Campesino Tropical IPA
Bodacious Berries, Fruits And Brews / Big Barn Brewery

huge thanks to my buddy who brought me a few beers from these guys back from his travels. this is billed as a mango ipa, and its an interesting beer, seeming to lack a little freshness, and with some curious recipe decisions, but i like that its hops before fruit, and i like it being a little lower in alcohol than what has become standard in the style, it drinks refreshing after a long work day, but its also not quite as dialed in as it could be, rough around the edges but in a somewhat endearing way i suppose. a rusty to orange low glow on this, light cloudiness but not a hazy, high puffy white head from the can, real airy and lasting, and the beer is very well carbonated throughout, a little maltier looking than expected, this color cant be from mango can it? aside from a little oxidation in the nose, there is a hit of crystal malt sweetness giving this body and depth, a bit bready. the hops bring some orange and light pine character, but not a ton of bitterness to me, and if this is fruited its quite subtle, tropical notes seem as much from hops as from fruit, and whatever sugars may have come from a mango edition have been pretty well fermented down, balanced anyway, a lightly candied aspect but it really doesnt manifest itself in tangible residual sugar. the flavor has some pine, some citrus pith, and a generic tropical layer that might hint at guava, mango, and papaya, even orange juice and peach, but its really the hop punch that comes through most robustly, enough bitterness but not crazy, faintly vegetal. some interesting proportions here, like less rich grain might yield more obvious mango notes if that is the goal, a more modern mix of hops or even less in the kettle might flatter the fruit rather than push it to the edges, but the truth is that i dont really want or need this to be a mango bomb, and the subtle not overt approach to fruited ipa here is a nice change of pace. medium bodied, good structure for its low abv, smooth and long. i am looking forward to the other cans i was gifted from this place...

Draft beer poured into a pint glass at the brewery.

Look- Golden, average head retention and lacing, opaque.
Smell- Herbal, slightly citrus, slightly dank, smell was faint.
Taste- Slightly citrus, grapefruit, herbal, somewhat watery taste.
Feel- Astringent finish, thin body, average carbonation.