Coolship Mango
Elgood and Sons Ltd

 

They had me at coolship, plus like to try new breweries. Problem is the mango is so artificial smelling and tasting, with very little complexity beyond it. Some very, very light funk, peach and orange with it. That being said drinks extremely easily, and for a hot day would work fine, though a little syrupy. Less carbonation would help too.

 

Aside from its mild off-taste, Coolship Sour Mango is an interesting beer.
If the brewer were to take away the off-mango flavoring, I'd bet the base ale is good.
What I like about Coolship is the tart is controlled... kept in its place.
The result of this control is that it paired OK with two very divergent foods: spinach fried in garlic; and sweet potato fries.

My first from Elgood, I had to go on their website. I get this history lesson of a 200 year old firm now run by the fifth generation of its founders and, now, establishing distribution on the continent and, obviously for me to get it, in the New World. I wish them well and might even try to visit one of their tied houses if we get to Cambridge next year. Elgood claims this to be "A true sour English ale." But, I cannot remember having another English ale that was even remotely wild. Maybe that sensibility makes me wonder what this Coolship is like without the mango.

 

 

 

 

Thanks goes out to Bitterbill for this brew.

11.2 oz. Bottle

Poured into a Trillium glass a pretty nice clean/clear copper color, pretty nice carbonation, with a pretty nice thick/creamy one-finger off-white head, which leaves some sticky lacing behind. The nose is malty, yeasty, with a nice citrus complex (tangerine, mango, peach, apricot), tangy/sour. The taste is pretty nice, malty, yeasty, with a pretty nice citrus complex (tangerine, mango, peach, apricot), nice little tangy/sour. Medium body, ABV is hidden very nicely. Overall, this one surprised me, pretty tasty. Thanks Bill!

i have never had a beer from these guys before. in fact, i had never even heard of them until this one a coolship beer always interests me, and this sure had a unique flavor, unlike anything else i can immediately recall. however, we didnt love it for a couple of reasons. it has a male cologne element to it, almost fakey with the mango and the wild aspects together, not sweet and not candy-like, but somehow insanely fragrant and aromatic and kind of forced, although i guess the mango actually smells and tastes like mango, its just way too forward in the blend to let the base beer appear as a wild ale, at least for me. i also think its a bit flat for what it is, this should sing and dance on the palate, and it seems heavy because it doesnt. i do like the wood element to it, i like the mature funk, and how unique the yeast profile is, clearly not a conventionally cultured brett here. i also like the layers, black pepper, fresh mango essence, pine, lambic maturity, and faint iodine and minerals. its complex but its musky and heavily aromatic to a fault. sort of oddly heavy for tropical flavors to me, and although i drink my half of the bottle happily and enjoy its originality, i think i would rather have this without any fruit in it so i could appreciate the base a little more. interesting enough though that i will be on the lookout for more elgood beers...

 

This pours a clear colour of brass, small subsiding head of foam leaving some lacing behind.

Smells like ground up pits of peaches and mangoes. Lovely aromas with a mild tartness to it.

The taste lives up to the smell. Light fresh fruit tartness from peaches and mangoes. Long lingering aftertaste.

Light bodied with medium carbonation. Very enjoyable!