Our glass is always half full…

Mouthwatering aromas of tropical fruit, bright, citrusy hop character and a crisp, clean finish means Half Truth is the whole shebang when it comes to flavor. It says Truth on the can, so you can rest assured it’s crafted with the same level of quality and consistency as our flagship IPA—fresh, delicious, and full of hops. Read on to get the full scoop on the latest addition to the Truth squad!

Reviews are done by our Sensory Specialist Travis Houston, a Certified Cicerone and FoBAB judge.

Malts: Pilsner, Dextrin, Acidulated

Hops: Citra Lupomax, Strata, Dolcita, Centennial, Erebus

Tell us a little about Half Truth’s backstory.

Over the past 15 or so years, the abv of craft beer, especially IPA, has consistently crept higher, landing at a few percent above macro lagers on average. Truth, at 7.2%, is no exception. And while there’s definitely an occasion for beer at this strength, there are often times when less alcohol makes sense. Half Truth scratches the itch for a flavorful and hop-forward brew, but at a lower abv than the standard American craft IPA. 

How does Half Truth fit into the Truth family (Truth, Juicy Truth, Truth Bomb and Truthadelic)?

While they all share a name, I always try to emphasize that every beer in the Truth family is built on a fully unique recipe- Half Truth isn’t just Truth brewed at a lower abv. Instead, we picked a malt bill and hop profile that we feel lives up to the Truth family name and complements the lower alcohol level perfectly. 

Half Truth is an IPA, but sports a lower ABV than the rest of the Truth fam—what makes Half Truth stand out in the larger category of IPAs?

Over the past decade, hop producers have introduced a variety of product categories made entirely from new methods of processing hops. Half Truth uses Citra LupoMAX, a product made by extracting hop oils and adding them back to fresh hop pellets. This results in much less of the plant matter than standard hop pellets, leading to massive hop aroma and flavor that avoids the off-putting vegetal notes that usually come with heavy-handed additions of traditional hops. Using LupoMAX allows Half Truth to be bright and hoppy while staying light and nimble.

The phrase “half truth” can mean something like “white lie.” Do you think there are acceptable situations to be slightly untruthful in?

This feels like a question I’d have been asked in a former life- I have degrees in psychology and neuroscience. There’s a pretty big distinction there, where a white lie is usually harmless and told with good intentions, while a person may use a Half Truth with the goal of deception. For example, if a toddler asks if their drawing is good, you’ll say yes no matter what, because being honest in that situation is unnecessarily cruel. Whereas half truths frequently involve omitting facts, which I think makes it the perfect name for this IPA- we’ve omitted some of the alcohol. With all that said, even when the intentions are good, excessive use of white lies can lead to some future issues with honesty.

Appearance: Straw colored with great clarity and white foam.

Aroma: Notes of tangerine and passion fruit.

Taste: Crisp citrus and fresh topical hops, with medium bitterness with hints of dry, crackery malt.

Mouthfeel: Thin, crisp, and effervescent.

Overall: Hoppy tropical and citrus notes lead the aroma and flavor, with a crisp, refreshing finish that allows hops to linger mildly on the palate.

What foods would pair well with Half Truth? Half Truth would go great with sushi.

Ideal glassware for Half Truth? A shaker pint glass.