Mandarax
Speciation Artisan Ales

 

A - Pours a pale gold with a quick fizzy white head. No lacing.

S - Aroma is lime, oak, leather and light coconut.

T - Very tart. The taste is lime, lemon, sour orange, light coconut, white vinegar, oak and tart lactic finish.

M - Medium body with low carbonation. Soft mouth with a still bone dry finish.

O - Super tart. The lime and sour orange dominate the flavor. The coconut is very subtle and adds a touch off sweetness.

 

750 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled in 8/2019. Pours slightly hazy medium golden yellow color with a small fluffy white head with poor retention, that reduces to nothing pretty quickly. Minimal lacing, some clinging bubbles on the glass and streaming carbonation. Aromas of big tart/juicy mandarin orange, lime, coconut, fruit peel, lemon, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, green apple, oak, white grape/wine, hay, straw, grass, pepper, Brett/Lacto funk, light wheat/cracker, and yeast/oak earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/funky/acidic/spicy yeast, mandarin, lime, coconut, oak, and light pale malt notes; with big strength. Taste of big tart/sour mandarin orange, lime, coconut, fruit peel, lemon, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, green apple, oak, white grape/wine, hay, straw, grass, pepper, Brett/Lacto funk, light wheat/cracker, and yeast/oak earthiness. Moderate fruity/lactic tart/sourness, fruit tang, and light-moderate yeast/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of sour mandarin orange, lime, coconut, fruit peel, lemon, peach, pear, pineapple, apricot, green apple, oak, white grape/wine, hay, straw, grass, pepper, Brett/Lacto funk, light wheat/cracker, and yeast/oak earthiness on the finish for a short bit. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic/spicy yeast, mandarin, lime, coconut, oak, and light pale malt flavors; with a solid malt/tart/sourness balance. Moderate pucker on the finish that is fairly crisp/clean finishing. Moderate increasing dryness from lingering tart/sourness. Medium-high carbonation and light body; with a very smooth, lactic, tangy, tannic, and lightly grainy mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 6%. Overall this is an awesome fruited sour/wind ale. All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic/spicy yeast, mandarin, lime, coconut, oak, and light pale malt flavors; very smooth and fairly crisp/clean/refreshing to drink with the moderate lactic/tannic/drying finish. Not overwhelmingly lactic from crisp dryness. Great balanced juicy fruits and Brett/Bacteria complexity; with a solid pale/wheat malt backbone. Zero residual sweetness with crisp dryness. A very enjoyable offering, and impressive style example as expected of the brewery. The level of sourness did surprise me. Definitely on the lower pH side vs the other solera series that I recall, but it finishes great.

 

Thank you strohme2 for this
750 ml bottle poured into a tulip

A- A hazy golden straw with a small fast fading head.

S- Sour, limes, lime peels, some oranges, hints of coconut and oak.

T- Sour, limes, some oranges, oak, touch of coconut.

M- Smooth, light body.

O- Very sour and refreshing, easy to drink.

 

Poured into a tulip glass. A hazy bright yellow color with a very small fleeting head. Aroma and taste lined up very well. Quite tart with lime, lemon, subtle orange, and a funky vanilla oak aspect. The coconut added a nice dimension to the beer with a sweetness that complimented the fruit. Medium bodied with bright carbonation and a dry finish. Quite easy to drink and highly recommended.