Halo Milkshake Berliner
Brewski

 

 

Slim 330 mL can from the LCBO; best before Dec 3 2021 and served slightly chilled.

Pours cloudy but translucent; its pinkish-orange body is capped with half a finger of soapy, pale pink-tinged froth that fizzles itself into oblivion within a minute or two. The surface is left utterly barren - no cap, no lace, not even a collar. I've come to accept that BWs aren't always photogenic, but at least this one has a pretty colour. The aroma is loaded with raspberry juice and passionfruit, with strawberry lemonade also coming through - it definitely pulls off the milkshake vibe, with just the right amount of sweetness, tartness and juiciness.

Very juicy and flavourful - I'm getting passionfruit and raspberry right off the bat, which together remain the leitmotif throughout the sip. There're also hints of mango and wheat, as well as a lemony lactic tartness that lasts through to the finish, dissipating rapidly in time for a slightly tart, mildly sweet, yogurt-esque aftertaste with lingering berry juiciness. Medium in body, with light carbonation that gently tickles the tongue, adding some much-needed crispness to its otherwise smooth, slick, relatively soft mouthfeel. Delicious, refreshing, and a joy to gulp back.

Final Grade: 4.3, an outstanding A grade. Brewski's Halo Milkshake is a fantastic product, and quite possibly the best Berliner I've had the pleasure of reviewing thus far. Both the raspberry and passionfruit are potent, while the milk sugar helps to blunt the sourness of the back end, making it less sharp than your average Berliner - but then again, this isn't an average BW at all, it's a milkshake Berliner, so that was undoubtedly by design. Random Euro imports such as this tend to appear at the LCBO once and then disappear forever, so I'd encourage any Ontario BAs looking for a fruity, light, berry-flavoured sour to seek this out ASAP.

Look: Hazy dark pink with a 3/4 finger head. The head disappears within a few minutes leaving nothing behind.
Smell: Overwhelmingly strong passionfruit. I didn't pick up anything else.
Taste: Sweet at the front of the sip turning super tart by the end. Sour candy and sugar.
Feel: Sharp and tart. Plays on the sides of tongue and tip. Light bodied.
This beer style doesn't fall in my wheelhouse. Take my review with a grain of salt, if you like this type of beer maybe you will love it, but I found it unpleasent and the tartness overwhelming. Reminded me of koolaid and sour patch candy mixed together. I'd give this beer a C.

330 ml can from the LCBO for $4.35 CDN. Sticker says 3.3% ABV.

Appearance - Super murky and turbid salmon colored brew with a tiny head that fizzles out right after pouring.

Smell - Intensely berry with raspberries leading the way. Hints of other fruit (strawberry and passionfruit)

Taste - Lots of berries again up front some wheat and the passionfruit shines through in the second half of the beer. Sour and sufficiently so, but not overdone. Very well balanced.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied to heavier bodied, the carbonation is light and extremely crisp an finishes with lots of bubbles on the tongue. Very refreshing.

Overall - Very excellent Berliner, one of the best I've ever had. Will keep my eyes peeled for this one again.

Murky orange-red, an interesting colour. Looks a bit like a Caesar. A very short head off of an aggressive pour, no lace to speak of. Tart nose full of fruit. Tart on the palate, some creaminess. Hint of lactose. Raspberry dominates, passionfruit lurks. Wheat is there. Tasty and refreshing.

 

 

Pours an unclear reddish pink with hardly any foam.

Smell is tart, with notes of passionfruit, red berries and cranberries. Hint of youghurt as well.

Taste is tart, almost sour, with lots of passionfruit leading the way, followed by raspberry youghurt and some creamy sweetness.

Mouthfeel is medium and creamy, sparkly carbonation.

Overall, Brewski are very, very good at this kind of fruited Berkliner, and this may be my favorite yet.

Sample at Mikkeller Beer Celebration Copenhagen 2018, Blue Session. Neon pink color. Aroma has tart, lactic notes, quite fruity and astringent. Taste is tart and fruity with some bubblegum notes. Quite refreshing with dry finish.