55 Funk - Key Lime and Coconut
Greater Good Imperial Brewing Company

L: Looks a bit clear, almost too clear (think macro). Solid finger of head. Solid lacing. Head is thick.

Lets review the style - Fruited Kettle Sour. I claim zero experience in this style. My expertise is malt, think barley wine and old ale. That makes this the PERFECT style for me to review. YMMV

S. Sour. Though a good sour, not like an artificial tart though. I smell the coconut, which is a bad sign as it prolly means its a flavoring. If I try I get the lime smell. Is this a margarita? Is this the style? Maybe it is but Im going 3.

T: Wow, tart and lime. Thats a punch in the face!! The lime and the sour is a margarita. Maybe thats the style, maybe im an old timer, but ... this is a beer style? Im going to go under 3, only because its so intense. Zero coconut in the taste, I mean it feels inconsistent not having it in there. Zero hops BTW.

F: Feel is hard here. I mean I feel like I am biting into a lime. Not texture wise, but overall its fierce. I guess I would call this thin from a feel perspective. Is this in style? #idunno

O: Call me old fashioned, and I dont consider myself a Reinheitsgebot zealot, but whats going on here?

Nucleated Tulip
Look: Hazy - Bright orange, pouring a 1 finger head off-white in color. Dissipated to a thin cap
Smell: On the nose I get a decent amount of lime tartness, a little bit of toasted coconut in the background. A slightest touch of malt.
Taste: Starts out with lime tartness, which leads to slight malt. the finish leaves light coconut behind.
Feel: Moderate mouth feel with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Its tartness is just like eating a lime. Its delicious, though I wish the coconut had a little more presence. You cant even tell it is 8%.

 

Canned 3/7/22

After enjoying the strawberry and rhubarb version of this beer, I figured I might as well pick this up. Also I suppose it’s fitting to have a tart lime beer to celebrate Cinco de Mayo since I didn’t have any tequila. Let’s get into it

Pours a hazy pale gold with 2 fingers of off white head that fades to a thin cap and leaves decent lacing

It’s rather subdued in the nose, not too tart but just lightly fruity. I’m picking up on aromas of lime juice, doughy malt, light wheat, lemon yogurt, and a touch of coconut

In taste it is much bolder, and quite delicious despite its simplicity. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting tart lime, crackery malt, apple skin, coconut water, and lemon zest. The swallow brings notes of lime juice, coconut water, lemon yogurt, and doughy malt

A medium body pairs with moderate carbonation, resulting in a tart and zesty beer. Finishes mostly dry and drinks well below 8%

This is pretty damn good. Not one you need to think about much, but it’s tasty for what it is

 

With its 8% ABV, this is more like an Imperial Fruited Kettle Sour. There's robust carbonation leading to a expansive head, but it doesn't last very long. The beer looks like unfiltered apple cider, an opaque orange-amber. The lime wins out over the coconut to the nose. There's also the hint of sourness above the clear glass liter mug that now holds the pint, recently in a can. The lime also prevails in the taste, but it's not alone. Maybe it's the sourness of the beer that highlights the lime over the coconut. This is not a complaint. This is plenty delicious and drinkable just the way it is. Rather than star, the coconut does a great job of rounding off the citrus bite and the sourness. Still, this is puckering enough, although it's probably a bit more tart than sour. Of course, there's a fine line between those tastes, so this might be subjective. The body is excellent for a fruited kettle sour, bringing full flavor across the tongue lightly, but not so light to appear anywhere close to watery. What it doesn't have is any glass lacing, nor any evidence of the high AVB. Truly an excellent fruited kettle sour that drinks almost too good.