When we first happened across Short’s Key Lime Pie (read, searched like crazy to find it) two years ago we found ourselves on the receiving end of a beer that didn’t quite live up to our expectations.
We tried it not once, but twice, with the bottles coming from different six packs purchased on different occasions from different beer stores in Michigan. We even made it a point to refrigerate the second bottle from the point of purchase until consumption, as Short’s suggests.
Nevertheless, despite our best efforts to fall in love with this beer, we were left mildly heartbroken – like finding out that girl you had a crush on in 6th grade was using you for your phonics skills all along.
Our first go-round with Key Lime Pie, in September 2010, was less than impressive.
“I really, really wanted to like this beer. My hopes were high. It’d be a shame if somewhere along the line a lot of this went bad – but I suppose it’s a reason to try it again to see what happened. Otherwise, this beer was a bust.”
And when we gave it a shot a second time, we didn’t think it was much better.
“Everything was seemingly “on” with this one but nothing grabbed me. I did taste the emergence of the lime, the graham cracker rolling wave was still there but not as dramatic, I got some of the burnt-sugar characteristics of the marshmallow…I guess maybe I just don’t like key lime pie.”
So when I saw this on tap at a beer bar in Lansing, Michigan two months ago I thought – “what the hell, let’s give a shot.” I mean, it can’t be worse than what I had out of a bottle a few years ago, right?
Right.
Poured from a tap handle everything that was wrong with this beer was all of a sudden right. The flavors that weren’t quite there before were standing at attention.
The nose was full of fresh squeezed lime juice and a touch of crispy graham crackers.
The body was heavy, but not too heavy. It was creamy too.
The flavor – sweet, but not cloying.
And it was surprisingly refreshing.
Lime juice, creamy marshmallows and bread-y graham cracker flavors all blended together seamlessly – one no more overpowering than the other.
This, this is what I wanted Key Lime Pie to be.
Did the fact it was poured from a tap make a difference? Or had the recipe been tweaked since I last tried Key Lime Pie?
Who knows. And, frankly, I don’t care.
Because when Key Lime Pie tastes this good, all’s right with the world.