Pikes Beer Co continues to maintain a steady speed with its limited release program, with this Mandarin Berliner Weisse the third beer to appear on the shelves complete with scaly fish label design. It's the Clare Valley brewery's first kettle sour, to which estate grown mandarin peel was added to the beer throughout the brewing process.
It's a 3.5 percent ABV refresher with the warm weather of a South Australian summer in mind. Super light yellow in colour, the mandarin sings loudly throughout, from first appearances to the flavours and after-twang. The mandarin aromas are authentic, leeching huge pithy, juicy aromas from the fruit; upon first sip you could be fooled into thinking you were actually eating a mandarin, the only difference being a touch of sourness and, well, the fact it's liquid in a glass. The mouthfeel is light to medium, making this a Mandarin Berliner Weisse that's good for a session but still oozing with fruity vibes.
Matt King
Published January 11, 2019 2019-01-11 00:00:00
