Apex of The Vortex
Wild Mind Ales

Type: 16-oz. can
Reviewed as: American Fruited Sour
Glass: Monks House of Ale 12-oz. tulip
Price: n/a
From: Sam
Purchased: n/a; Received Nov. 18, 2021
Consumed: Jan. 21, 2022
Misc.: Canned on May 10, 2021 at 9:22 p.m. CT

Thanks, Sam!

Was lucky enough to get this one and a bunch of other good stuff from Sam. Untappd description called it a “Smoothie-style sour ale with passionfruit, mango and milk sugar.”

Poured a medium yellow hazy color with less than a finger of fizzy off-white head which dissipated quickly. Could see just a few bubbles coming up along the sides of the glass, maybe one or two at points. Very good wet foggy lacing. Good spotty lacing. (Sight - 3.75)

Smelled passion fruit, lime, mango, guava, papaya, melon, cantaloupe, pineapple and hints of pumpkin. A little better out of the can. (Smell - 3.75)

Tasted passion fruit, mango, guava, peach, apricot, papaya, melon, cantaloupe, pineapple and hints of pumpkin butter. (Taste - 3.75)

Medium body. Oily texture. Average-to-lively carbonation. Abrupt, tart finish. (Feel - 4.00)

A nice sour. A taster would have been plenty but still glad I got to try it. (Overall - 3.75)

3.78 | 85 | B+

 

 

The smell of mango is strong, brightened by hints of a citrus-like tang.

Appearance starts with a very brief tall orange head that dies before I could snap the shutter a second time. This leaves the beer with a reasonably good looking burnt orange fruit juice appearance. Flat, with only an occasional (and I mean occasional) bubble or two streaming up the side of the glass. No floaties or lumpy chucks, though, as with the earlier smoothie from Humble Forager. No lacing (well, there wouldn't be with no head...)

The flavor brings the mango mixed with other fruit flavors, too intermixed for me to individually identify. The overall flavor, though, is nice and, well, juicy. This beer has a tartness that is fairly strong, pushing into actual sour territory. While not full mouth puckering sour, it is sour enough to elicit some cheek-pinching and tongue smacking from me. It is also a bit acidic, judging by how it feels on my teeth. There is an underlying sweetness below the sourness that makes the finish transition from tart-sour to a more enjoyable (for me) aftertaste. Even so, each sip is a lip/tongue smacker.

The body is medium with some coating of the mouth.

Overall, this is more of a "legitimate" sour, more acidic, and a bit less of a fruit smoothie than the earlier one I had. Even so, it is still a fruit juice bomb with little to let you now it is actually a beer.

I'm trying hard to rate these fairly, but... still not my favorite style. Maybe it is "to style" to have no head whatsoever but I'm still giving it a hit for that.