Aphrodite No. 6
River Styx Brewing Company

Before I start, I'll note that when I purchased the can, the menu claimed that it contained "orange, pineapple, cherry, and almond", but now looking at the can I notice it says "pineapple, orange, and lime *contains nuts". The sample I tried at the brewery a while was phenomenal and I tasted all of the former ingredients.

16 oz can acclimated to 48°F and poured into a tulip glass.

Pours a hazy and pale light orange with some light sediment and a vigorously effervescent, 2 finger white head, dissipating immediately and leaving zero lacing.

Initial aroma is tart, smelling of real pineapple and orange. Citrus notes abound, a very tart smell. After agitating there is a concentration of pineapple, strong pineapple, which sort of blends with the yeast that I'm smelling.

Initial taste before swallowing is very tart, orange, cherry, pineapple, and citrus. After swallowing the tartness mellows, but the effect on my teeth lingers, due to my sensitive enamel. I continue to taste all of the aforementioned fruit, most notably pineapple, it tastes strongly of that pineapple between the juicy flesh and the rings, although this taste is quite good. Second to the pineapple in quantity is orange, also quite good tasting. It's a very tart beer, and yeah, I know what style it is but it's very tart.

Mouthfeel is essentially a juice, as well as being slightly soft.

Overall I have to admit that I'm disappointed that it's not what I sampled at the brewery. It's still good, but not what I sampled, which held rich notes of cherry and almond. Overall I found it very tart and honestly a little past the point of enjoyable. But like I said, it's still good, it's also executed well, the flavors present are very good.

Will definitely buy again, in hopes that the next batch will be closer to what I sampled. Otherwise I wouldn't buy again.


NOW HAVING HAD ONE WITH CHERRY AND ALMOND

16 oz can acclimated to 46°F and poured into a teku.

Pours fairly hazy, a pale yellow orange color, very sunny. Produces a 1 finger foamy white head, leaving a film of lacing that retreats, leaving a few splotches.

Initial aroma is grapefruit flesh, lactose and sweetness, almond, and nuttiness. Further smells reveal a hint of maraschino cherry, and I'm reminded slightly of vanilla icing and gumdrops. After agitating I find quite acidic and tart lime.

Initial taste before swallowing is sweetness and taste of maraschino cherry in heavy cream, orange flesh then presents in a large dose, mild tartness throughout.

After swallowing I'm hit with acid/tartness that isn't intense and becomes somewhat dry, I taste clearly the orange, and then clearly the pineapple, with notes reminding me of pineapple skin. Tartness is there but mild, it's fruity tart, not dairy sour.

Mouthfeel is a little lackluster, which I often find with this style, feeling a lot like juice. Not bad, just not fantastic. The carbonation does quickly and can't be reconstituted fully through agitation, so you're left with a liquid that just sloshes down the throat.

Overall it's very tasty! I previously tried it and it ended up being the lime version, which was honestly a big letdown from when I sampled it at the brewery and tasted the cherry and almond version and was wowed. This in my opinion is far better (although still doesn't live up to the sample I first tried). It's very enjoyable in that all the tastes are present but it's not too complicated. This paired with a delicious taste, and not over the top tartness makes for something easy and very nice to drink. Only downside being the lack of carbonation and the somewhat lackluster mouthfeel, but otherwise very very good!

Not sure if I'll buy again but only for one reason, the inconsistency. If I'm guaranteed to get the cherry almond version I'll absolutely buy again, but if it may be the lime version I'm not likely.

Excellent fruited sour - tastes like a mai tai! There is plenty of pineapple up front with actual almonds so that the beer is not too sweet. Would highly recommend

 

Pours with an exuberant but fortunately short-lived head that falls to absolutely nothing. The color is pale orange, kinda like pineapple juice with cloud and no pulp.

The smell is straight up pineapple with a little orange and even fainter lime, thankfully.

So it tastes like pineapple orange juice with a hint of lime. That's it. Show's over, folks. If there's a base beer it is inundated by the citrus. Mildly tart, slightly sweet, and the lime is blessedly restrained.

It feels fairly thick and barely carbonated. Syrupy sweetness residual.

Ok...I am not a lime fan and I have had several beers where it is obnoxious. This isn't one of those, but I am struggling to even barely call this a beer. I like it in terms of flavor, but I might toss a few ice cubes in those thing. It's not in the data base with other iterations, do I guess I will add it. I can give it kudos for being an enjoyable beverage, but low marks for being a beer.