Short’s Strawberry Short’s Cake

Short’s is being distributed to Philadelphia, so I get to try some of their beers now. I’ve had a few so far and they have some nice offerings. This one used strawberries, so I got it for Val and she let me have a taste of it.

ABV: 5%

Style: Fruit/Vegetable Beer

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Strawberry Short’s Cake is a Golden Ale brewed with the addition of strawberries and milk sugar. The flavors of shortcake and fresh strawberries transform this beer into rose-colored party nectar that is pleasingly sweet with hints of cream. Biscuit flavors and aromas arise from the use of large amounts of Victory malt.”

Random: We bought a heating pad and I have been using it on my back all day. It is glorious.

The beer poured with a half a finger of pure white head. It dissipated slowly and left some lacing on the glass. The body was slightly cloudy and amber-colored. It had generous carbonation that was visible. The nose had notes of strawberry jam along with a lactic acid note that reminded me of strawberry shortcake good humor bars. The taste started with something that reminded of a brown ale base, filled with nuttiness and roasted malts. Then, the strawberry flavor came out. In the taste, it was more like a strawberry cheesecake. It had a milk note as well, which made it creamy. The body was on the lighter side with moderate carbonation. It had a lengthy, jammy finish with strawberry. I paid $1.67 for this bottle, which came to $.14 per ounce. This was an interesting beer and I liked the utilization of the strawberry, but I don’t think I could have more than one of these.

Untappd Rating: 3.5/5.0

Short’s Huma Lupa Licious India Pale Ale

This was another beer that I picked up in Pennsylvania when Short’s started getting distribution. I find their labels interesting. I can’t figure out if I like them or not.

ABV: 7.7%

Style: American IPA

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Huma Lupa Licious’ name derives from the hop plant, Humulus lupulus. It is Short’s best-selling India Pale Ale. Huma Lupa Licious is brewed with five different hop varieties, providing a punch to the palate. Between the beer’s abundance of hops, and the type of hops used in its creation, it has a delicious bitter taste and enticing citrus aroma. The hearty malt bill melds well with the hops for a perfect balance. Huma Lupa Licious is the product of Joe Short wanting to create the ultimate IPA experience. Originally, Huma Lupa Licious was named Humulus Lupulus Maximus, and went through several recipe changes before settling on the recipe we know and love today.”

Random: This is another beer from their “Flagship Series.”

The beer poured with a one finger, pure white head that dissipated slowly and left very little lacing on the glass. The body was incredibly hazy and a light orange color. I couldn’t see any carbonation because of how cloudy it was. The nose had notes of lemon and super sweet malt. It was like a really sweet breakfast bread with caramel and honey. There was some hops to it, which manifested as old citrus. I am guessing I got an old bottle of this, because the hops were way too mellow given the description of this beer. The taste was also very sweet. It had a lot of grain, honey sweetness and toffee. There was this weird lemon taste that was almost like medicine that I didn’t like. Or maybe it was lemon verbena? Either way, it was really weird and unpleasant. It had a medium thick body with moderate carbonation. The finish was quick and sweet with honey. I got this for $1.71 for the single ($.14 per ounce). I didn’t like this beer, but I’ve chalked this up to being old. I would give it another shot if it was fresh.

Untappd Rating: 2.5/5.0

Short’s Soft Parade

One of the things that I hate the most about Fall now that I have a house is blowing all of the leaves. At least where I live, you can blow them into the street and you don’t have to bag them. Anyways, let’s get to the beer.

ABV: 7.5%

Style: Fruit/Vegetable Beer

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Soft Parade is a Fruit Rye Ale brewed with rye flakes and loaded with pureed strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. The rose colored ale has aromas of ripe strawberries and grain. With flavors of fresh berries and rye, Soft Parade finishes dry and eminently drinkable. Soft Parade was originally developed because Joe Short wanted to create a beer that incorporated a medley of berries, had a great color, and appealed to wine drinkers. The name Soft Parade stemmed from two moments in Joe Short’s life. First, because Joe worked as a brewer at the Traverse Brewing Company and The Doors album, The Soft Parade, played every day at the end of the brew shift. The second moment occurred when Joe was driving by himself, flipping through CD’s in his car, and came across The Soft Parade album again. At the time, The Soft Parade beer had not been named and it dawned on Joe that the medley of fruit infusing into the golden beer reminded him of a soft parade. That day the beer was named!”

