29 Dec SpindleTap B52 Pocket Terps

SpindleTap B52 Pocket Terps

B52 X SpindleTap Collab

Houston, TX
Sour IPA
ABV: 8.9%
IBUs: ?
Packaging: Draft, 4 pack 16 ounce cans, delivered by Hop Drop

“I thought we were talkin’ about turtles.”

What’s a pocket terp, you ask?

WTF is a pocket turtle, we ask.

There’s so much in a name, and without this review, the story behind this beer might just end up like the ol’ tootsie pop commercial – the world may never know.

B52 and SpindleTap collaborated on a beer called Two Sheets back in May of 2018. It was a hazy DIPA with spelt & oats, peach, pineapple, chamomile flowers, jasmine pearl tea, and JJ and Garrison’s kitchen sink from the Texzas Pizza Truck. The gang over at B52 had the bright idea to save the last of the wort from this bad boy, age it in wine barrels, and make it funky.

Boom. Pocket Terps is born.

This background story has absolutely nothing to do with pockets, terps, or turtles for that matter, so what gives? The name actually came from a little inside joke. SpindleTap head brewer (and co-owner of Texzas) Garrison Mathis explained, “It stemmed from all of us walking around lights in the heights with a shit ton of beer in our jackets/pockets. I jokingly said I thought we were taking about turtles when we were talking about our “Pocket Terps.”

Now it all makes sense, right?

No?

Whatever. On to the beer.

The Pocket Terps cans feature a ton of gray in the background, and all that gray is accompanied by the crotch-region of a man pulling his pockets out of his pants. The pockets have a cute little illustrated turtle.

As I splashed it around for the photos, it poured a hazy, straw-colored gold that wasn’t quite fully opaque. There was an airy, foamy, chalk-white head that hung around for a while. (And I was just saying this week that I seldom see any sustain when it comes to sours – SMH.)

The nose on Pocket Terps was as understated as the inside joke from which it got it’s name. White wine, citrus, wood and green grapes all mingle together quietly. For those unaware, terpenoids are, “Sometimes called isoprenoids, are a large and diverse class of naturally occurring organic chemicals derived from terpenes.” If you’re not a chemist (I’m not either) terps are basically what give plants their smells, tastes, and sometimes color.

So Pocket Terps tastes like science, basically?

No.

It tastes like a funky, tropical, refreshing IPA that’s one part wine, one part beer. I wish this bad boy came out in the summer because I would’ve been crushing it down the Comal – I tell you hhhwhut! Each sip starts of bright and tangy with a bouquet of tropical and citrus flavors from the hops, like pleasantly tart oranges. The finish is tangy and drying, much like the white wine that helped bring it to life, and there’s a slight barnyard funkiness that lingers alongside the mild, earthy-hop bitterness. The tartness is short of the pucker-inducing, vinegar-like sours, and it’s actually pretty tame.

It’s kind of thin for a 6.9% ABV beer, but as a sour IPA, I’m not really all too worried about that. I wish the carbonation were a bit more lively, though. It’d go well with all the refreshing aromas and flavors.

Pocket Terps reminds me a bit of Dogfish Head SeaQuench Ale, but not in terms of flavor. It reminds me of that beer because it’s wildly creative, and once I knew all the stuff inside the can, it sounded like it may be a bit too much. But once that can hissed, and that first refreshing splash made its way to my taste buds, I was already wishing I had more in the fridge. What’s more is the fact that while it’s sour, and an IPA, two styles not generally thought of to be super approachable, I could see this being a great beer to hand to a wine drinker, much like SeaQuench.

If you want some B52 x SpindleTap Pocket Terps, you may be out of luck. Cans went quick, and they only had a blackberry variant on draft, which I’m willing to bet has blown already.

Wait!

You’re not actually out of luck! (Gotcha!) Hit up the homies at Hop Drop for delivery because they got a special stash of cans.. Use code “BEERCHRONICLE” for 10% off your beer delivery.