Madcap
Freethought
- From:
- Freethought
- New York, United States
- Style:
- Gose
- ABV:
- 6%
- Score:
- 89
- Avg:
- 4.07 | pDev: 9.09%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 5
- Status:
- Inactive
- Rated:
- Mar 22, 2020
- Added:
- Apr 03, 2019
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
SCORE
89
Very Good
89
Very Good
Madcap is a smoky sour ale inspired by campfires, s'mores and hot cocoa with the flavor profile of a mezcal sour cocktail. Brewed with raw wheat, flaked and malted oats, lapsang souchong, cocoa and tamarind. Hopped with noble hops and dry hopped with simcoe lupulin powder.
We sourced lapsang souchong from our friends at In Pursuit of Tea. Grown at high elevation in the Wuyi Mountains of China, the tea leaves are wood roasted, fermented and finally smoked over pine needles.
The beer opens with notes of smoke, salt-preserved lemon, pine shoots, lemongrass and black sesame. Tamarind hangs in the background evoking dried fruit, earth and spiced cocoa. It finishes with a focused grapefruit-hued acidity.
Canned March 2019
We sourced lapsang souchong from our friends at In Pursuit of Tea. Grown at high elevation in the Wuyi Mountains of China, the tea leaves are wood roasted, fermented and finally smoked over pine needles.
The beer opens with notes of smoke, salt-preserved lemon, pine shoots, lemongrass and black sesame. Tamarind hangs in the background evoking dried fruit, earth and spiced cocoa. It finishes with a focused grapefruit-hued acidity.
Canned March 2019
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Reviewed by SLeffler27 from New York
4.29/5 rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.29/5 rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
This is a very pretty beer. It is gem clear and pale gold with a huge five-inch, rocky, white head. The head never falls below one inch, although it does leave a thick, sticky lace on the walls of a Stiegl stange glass. Random large bubbles rapidly race upwards from within.
The aroma resembles fresh lemon/lime with an emphasis on the lime. The background contains an expected brine with tartness.
Lemon dominates the flavor and it is exceptionally tart. There is an interesting peat flavor that is revealed just before brine and campfire smoke take center stage. The finish is long.
A light body with nylon texture. Alcohol is as expected, although high for this style. Spritzy carbonation is ample.
This Gose has refreshing tartness and bright citrus, along with an unexpected summer campfire. What's not to love? I enjoyed it on a hot summer day and, while excellent, I imagine it would be even better around a campfire at night. Either way, this would be perfect with Bratwurst and mustard.
Sep 01, 2019The aroma resembles fresh lemon/lime with an emphasis on the lime. The background contains an expected brine with tartness.
Lemon dominates the flavor and it is exceptionally tart. There is an interesting peat flavor that is revealed just before brine and campfire smoke take center stage. The finish is long.
A light body with nylon texture. Alcohol is as expected, although high for this style. Spritzy carbonation is ample.
This Gose has refreshing tartness and bright citrus, along with an unexpected summer campfire. What's not to love? I enjoyed it on a hot summer day and, while excellent, I imagine it would be even better around a campfire at night. Either way, this would be perfect with Bratwurst and mustard.
Reviewed by jzlyo from Iowa
3.97/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.97/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Aroma is fruit/lemon, spices and funky tamarind. The flavor is smoke/campfire smoke, fruit/lemon, malts/wheat and a tart/slightly sweet/sourish finish.
Aug 25, 2019
Reviewed by WickedBeer from Alabama
4.17/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
4.17/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
No canned on date.
The beer pours a deep gold, with a soft, thin head of foam that rises high above the beer and leaves nice patterning of lace as it settles.
Primarily lemongrass and sweet grapefruit on the nose initially, with only the slightest touch of smoke. As the beer opens up further, there are some hints of milk chocolate and vanilla, as well as a quickly emerging herbal, smoky quality.
That evocation of smoke really comes out more on the palate than the nose for me. Reminiscent of a past experience with Smoky Bohea tea, I learned from some further research that lapsang souchong is in fact a member of the Bohea family of teas. Subtle smoke, tart tamarind candy, and bitter cacao really stand out for me. The smoked tea also brings about an earthiness, which is really where that intended campfire inspiration begins to come together.
Thin, mildly puckering. The carb is fairly sharp and in your face, but in a good way. There's a touch of tannic dryness in the finish, but this one's predominantly crisp and clean.
Jun 29, 2019The beer pours a deep gold, with a soft, thin head of foam that rises high above the beer and leaves nice patterning of lace as it settles.
Primarily lemongrass and sweet grapefruit on the nose initially, with only the slightest touch of smoke. As the beer opens up further, there are some hints of milk chocolate and vanilla, as well as a quickly emerging herbal, smoky quality.
That evocation of smoke really comes out more on the palate than the nose for me. Reminiscent of a past experience with Smoky Bohea tea, I learned from some further research that lapsang souchong is in fact a member of the Bohea family of teas. Subtle smoke, tart tamarind candy, and bitter cacao really stand out for me. The smoked tea also brings about an earthiness, which is really where that intended campfire inspiration begins to come together.
Thin, mildly puckering. The carb is fairly sharp and in your face, but in a good way. There's a touch of tannic dryness in the finish, but this one's predominantly crisp and clean.
Reviewed by JoeMad from Michigan
4.39/5 rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.39/5 rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
i had this beer twice. the first time it was very fresh and smelled strongly of a campfire. this made for a very interesting experience- the flavor and the smell were completely different. under the smokiness was a refreshing, great sour ipa. the second time i had it, the can had aged about a month and the smell almost completely mellowed out. No longer getting campfire smell, but still the sour ipa is nice and tart, grapefruity.
May 27, 2019
Reviewed by detpizzaboi from Michigan
4.64/5 rDev +14%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
4.64/5 rDev +14%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Another amazing Freethought beer. Pale, slightly hazy yellow, smells like a campfire, pleasantly smoky, tastes fantastic. Great quenching sour ale, lemonade, smoky campfire, sour apple, nice tingly soft cocoa sweetness on the finish. Unique, intricate, well balanced, another home run.
Apr 23, 2019
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