Softcore Mutation - Tropical Foeder
Maplewood Brewery & Distillery

super summery, hits like white sangria, love the floral and funky elements together, and how forward the fruit is without this being too sweet. i am often skeptical of these fruits in beers like this because they never seem natural, always dosed so high, and it comes at the expense of the fermentation profile, which is why i go for these styles in the first place, yet this one hits is all just right, really cool beer overall. a little richer than blonde looking, maybe honey colored, moderate haze, short white head but plenty of carbonation. nose is tart from the ferment, some lactic bacterial character to this, but also from the natural tartness of the passion fruit, and maybe also the acidity of the pineapple, a light stomach acid thing, but then sweeter with the mango, the grain at the core of this, and a light vanilla note from the oak, along with soft florals, white wine character, and some orange to me too, a nice mature wooden funk is also here, making it present a little wild, a neat wrinkle of complexity that is there in the flavor too. id love to try the base beer before the fruit, this ferment is cool, mouthwatering and tangy but also rustic and interesting, well done there, some grain keeping it beery but its light enough, an ideal vehicle for any fruit i would think, but this combination is well executed and real compatible, passion fruit in front of the others, the least of the mango i reckon but its sweetness stays central, dry at the end though and almost delicate overall. the wood is mellowing and has a newness to it, light tannins, elderflower and white currant notes come out, good minerality too, bretty funk at the end, some lemony twang. really good, fun and effortless to drink, i need to check this place out next time i get back to the windy city!