Nice Slice Session Ale with Watermelon Flavor
 

Review Date 10/15/2021  By John Staradumsky

  Style: Fruit Beer   Brewery: Southern Tier   Country: USA   State: New York   $ Per OZ: $.17 (B)   ABV: 5%

The calendar may say pumpkins, but the thermometer still says watermelons. Howdy folks! It is 83 degrees and very pleasant in the shade at the Avery Road Beer Garden as I type, and I am enjoying a very juicy Nice Slice, a “Session Ale with Watermelon Flavor” as Southern Tier Brewing of Lakewood, New York describes it. It’s nice break from the many Oktoberfest and pumpkin beers I have been drinking, and a refreshing one, too.

Watermelon Ales are underrated and underrepresented, but I have always enjoyed them in the warm weather. The original for me, the first I ever tasted, was Coddington Watermelon Ale from Rhode Island’s Coddington brewpub. 21^st Amendment does a tasty Hell or High Watermelon Ale, but truth be told I have not seen a lot more in this space. Southern Tier Nice Slice, then, is quite welcome.

My six pack carrier says:

Roll-up and drop into sweet notes of lush fruit with Nice Slice! Natural watermelon flavors balance with wheat and subtle caramel malt to land a perfect summery sesh. Grab ahold and ride into the sunset.

I didn’t buy a six-pack of this beer, in fact I didn’t buy it at all. My daughter gave me a few cans along with the six-package. I don’t know what she paid mind you, but I can say that Total Wine has it listed for $12.49 a six-pack. That’s not a nice price for Nice Slice.

Southern Tier Nice Slice has an alcohol content of 5% by volume with 10 IBUs. Not sure I agree with calling a 5% ABV beer a "session ale", but hey. My can and six-pack carrier are stamped as BEST BY 10/01/21, and I drank a can just after that on October 14^th. When I removed the shrink wrap label from my can, I got a surprise: the can underneath was Victory Twisted Monkey. Victory and Southern Tier really have merged it seems.

Southern Tier Nice Slice pours to a brilliant orange color with a thick creamy white head of foam and a soft sweet nose of juicy watermelon. Taking a sip, the beer is all about the fruit, it really does pop with juicy watermelon flavor, including the juice that dribbles down your chin. OK, my beer didn’t dribble down my chin, but I did get the mental impression of eating a slice of watermelon. There is some malt underneath to support, and the beer finishes balanced and refreshing.

A delicious warm weather brew that I would certainly buy again.

Glad I tried it?  T