Tropical Sunrise
Funky Buddha Brewery

Received this in the 2022 Extreme Beer Box, stored in the beer fridge since arrival about a year ago. I held off on drinking this due to the generally negative reviews and I'M GLAD I DID!!!

This was definitely an interesting beer. At the time, a lot of reviewers mentioned an overwhelming tequila quality from the barrel aging. I didn't get that at all. The label just says "Aged in oak barrels..." and I'd completely forgotten about the tequila.

A lot of the sediment had dropped to the bottom of the bottle and I poured it rather slowly. Ultimately, it had a slightly hazy, unfiltered dark orange appearance. Definitely not the murky brown that was captured in the "event" forum. I got some oak and vanilla in the aroma, but it was dominated by the orange. There was a slight spiciness that may have been the tequila, but it was pretty muted. The taste was tart/sour upfront, definitely got some of that pomegranate, with a decent amount of alcohol heat. The mid-palate is where the oak and vanilla really came through, accompanied by a subtle sweetness. The sourness was still there but seemed to be balanced out as the secondary flavors emerged. The finish was pretty clean, as there weren't any flavors that lingered. The body had some heft to it, but wasn't particularly thick or full. It was much easier to drink than I'd anticipated.

Overall, I enjoyed this quite a bit. It seems like the extended time in the bottle really toned down the unpleasant qualities. I wouldn't put this in my regular rotation, but I'm definitely glad I got to try it.

 

A: Pours a somewhat murky + opaque medium to dark mahogany brown in color with light amounts of active visible carbonation rising along the edges of the glass, moderate to heavy amounts of fine to moderate sized light particles in suspension, and moderate ruby red + garnet red + amber + dark golden yellow colored highlights. The beer has a two finger tall sudsy foamy tan head that quickly reduces to a medium sized patch of mottled thin film covering approximately 30% of the surface of the beer and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Minimal amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate to strong aromas of tequila as well as moderate aromas of oak + vanilla from the barrel aging. Slightly stronger than moderate aromas of overripe pomegranate + citrus/orange + citrus/orange rind. Light aromas of toasted malts with corn adjuncts and a moderate amount of agave sweetness.

T: Upfront there are light to moderate flavors of toasted malts with corn adjuncts and a moderate amount of agave sweetness. That is followed by slightly stronger than moderate flavors of overripe pomegranate + citrus/orange (like the slightly sour Donald Duck OJ that comes in the little cans) + citrus/orange rind. Finally there are strong flavors of tequila and moderate flavors of vanilla + oak. Moderate amount of alcohol booziness that lingers through the finish and a moderate amount of fruity tartness.

M: Slightly heavier than medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Slightly dry in the finish.

O: Not the easiest beer to drink and more of a slow sipper with the heavy tequila flavors/aromas and the booziness. Reminds me more of a cocktail than a beer and I would never have guessed the base beer as an Imperial Cream Ale. Probably my least favorite beer from the Extreme Beer Box but not bad.

 

A light brown, mahogany body with a coarse tan head that quickly resolves into a persistent ring, lots of floating things. Weird aroma: tequila & bell pepper. Sweet with flavors of caramel, tequila, vanilla, agave & plenty of alcohol. Smooth & thick, with enough alcohol to entertain the tongue. I don’t know why there are so many negative reviews. I liked it, perhaps because of the sweetness & high alcohol content. Different but good.

 

 

Extreme Beer selection shared by 6 members of brew club. This beer looked beautiful on the pour but once you put the beer to the nose everything goes south, expected nice and fruity, got pungent smell of rotten fruit. Seems like all of the fruit additions were chemically produced and took away from what could've been an awesome beer.

#114, weird Taste but worth trying

Appearance: Looks like a pumpkin ale and, after a brief bubble show, builds a one finger head; a few squiggles of lacing linger

Smell: Vanilla cream, pomegranate juice and orange rind along with a whiff of the Tequila barrel

Taste: Vanilla cream underpins the pomegranate and orange rind flavors with the fruit being moderately tart; through the mid-palate, the Tequila barrel brings an Agave flavor that adds a mocktail element to the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: I often find myself on the under with some of the pastry stouts that are beloved but, with this beer, I am in the over, and substantially so; I think Funky Buddha achieved what they set out to brew here and it works for me as it brings some sweetness and bitterness along with the Tequila flavors

Jackie is excited about it (after smelling it she was nervous)
Things I heard:
smells bad, looks bad
smells rotten
tastes like honey
too fresh not ripe yet vegetables
what yeast did they use????
there was a serious debate about whether or not it tasted better than beet greens
paint (a 5 gallon bucket that you found in the garage)

 

 

 

This was undrinkable. Opaque brown pour with a brown tinted brown head, no way would I ever guess it was a cream ale, hideous. Smells of gasoline with orange vodka and tequila rubbing alcohol, something spicy but not agave that is an off note. Taste actually has the sour fruit as promised, but is run over by the blazing hot tequila, has a mouthwash afterburn. Feel doesn't exist outside of hot booze, just awful. Drain pour. Might be the worst craft beer I have ever had, not sure how this passed quality control

Extreme Beer Box beer #2, courtesty of Lord Random Number Generator. Poured into a pint glass.

Look - It's ugly. There are no two ways about it. It reminded me of apple cider mixed with dirt. It had a small white-brown head with some lacing. Hey, looks aren't everything, right?

Smell - It's barrel. Heavy tequila barrel a sign of things to come, perhaps? It was hard for me to figure out what else might have been there. Bad nose.

Taste - Well, it's weird and fitting of the extreme title, then. It's basically a tequila cocktail. The tequila flavor predominates, but it's a confusing mix of things after that. The orange and the pomegranate are there... and I kind of like it? It leaves you with a weird undercurrent of mustiness, vinegar, or something, some dark and woody notes from the barrel.

Mouthfeel - A bit syrupy but overall mid and thinner on the carbonation.

Overall, this was a weird one and certainly extreme. I like sour flavors and love pomegranates, so I didn't hate this, but it was a strange and confusing one. Not sure the flavors meshed together well enough. I like the comparison someone made to a cheap, plastic ashtray.

Weirdly tasty, would definitely drink again

Very attractive clear copper body - IF you don't allow the significant chunky floaties into the glass. Decant carefully; the sight of those floaties alone triggered my gag reflex. Head production is poor. Rating based on decanting.

This beer smells all wrong. It's clear that it's aged in tequila barrels, but only because nothing else makes any sense. Instead of pomegranate and orange, it smells like green peppers and poblanos soaked in gasoline - harsh and vegetal in all the wrong ways.

Much better on the palate - at first. It's sweet and smooth, albeit boozy, and I get both the pomegranate and orange. All that changes once the tequila hits. It's overpowering and awkward. It's not a beer I care to finish, quite honestly; not without any redeeming qualities, but bad enough that I don't see the need to punish my liver and my taste buds.

Drinks a bit hot, but considering the ABV and barrel aging, it's got a very nice mouthfeel and drinkability overall. That certainly can't redeem the remaining qualities of the beer, however. A rare miss for Funky Buddha, but it certainly qualifies as extreme.