Mango Flossi Kettle Sour by Barebottle Brewing Company

11 IBU's 5% ABV
Beer Advocate - 4.2/5 (2 votes
Untappd - 4.11/5

28B. Mixed-Fermentation Sour Beer

American Wild Ales are beers that are introduced to "wild" yeast or bacteria, such as Brettanomyces, Pediococcus, or Lactobacillus. This introduction may occur from oak barrels that have been previously inoculated, pitching into the beer, or gained from various "sour mash" techniques. Regardless of the method, these yeast and/or bacteria leave a mark that should be noticeable to strong, and often contribute a sour and/or funky, wild note. Mixed-fermentation examples will display a range of aromatics, rather than a single dominant character.

Shipment from Tavour - Hails from San Francisco, California

There is something about a nice kettle sour on a hot summer day that really just drives you into relaxation mode. When shopping from the beers Tavour had to offer, I couldn't pass up on the mango sour. Mango's are my favorite tropical fruit and the fact Barebottle made it into a sour is amazing. I mean, it's almost as awesome as finding a raspberry sour! Just so you are aware, I never, ever pass up a raspberry sour. All right, sliding back on topic... on to the scores!

Aroma: Imagine opening up a package of dried mango's for the first time. That is what the Mango Flossi smells like... with a hint of vanilla in the back.  8.5

Appearance: A nice hazy, golden straw reminiscent of the actually flesh of the mango. Has a quickly evaporating white head with little to no lacing. Typical of a sour.   8

Flavor: A pop of sour at the front, lightly hopped and no bitterness. Smooths out to a slightly sweet (probably from the lactose) mango bonanza with hints of vanilla noticeable on the back of the tongue. Stellar.  9

Mouthfeel: Crisp, light and dry, perfect for a sunny evening on the porch. Or relaxing in some shade in the backyard if you prefer.  8.75

Overall: Barebottle did a nice job with this refreshing brew... and they even provided the recipe right there on can (not bottle, it's a little confusing) for all you homebrewer's out there. The Mango Flossi has great flavor and is quite refreshing and I would recommend it to all sour lovers. If you are new to sours, this is the perfect gateway sour to start with before going on to other styles.    8.5

Matt's mark: 4.28/5

Pseudo Sue Pale Ale from Toppling Goliath Brewing Co.

6.8% ABV 50 IBU's
Beer Advocate score - 4.51/5
Untappd score 4.18/5

18B. American Pale Ale

A pale, refreshing and hoppy ale, yet with sufficient supporting malt to make the beer balanced and drinkable. The clean hop presence can reflect classic or modern American or New World hop varieties with a wide range of characteristics. An average-strength hop-forward pale American craft beer, generally balanced to be more accessible than modern American IPAs.

Shipment from Tavour - Hails from Decorah, Iowa

Tavour was offering a lot of IPA's and Stout's... I mean a lot. So when they offered a plain ol' Pale Ale, I jumped at the chance to pick it up. Don't get me wrong, I like IPA's and Stouts (as evidenced from previous posts), but I needed to expand my horizons for my beer reviews. And this one has a dinosaur on the can! How cool is that! On to the review!

Aroma: Forward hoppy-ness aromas consisting mainly of the citrus varieties. Mostly mango... yep, smells like a mango kart. 7.8

Appearance: For a "Pale Ale", it's not very pale. More of a dark golden to a light copper color. Add a dash more tint to it, you could confuse with an amber. It's a hazy brew with a 1/2 inch white head.  7

Flavor: Mild citrus bitterness at the forefront (can tell they used my favorite hop, Citra). The flavor constists mostly of mango. Kinda tastes like a cross between a hazy IPA and a pale ale. Decent malt backbone balances it out.  8

Mouthfeel: Smooth and not as dry as an IPA, more like a pale ale...which it is marketed as. Crushable and refreshing.   7.8

Overall: Toppling Goliath has a good brew here. The overall score may not reflect how much I actually enjoyed it. I think if they marketed as a hazy IPA, the score would probably be a few points higher resembling more the Untappd score. Definitely a crushable brew on a Sunday afternoon. I should mention the Beer Advocate score is much higher than it should be... some knucklehead rated it 4.98! I am thinking some bias was added to that one.  7.7

Matt's mark: 3.83/5

Pipeworks Brewing Pistachio Jones Dog Milk Stout

Brewed with Cacao nibs, lactose, vanilla beans and natural pistachio flavor

8.5% ABV
Beer Advocate score - 4.25/5
Untappd score 4.06/5

16A. Sweet Stout

A very dark, sweet, full-bodied, slightly roasty ale that can suggest coffee-and-cream, or sweetened espresso.

Shipment from Tavour - Hails from Chicago, Illinois

I love pistachios. I also love ice cream. If you put them together, that's a no brainer! Then cacao nibs and vanilla beans are added? It's heaven... I must be in heaven. On to the review!

