Pastiche II
Hudson Valley Brewery

Drank from a 16 fl. oz. can purchased at Cambridge Wine & Spirits, Cambridge, MA
Served in a tulip

A finger-tall, bubbly, bright white crown topped the slightly hazy, blush colored body. The head quickly dropped to a thin collar. There was no lacing whatsoever.

The aroma was solid. Quite fruity with an interesting sweet-tart quality. Raspberry was most apparent. Strawberry was noticeable as well. Cranberry also came through strong. There was a nice sweet, dank fruitiness from the hop profile. Mosaic hops perhaps. As the beer sat, the strawberry notes intensified. Later, the Concord grape appeared.

The flavor profile was surprisingly tart and acidic. Cranberry notes dominated. Lots of underripe raspberry as well. Lemon notes appeared in the center. The acidity and the tartness levels were both pretty intense. More cranberry on the back end and the finish.

The mouthfeel was fairly nondescript. Medium bodied for the style. The liquid contained a fine but spritzy effervescence.

Pastiche II was an interesting beer but definitely more tart and acidic than I anticipated. Furthermore, the Concord grape presence was hardly perceivable, as were the hop characteristics you typically find in Hudson Valley’s sour IPAs. Although I appreciate the collaboration with Wild Arc, one of the Finger Lakes region’s up-and-coming natural winemakers, this beer did not work as well as I had anticipated.

Undated, tall can

Pours out raspberry in color, under a lasting but slight cap.

Bright tart fruit on the sniff.

Fruity, crisp, more then moderately tart/sour, with raspberry and blackberry notes and a snappy dry finish.

Interesting, brightly flavorful, complex and well worth a try.