BREWED BY:
2Toms Brewing Company
Fort Wayne, Indiana
STYLE: Kettle Sour
ABV: 6.5%
4.4 / 5.0
Look: 4.75 | Smell: 4.0 | Taste: 4.5 | Overall: 4.7
Hey, fellow beer drinkers! It’s been awhile!
For those faithful enough to keep up with this series, you’ve probably been asking yourself “where are all the brew reviews?” Well, in short, I’ve been busy. Like crazy busy. I started a new career as a bartender, took on a few new hobbies, and dedicate most of my free time at home just relaxing and enjoying Aly and Rosie’s company.
I’ll have more to say about what I’ve been up to in a future post. But for now, I’m making y’all a promise that these will become a more regular feature here at Beard + Bloom. I also have a new ideas that I’ve been kicking around to better feature Fort Wayne and the surrounding area’s ever-growing brewery scene. For now, sit tight, grab a beer, crack it open, and enjoy.
About the Brewery
I met Tom Carpenter, owner and brewer of 2Toms Brewing, through Fort Wayne’s local beer group, The Pour Misfits. Tom would frequently offer bottles of his home brews in exchange for simple, honest feedback. It wasn’t long before I had my hands on one of his homebrews and, like everyone else who had the privilege to try his beer, was blown away by the quality, presentation, and attention to detail with his beers. I could tell immediately that this guy knew what he was doing, and that he was driven by a passion for beer.
After many demands from fellow Misfits, 2Toms Brewing Company opened their doors in late July of last year. They were an immediate success with their diverse opening day portfolio, unique decor, and a huge backing of Barrel Society memberships (you can read about the Barrel Society benefits here.) Fort Wayne finally had another brewery, and this one was doing something remarkably different.
There is plenty more to say about 2Tom,s but I’m saving all of that for a future post and launch of a brand new Beard + Bloom series. Check back soon and often!
Onto the beer…
Look
Ali’i pours a light pink color before becoming bright red once it has a chance to settle in the glass. It has the smallest of a white foamy head and looks absolutely stunning when poured into a 2Toms branded 18oz snifter.
In another age of beer, we could separate our beers into light and dark. Ali’i bucks the old school dichotomy and brings a new spectrum of beer hues. When I’ve had this beer with friends and family who don’t realize that beer can be bright red, I often get puzzled looks, followed by, “is that really beer?!”
Tom gave me a homebrewed bottle of his initial batch of Ali’i during the summer of 2017. Rather than drink it by myself, I decided to bring it to a family function and share it with my parents and siblings. When first poured, there was an audible silence that swept over the room as they watched the beer I poured turning a deep red in the glass. I think my brother put it best when he calmly stated, “it looks like Kool-Aid.”
Ali’i will surely turn a few heads with its extremely unusual appearance, to say the least.
Side Note: Before moving on, I wanted to take a moment to talk about the can art. In future entries of this series, I’m going to more actively make it a point to factor in bottle or can art when assessing the “look” of the brew.
Only just recently has 2Toms started canning. The artwork to Ali’i conjures images of Hawaii with its large hibiscus flower and subtle tribal patterns in the background of the can. But what makes the 2Tom can art so special is the brief description provided by the brewer and owner, Tom Carpenter:
Tart kettle sour ale brewed with hibiscus, guava, and a unique wild string of Saccharomyces. The deep red color is achieved through the organic hibiscus flower added in our secondary process. Kona, Hawaii feels like a second home to me and I wanted to brew a beer that captured both the passion and wild spirit of the island. The name Ali’i is also taken from the Drive that is the backdrop of the world’s best finish line.
Taken from the Ali’i can. Pictured above.
I love that this simple inclusion of text shares the inspiration, origin of the name, and the brewing process. As a long-time beer drinker, I felt an instant connection to the brewery the moment I read this text on the can.
Smell
Ali’i smells slightly tart with subtle notes of hibiscus flowers. In some sours, there is a noticeable funk on the nose that gives you a preview of its sharp, tart flavor. Ali’i is exceptionally more subtle. One waft and you can tell that it will be slightly tart and a little fruity. But the inclusion of hibiscus here makes its nose floral, crisp, and refreshing.
Taste
Ali’i hits with a mix of cranberry, pomegranate, lemon, and rich berry sweetness brought on by the inclusion of hibiscus flowers in the brew. Those that enjoy hibiscus tea will immediately recognize the flavor and also struggle to land on one fruit that perfectly describes what it is they’re experiencing. It’s tart. It’s refreshing. It’s a very rich fruit cocktail flavor.
Once the hibiscus settles, Ali’i puts guava fruit on the center stage. There are notes of strawberry and pear before a quick, tart, sour finish envelopes the palate. The finish has just the right amount of subtle salt that allows you to taste more of the hidden aspects of the yeast, fruit, and floral adjuncts used to make this brew.
Long after the beer was finished, I kept picking up on new flavors, such as pineapple and even mango as the tart intensity faded from my palate. While not used in the brewing recipe, I think my brain only started detecting these flavors on account of Ali’i being a decidedly tropical excursion.
So how sour is it? This is a very fair question. When I recommend sours to my friends, this is often the first thing they want to know. I usually use a three-point scale: mildly tart but still refreshing, intensely sour but may require a glass of water with it, and this is melting the enamel off of my teeth. Ali’i is definitely on the first tier of sour. It is very approachable and would be a perfect brew to quench your thirst on a hot summer day.
Overall
Ali’i is sure to dazzle anyone who expects it to pour like other kettle sours. Its bright red color and incredibly attractive appearance sets it far apart from many of the other fruit sours on the shelf today.
As the can suggests, 2Toms set out to make a brew “that captured the passion and wild spirit” of Kona, Hawaii, and Ali’i successfully achieves that in its taste. There are very few brews I’ve had that truly taste as tropical as this one, and I honestly cannot wait to stock my fridge full of this excellent beer during the warmer months.
Ali’i is a great introduction to those that are wanting to get into the sour beer market. It is tart, refreshing, and complex, and is incredibly affordable, at $14 per four-pack. For those seasoned sour beer drinkers, you will find that Ali’i is a delicious brew that will please even those that have slayed their great white sour whales.
I highly recommend this one.
Cheers!
-J