Mango Sorbet IPA
Banded Brewing Co.

I was very curious about this one because Banded tends to be slightly, err, behind-the-curve(?) in terms of adherence to "modern trendy beer" styles, and here they are making a milkshake-y IPA with mangos and Sabro hops. It just seemed unusual to me, so I figured I'd give it a shot to see how they do with it. For the record, I say this is "milkshake-y" because it doesn't have any lactose (they do claim it is vegan-friendly!). The ingredients also claim Simcoe hops and flaked oats, so I'm quite intrigued. The former seems like a hot-take (one I am excited for, actually) while the latter seems a bit par-for-the-course, but it's still good to know.

The pour here is an opaque orange-yellow beer with a solid, retentive head of eggshell-white foam that lingers for a little bit at three-to-four fingers, which is quite huge, but it does sink down to a quarter-finger or so after a few minutes. As it does, however, there is some nice lacing to be seen that gives this quite a solid appearance. There are some solid particles at the bottom of my glass that seem a little unsightly, but nothing too crazy. Overall, not bad looking.

First few sniffs give me the impression that this will be pretty good, honestly. as I get a cool combination of mango, coconut, and pine-y dankness with some notes of Meyer lemon and grapefruit in the background. Leafy and herbal hops with a consistently-intriguing character really bolster the nose here; turns out Sabro and Simcoe is a good combination, at least in here. Slight vanilla cream and a bit of woodiness with a grassy parting element that brings a little complexity. Very glad this seems to be avoiding the whole "wow it smells/tastes just like [insert fruit here]!" gimmick.

Yup, this is good, but it's not without its flaws. Extremely heavy body with tons of chalky yeastiness, but its heart is in the right place for sure. Simcoe is flexing hard here, throwing out a ton of herbal and pine-y, woody flavors that work well with the sweet, succulent tropical fruit. That said, it's still very dense and not exactly the easiest-drinking IPA I've ever had. I mean, it's under 7% ABV and still quite a sipper. The mouthfeel is definitely the Achilles' heel of this brew, let's just say that. Bitterness in the finish is relentless and intense, but the mango flavor is quite authentic and very prominent as well. Lots going on in this one, and it mostly delivers. This is one of the few cases where I almost think a very small lactose addition would help, plus perhaps changing the hop schedule so it's not quite as bitter/leafy/lingering. This is nitpicking in some ways, though. I appreciate this beer and recommend you grab it if you see it.

Thick peachy body with white head that leaves plenty of lacing. Aroma of mango, papaya, grass, citrus, kiwi, and pine. Tastes of mango milkshake, papaya, yogurt, citrus with rind, kiwi, grass, and a subtle booze note towards the finish. Some bitterness lingers as well. Thick in body with medium carbonation.