Pony Express
Dragoon Brewing Co.

 

 

I'm totally on the fence about this guy. The aroma has the bad ass Dragoon hop profile followed quickly by some very fruity and floral notes. The taste is overwhelmingly Brett and I think exactly what you'd expect from the description given by the brewer. My problem is that I think that unique brett really takes control and makes you only think about what this beer could be and what it once was. It's dank, it's full of mango and passion fruit (?) but also floral and funky. Overall, I love these guys and I want them to keep making some of the best beers in AZ and keep trying new, fun stuff like this. Pour was from a 4oz taster at Mother Bunch in Phoenix, AZ and just about all I could really handle from this unique AZ beer.

Poured from tap into a standard pint glass. Beautiful color, translucent golden amber, like fields of wheat in the July Kansas sun. Little head, fades fast, nearly no lace remains, just a thin bead around the meniscus.
The very first thing I thought of when I brought this pint to my nose was.. wait for it...
ketchup.
Very bizarre. My nose, perhaps. But also my palate, as the first, second and third tastes still remind me of ketchup. Acidic but not quite vinegary, a body and aroma that might be molasses and smoke.
Did I mention the gorgeous hazy golden color? It's quite seductive.
Several minutes into the pint, I still get the smoky and acid notes, but there's a bit of hoppiness and grain coming in. But the nose says ketchup.
Next is the faint scent of cat piss. I should know, I have two cats. Very mild. Not that cat piss is inherently evil, like Evil Twin Cats Piss IPA, but there's something like the smell of the litter box %^)
Oh, the color and presentation of this beer is just so nice.
Mouthfeel is pleasant, there's an even carbonation that adds a bit to the tartness.
Just tasted notes of citrus and especially grapefruit. The smoky molasses scent and flavor remain, though.
It's such a pretty pour. And I drank the entire pint. Slowly Would I recommend it to another beer aficionado? That would be tough. Does it color my opinion of Dragoon as the interstellar emperor of beer in Arizona? Not a bit.
Oh, and I do like sours.

Personally, I loved this, but you gotta love Brett. It's a crazy nose, mashing uber-tropical hops with some crazy compost-y Brett notes. Seriously, this is wild. On the palate, I think it's actually quite accessible, blending a more standard tropical pale/IPA profile with a bit of Brett farminess and perhaps the slightest touch of plasticky phenols. Really hope they make this one again.