fruit and cherry aromas catch the nose, so does notions of citrus, apple and wine. Sugary sweet on the tongue, the early impression are of cherry glaze, pastry batter and punch offer a dense cereal taste.

As the creamy sweetness soothes the middle palate with vanilla and heavy cream, the cherry flavors engulf the senses with dark fruit, tart fruit and a richer berry tone. As the tropical flavors of guava provide a juicy taste, the peach and pineapple hint toward mango and orange as well. Trending tart with cider, white wine and green apple, the late taste engulfs with the exotic subtlety of prickly pear.

Heavy, rich and rounded, the session is seriously smoothie-like, bubbling away with a creamy fruitiness of fruit skins fruit peels in a light bitterness to bring a sense of grapefruit to the tropical, orchard and pitted fruits.