It’s a long, hot summer’s day. You arrive home, open the front door, step inside… and straight away your nose tells you someone in the house has bought mangoes. You walk into the kitchen and, sure enough, there’s a tray of big, juicy mangoes, ripening on the kitchen bench. Some are still green. Some are rosy and soft and ready to eat. All will be eaten before the week is out.
This is the experience Wayward’s Mango Mosaic Magic brought to mind for me. To look at in the glass, it has the warm orange glow of a Kensington Pride. On the nose, it has the rich sweetness of a Honey Gold, and the fresh smell of sap crystallising on a green mango. At first sip, it’s as exciting as finding an R2E2 as big as your head.
Since this beer has such clear mango character, it might be hard to believe only half of this beer was soured and had mango added; the other half was fermented clean and dry-hopped with Mosaic. But the Mosaic doesn’t demand you discern its distinct flavour; it’s happy to simply ride the gentle sourness and boost the tropical vibes of the mango, enhancing these notes rather than distracting from them. When you reach the bottom of the glass, it’s the mango that stays with you.
Another great thing from this beer? Mango burp. Sorry if that grosses you out - don’t hate the player, hate the game.
Mick Wust
Published February 15, 2020 2020-02-15 00:00:00
