If you ever want a top-shelf pilsner, you can always count on 2 Halfs. Founder and head brewer Kirk Bozinovski has been brewing for 30-plus years and great Euro lagers are his lifeblood. His latest edition is simply named Pils – no fancy names or frills here – and delivers exactly that: a lovely, crisp German drop that goes down easy.
In the glass, it’s bright straw and crystal clear, with a nose of subtle citrus and cracker. On the tongue, it’s light and lithe, buoyed by a sweet bready maltiness and moreish spice and fruit notes from the Hersbrucker hops. Tasty.
If Pils is a suave, sophisticated European, Comet IPA is the opposite: a big, boisterous American that walks into the bar like it owns it. Orange and opaque in appearance, it takes its name from its main ingredient – an older, often overlooked US hop – which comes out swinging with its friends Citra and Vic Secret to land huge hits of grapefruit, tropical citrus and deep dank. Paired with a potent ABV and a brash bitterness, this one is no wallflower.
No baguettes were hurt in the making of the Raspberry Baguette fruited wheat ale but plenty of raspberries were. Pouring pink-orange and cloudy, they’re the star of the show here, impressing a sweet, jammy tartness over a grainy malt base and a full, well-carbed mouthfeel.
Closing the show with a bang, Kirk’s Vista NEIPA packs more hops than the Easter bunny. Hazy and apricot in appearance, this beer smells and tastes like dunking your head into a big bowl of fruit salad. With heavy doses of Citra, Mandarina Bavaria and Vista hops, there’s a flood of juicy citrus, melon and over-ripe stone fruit at play, but it softens nicely on the finish with chewy apricot and tangerine. Let the fruit fight begin. Hasta la Vista, baby!
Jason Treuen
Published March 23, 2024 2024-03-23 00:00:00
