Mismatch are coming in hot and heavy, releasing another small batch beer on the back of a strong showing at the 2021 Australian International Beer Awards, which included a trophy for their Lager. This is a rather different beast to that award-winner, however, with the booze content in double figures – as with their Triple Crush – and also steers a rather altered course from their previous hop-focused heavyweights. Berry Pie is an imperial kettle sour brewed with a mixed berry purée, lactose and Sabro hops. The result is a big, dessert style sour housed in an equally big 500ml can.
There's no doubt the berry component takes centre stage, domineering the olfactory system and enticing you in for a sip – even on the first sniff the mouth starts to quiver a little, anticipating the berry tartness that follows. The deep, dark red body is thick, syrupy, cordial like, almost as if it could be used as a dessert sauce, perhaps paired with white chocolate cheesecake. The berry count is through the roof, with oodles of cherries, raspberry, blueberry and blackberry flavours combining with a sizeable tartness.
What milkiness there is plays in the background to help tie everything together while, even after the beer is long gone from the glass, the berry stickiness clings to the lips for you to return to later.
Matt King
Published May 24, 2021 2021-05-24 00:00:00
