Soursmith Mango
Arclight Brewing Company

The body displays a dark amber to copper, even almost brown, yet clear for the most part. Its khaki head builds to a moderate head that audibly fizzles out in semi-large bubbles instantly, leaving a roiling surface from the sparkling vortex underneath. I just don't like the color that mango so often seems to imbue beer with.

Smell's actually got a little oaky vinegar sting in front of a sweet mango presence that almost exudes strawberry jam.

Taste is sweeter and tangier as the zesty effervescence helps mitigate the acidity but also makes it hard to grasp before it vanishes. A touch of toasted oak or malt accents.

It's got a medium-light body otherwise, finishing semi-dry with a mild burn on the way down.

 

Just the right tart. Gentle sweet in the attack and not too tart in the finish. Refreshing.

Carried to the parking lot at The Beer Temple, my first wild from Arclight was a pleasant surprise.
Mango Looks a pretty orange, quite clear, sufficient foam. Smells are mostly the mellow mango, but also the tarting agent; a lactic I presume. Tastes are balanced; not too sweet and not too sour... until the after-taste. Medium mouth and moderate bubbles. I particularly liked how the tart first appeared balanced. But my buds' bias against the style eventually won out (only 11 of the 64 sours I've reviewed did I rate above the average.)

Because I gave Arclight a not-so-great quickie brewer review in my first from them, I went back on their website. Still too cryptic about them. But now at age six, they are caught up in Covid and have closed their taproom and self-distribute. Even though I don't know them, I wish them well.

Appearance: Arrives with a somewhat hazy golden color; the head is thin and doesn't leave much lacing

Smell: Lactic mango tones with both a sweet and tart character; funky with an oaky aspect

Taste: Tart and sweet mango tones that waffle back and forth; oaky and slightly funky, in the middle, but the finish brings the fruit forward again

Mouthfeel: Medium body with low to moderate carbonation

Overall: Could use more complexity but still quite enjoyable

Sample at the Sour Beer fest in Boston on 6/15/2019
Sour tart with tropical fruit that feels fake, not bad.

 

 

Yet another hit from arclight, but what I am finding is part of their excellence is the beer takes on the intensity and feel of the star fruit. Here is a great example, where the mango, a more gentle fruit, is made into a gentler sour for their portfolio, without sacrificing flavor. Has a yeasty complexion in the feel with an oak sour finish and lingering gentle acidity. Taste is lush mango, with supporting yeast, graham cracker, lemon, guava, light funk, apple and pear, but again mango is clear lead role. Smell is similar, with less complexity but still intense.

 

 

750 ml bottle into tulip glass, 2018 vintage bottling. Pours slightly hazy medium golden/amber color with a 102 finger fairly dense and fluffy off white head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of huge sour/tart/tangy mango, melon, fruit skin, lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, raspberry, strawberry, peach, pear, apricot, red/green apple, white grape/wine, oak, hay, straw, grass, wheat, cracker, and white bread dough; with lighter notes of honey, pepper, leather/musty/lacto funk, white wine vinegar, and yeast/oak earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of mangoes, fruity/funky/acidic yeast, bready malt, and wine barrel notes; with big strength. Taste of huge sour/tart/tangy mango, melon, fruit skin, lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, raspberry, strawberry, peach, pear, apricot, red/green apple, white grape/wine, oak, hay, straw, grass, wheat, cracker, and white bread dough; with lighter notes of honey, pepper, leather/musty/lacto funk, white wine vinegar, and yeast/oak earthiness. Light-moderate fruity/lactic tart/sourness, fruit/wine tang, and light yeast/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of sour mango, melon, fruit skin, lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, raspberry, strawberry, peach, pear, apricot, red/green apple, white grape/wine, oak, hay, straw, grass, wheat, cracker, white bread dough, light pepper/funk/vinegar, and yeast/oak earthiness on the finish for a while. Amazing complexity, robustness, and balance of mangoes, fruity/funky/acidic yeast, bready malt, and wine barrel flavors; with a great malt/tart/sourness and tangy fruit balance. Fairly crisp finishing. Lightly increasing pucker through the glass, but not overwhelming. Light-moderate increasing dryness from tart/sourness and tangy fruit. Medium-high carbonation and medium-plus body; with a smooth, creamy/bready, and acidic/tangy/tannic balanced mouthfeel that is great. Mildly increasing warmth of 9% after the finish. Overall this is an amazing fruit sour/wild ale! All around incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of mangoes, fruity/funky/acidic yeast, bready malt, and wine barrel flavors; smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the ABV, with the modestly acidic/tangy/tannic/drying finish, not overly lactic. Super jammy fruit; with balanced Brett/Bacteria complexity, bready malts, and perfect wine barrel integration. Not overly sweet/heavy from lingering dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and spot on style example as expected. Consistently amazing sours across the board so far.

A - Pours a lightly hazed orange with a one finger white head. Light amount of soapy lacing.

S - Aroma is unripe mango and a good amount of lacto.

T - The taste follows the aroma. Ripe and unripe mangoes and some funky lacto.

M - Medium body with medium carbonation. Soft mouthfeel with a crisp dry finish.

O - This is a tasty fruited sour. Nothing complex just juicy mango and funky lacto. Definitely recommend.

This beer pours orange with a bone white head that quickly leaves the beer. Nice mango and citrus on the nose. Aroma of heavy lacto and moderate yet balancing acetic notes. Moderate sourness, lots of mango. Not much barnyard funk; this is fairly fruit forward. Hint of yogert / lacto "funk". Its got a crisp, clean, and slightly bigger than semidry mouthfeel about the beer. Great Mango sour, not many of them out there and this one is very well done by Arclight.

This one pours a mildly hazy golden orange color, with a small head, and a little bit of lacing.

This has a wild funk on the nose- overripe mango skin and cheesy funk mainly, with sour mango juice, acidity, and oak.

That cheesy funk is less apparent in the taste, as you sort of get just a straightforward fruited sour ale in the taste. There's a slight bitterness on the finish, but it's mostly mango character that straddles the balance between sweet and sour. It seems a tad simplistic, but it's definitely tasty.

This is light bodied, crisp, and mostly clean on the finish, with a slightly prickly carbonation.

I would have wanted a little bit more complexity here, but it's still a fun beer to try, nonetheless, as you don't see a ton of mango sours.