Maui Sunset
Barbarian Brewing

its so weird that this is as strong as it is, that sort of thing is real uncommon in a sour beer, but the flavors are nice, the acidity is high but not as intense as some of the beers they do with this golden sour base, the wood is there, and the added fruit makes it tropical and fun, almost as much a cocktail as it is a beer, especially at this strength. orange, guava, passion fruit, and mango in here, all can be smelled and tasted, but to me its orange first, candied in the nose, juicy and zesty and real in the flavor, with acidity that works with the base beer, same as the tartness of the passion fruit too, layers of tang in here, really neat. i also get some wine character from the barrel treatment, everything from currant to pear, red and white both to me, light oaky spiciness is fully complimentary to the fruit too, and there is some bretty type funk as this warms to add complexity to the bacterial side of the fermentation profile, needed. i always think their beers are better in isolation, like you have one in a lineup of other stuff it stands out, but when you have three or four of their sours or stouts in a row, they get samey, not enough base beer variation most of the time, but this one stands out as unique either way, and i appreciate that. the alcohol is basically a non factor in the drinking experience, and even the body is kind of light. its long and woody but its not heavy, and the acid keeps the perceived sweetness at bay. more mango late, a coconut note, and some berry character from the wine barrels i assume. neat beer, not insanely well refined, but cool execution of an odd idea.

Taster at brewery; fruity and tart and funky. Mango comes through as well as some bracing citrus. Decent.