Pineapple Whip Hill
Southern Grist Brewing Co.

Another one of the upsides of the covid bullshit era was expanded mail order for a hot minute. While I didn't put an order in for this brewery, you could see the grey market working as there were multiple retail locations carrying their stuff almost 3000 miles away.

Pours a hazy yellow. Similar appearance to egg drop soup, any head quickly recedes back into the planet broth territory. I hate Star Wars now. The aroma hit those pineapple notes as advertised. Light sourness beyond that and some sugar.

The taste was similar, all pineapple, no hops, yeast or malt discernable. More akin to a mixed drink if anything. But the pineapple flavor/taste delivered, and that is job #1 from what I can discern in terms of their objective. Deliver some pineapple juice and sweet cream basically. I really like the Galaxy hop, so I prefer to get my pineapple that way in a beer.

But you know, if you like pineapple check this out.

When it comes to their sour "Hill" series of fruited sour ales, Southern Grist can whip it, and whip it good. Laced with pineapple and Dole Whip mix, this beer promises a creamy side to its sour fruitiness.

Pale gold, headless and looking rather dull, Pineapple Whip Hill leans in with a scent that's anything but dull. A brisk and acidic scent of pineapple comes with hints of cream, tropical fruit and a glimpse of sun tan lotion. But once on the tongue, the creamy sweet pineapple flavors explode. Light agave, wafer and taffy largely frame the beer's striking upstart.

Striking in that its sweetness is fast dissolving and the sourness hits early and hard on the middle palate. Sour pineapple leaps out immediately and teases the palate with warhead tartness with hint of gooseberry, crabapple, lime, lemon and sour white grape. As the flavors of cream attempt to show balance, they only add to a rich taste but never a heavy body. The beer trends acutely sour, dry and brisk with hints of fruit must and dry burlap late in taste.

Light, airy and refreshing, the beer's sharp sourness is a welcome addition to the common smoothie sours that trend heavy, sweet and even cloying. This beer steers clear of those threats as it leaves only a sour pineapple flavor on a brief, clean and highly refreshing aftertaste.