Aroma: A sweet biscuit aroma with layers of chocolate, vanilla and a nutty undertone. Instant salivating occurred.  9

Appearance: It's a very dark beer a thick latté head. As the head dissipates, it leaves decent lacing behind. 8

Flavor: A dessert for sure! Chocolate creaminess. Tastes like a malt chocolate ball with a pinch of pistachios added in. It's a sweet beer but not cloyingly so.  9.2

Mouthfeel: Heavy, creamy but smooth. The carbonation is the right level.  8

Overall: I had a feeling this was going to be delicious as soon as I saw Tavour offering it. Yet another brew I am bummed I did not grab two. I erroneously decided to drink this guy right before dinner. Yeah, I couldn't eat dinner for an hour afterwards. It's definitely a dessert beer so plan your drinking and eating times appropriately. 8.5

Matt's mark: 4.27/5

The Elk Prince Triple IPA by Anchorage Brewing Company

10.4% ABV
Beer Advocate score - 4.14/5
Untappd score 4.24/5

22A. Double IPA (Triple is in same category)

An intensely hoppy, fairly strong pale ale without the big, rich, complex maltiness and residual sweetness and body of an American barleywine. Strongly hopped, but clean, dry, and lacking harshness. Drinkability is an important characteristic; this should not be a heavy, sipping beer.

Shipment from Tavour - Hails from Anchorage, Alaska

I chose this one from Tavour 'cause of the name of the beer. I mean, seriously, The Elk Prince is just a cool name. It definitely impresses upon you that it is bad ass and decadent at the same time. And the artwork on the can is amazing. I tried to capture the beautiful artwork but I don't think I did it any justice. Oh well, you win some and you lose some...but I don't consider it a loss 'cause beer! On to the review!

Aroma: I noticed pineapple, mango and delicious hops that made the citrus fruits pop. While it is mostly citrus, a little resin on the back end balanced it out.  9

Appearance: Pours out a light orange color which is topped with a thick, pillowy white head. It's hazy, like watered down orange juice with no pulp.  8.8

Flavor: Interesting. Not overly sweet or bitter. I guess that means well balanced. The resin hits first but mainly a citrus profile. Has decent biscuit malt profile throughout. Super crushable despite the high ABV.   9

Mouthfeel: Dry and smooth. Very refreshing and not as heavy as other high ABV beers are. Not as much carbonation as a Brut IPA but close. 8.7

Overall: So, yeah, Anchorage Brewing definitely knows what they are doing. This beer has everything I look for in a high ABV beer during the summertime. Refreshing citrus flavors that are well balanced with the bitterness of the hops... which makes it super crushable. It left me wishing I had another when I got to the bottom of my glass. Probably the best IPA I've ever had. No joke.  8.8

Matt's mark: 4.43/5

El Jefe Imperial Stout by 4 Noses Brewing

Brewed with Coffee and Cinnamon

7.4% ABV 20 IBU's
Beer Advocate score - 3.85/5
Untappd score 4.03/5

20C. Imperial Stout

An intensely-flavored, big, dark ale with a wide range of flavor balances and regional interpretations. Roasty-burnt malt with deep dark or dried fruit flavors, and a warming, bittersweet finish. Despite the intense flavors, the components need to meld together to create a complex, harmonious beer, not a hot mess.

Shipment from Tavour - Hails from Broomfield, Colorado

My first beer review from my Tavour shipment! I had to go a different route to find some breweries and brewski's that I hadn't had before. Then I was talking to friend and he started talking about Tavour, which is a beer club membership that you only pay for what you want (of course, you can only choose from what is being offered...of which there are plenty of offerings everyday and new ones being added constantly). And wouldn't you know it? I am starting off with an Imperial Stout. I know, it's a total surprise right? On to the review!

Aroma: Notes of coffee and cinnamon. Not shocking as it was stated on the can for all to see. Not much of a roast aroma detected but it is there. 7

Appearance: A dark beer with reddish hues. Has a decent tan head with nice lacing. Looks like a stout.  7.7

Flavor: Mostly a dose of cinnamon up front with a little bit of roast coming through to give it a little complexity. Gives way to a decent coffee bitterness on the back end. Notes of chocolate were detected at various points.  8.2

Mouthfeel: It feels light bodied for an imperial stout. Smooth and low to medium carbonation.   8

Overall: For an Imperial Stout, I would have liked a little more of the roast flavor coming through. Maybe toning it down on the cinnamon would help that out. Overall though, El Jefe is a nice dark beer that is flavorful. It is unusually light for an imperial which makes it more sessionable...which was serendipitous since the shipment came with two of these bad boys. All in all, It was a solid brew that I definitely wouldn't pass up if offered again. 7.7

Matt's mark: 3.86/5