Random: I love my battery operated mower. Not having to fill the mower with gas makes me ridiculously happy.

The beer poured with a half a finger of white head that dissipated quickly and left a tinge of lacing on the glass, along with a small crown. The body was pink and cloudy with only slight carbonation visible. The nose had tart blackberries, blueberry skin and strawberry soda. The taste had some more complexity than the nose. It had a rye spice to it with some peppercorns and then quickly went into berry skins and tart blackberries. The strawberry note wasn’t as apparent in the taste, which was disappointing, although in beers like this, it’s not surprising that the other berries overwhelmed it. The body was on the thicker side with light carbonation. It had a quick finish with the tart blackberries. This beer set me back $1.71, which broke down to $.14 per ounce. I liked this beer, although I don’t think that I could down more than one or two of them.

Untappd Rating: 3.5/5.0

Short’s Space Rock

A few months back, the Philly market got distribution of Short’s beers. I’ve only had one beer from them previously, so when I was in a package store in Pennsylvania, I picked up a few selections. This was one of them.

ABV: 5%

Style: American Pale Ale

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “Space Rock is a light bodied American Pale Ale with prominent floral and orange peel-like hop aromas. Only the slightest grainy malt qualities are detectable, as assertive bitter flavors of citrus rind and dandelion leaf take hold. The finish lingers with a waning bitterness that’s not overly dry. All Space Rock packaged on or after 8/1/2015 is proven to be gluten removed. Space Rock sold on tap may contain trace amounts of gluten from beer poured previously.”

Random: Living on the border of Jersey and Pennsylvania definitely has its perks, especially in terms of beer distribution.

The brew poured with a half a finger of white head that dissipated quickly and left no lacing on the glass. The body was a hazy, lemon yellow with moderate carbonation. On the nose, I picked up grass, lemon juice and then a touch of malty sweetness. The sweetness was like a banana bread without the banana. The taste was much more bitter. Up front, I picked up lemon pith and lemon cleaner. Then, the grass came through with a slightly musty note. The malt that was in the nose wasn’t in the taste, which was a letdown. It had a medium body with moderate carbonation. The finish was lengthy with lemon cleaner, which was another off-putting flavor. A bottle of this was $2.50 ($.21 per ounce), which was a bit expensive for what I considered to be a mediocre beer. I wouldn’t have this one again.

Untappd Rating: 3.5/5.0

Short’s The Magician

Lots has been going on which has precluded me from updating the blog. Work has been absolutely crazy. I guess people really want their expensive furniture in time for the holidays. But, for me it’s been a lot of fun. I really enjoy the people who I work with, which makes it even better. So, I’ve had this one sitting around for awhile. It was part of the stash that my parents brought back from Massachusetts awhile ago.

ABV: 6%

Style: Irish Red Ale

Trivia: According to the brewery website, “A lustrous dark red London ale with a rich malt combination that lends complex notes of toasted caramel, raisins, chocolate, and roasted toffee. Very light hop additions let the true malt characters promenade throughout the duration of this pleasurable experience.”

Random: I crack up every time I see the Geico commercial with the Slinky.

Anytime I get a beer that I know I can’t get in Jersey, I’m excited. So, when I saw that they brought a Short’s brew home for me, I was definitely down for it. The brew poured with less than half a finger of tan head. It lingered for awhile, but left no lacing on the glass. The body was a cloudy reddish-brown color with moderate carbonation. The nose was straight out odd. I got sour cherries with some vinegar and some hops. The taste had plums, currants and coffee and a touch of biscuit. After a few sips, some hops also came out. This was just very odd to me. The flavors just didn’t work for me. The body was silky and appropriate for the style. Carbonation was on the moderate side. The finish was long and fruity. This just wasn’t my cup of tea.

Untappd Rating: 3.0/5.0