BEER REVIEW: Pink Panthalope from KINGS COUNTY BREWERS COLLECTIVE

My search for the best beer in New York continues….

I don’t usually do impulse buys, but I was seduced by one of the ingredients in KCBC’s beer from this past summer. It was a triple collaboration with two British breweries: Anarchy and Hackney. The Pink Panthalope featured another playful cartoon on the can but the addition of pink peppercorn (my favorite ingredient) was the final selling point for me.

The can sat in my refrigerator a little bit longer than it probably should have but I cracked it open before the weather turned too cold.

This was a saison (not a sour) and had expected dry notes. It poured a unique clear pink (which doesn’t fully come through in the above photo) with some funky floral aromas on the nose.

After all that, I have to admit, I was a bit underwhelmed. My favorite flavor (pink peppercorn) got completely lost in the tart funkiness. It almost seemed like a gimmick addition so they could call this a “pink beer” of sorts. The main flavors were from the hibiscus and the saison yeast. There wasn’t much balance and I also couldn’t decipher any of the sweet or tropical notes associated with the other listed addition: passionfruit.

Maybe this is why I shouldn’t do impulse buys.

Is Kings County Brewers Collective’sPink Panthalope the best beer in NY? 5 out of 10 because the overly tart and funky notes were unbalanced and not fully to my taste. I’m also still upset I never got to decipher those wonderfully complex notes of pink peppercorn.