Save Your Fork, There's Pie-PA
Against The Grain Brewery

I had this as part of a flight in late October at Boombozz pizza. It tasted of wheat and Belgian-style spices. I'm not a fan of either wheat beers or Belgians.

 

Loosely based around an El Dorado hopped IPA, the firmly bittered beer has a wild and surly side with tart acidity and a distinctive fruity character that's right out of grandma's oven. Its rhubarb additions and natural strawberry character leaves the palate refreshed and satisfied. But instead of a fork, reach for a pint glass!

Hazy mauve with pinkish tethers, the largely still beer amounts only a fragile collar of foam that dissolves quickly, falling back into its murky and muddled veil. Fruity tartness enlivens the senses with the earth and fruit associated with berries, apple, lemon, lime and yes- rhubarb. While its taste is supple with sweetness, breadiness and grain; there's only enough malt support to prop up the sourness, hoppiness and fruitiness that unfolds on the middle palate.

With sweet maltiness relaxing quickly, the overtone of rhubarb takes front and center stage, but does so with the periperhy of acidic citrus fruit, tangy berries including blueberry, strawberry and raspberry, cidery apple and peps of rose grape and plum wine. While its bitter finish is sharp and distinctive with juniper, sassafras, lemon leaf and an exotic herbal bite, the finish is as tannic as it is bitter.

Tart and dry in its waning moments, the under-carbonated beer shows a somewhat flimsy body that it's moderate sourness can't quite justify. Fleeting fruit and malt leaves the tart and spicy character of apple skin, grape seed and balsa with peppery gin in aftertaste.