Mango Strut - Kettle Sour

First Released: April 18, 2018

What with this long winter and all, we got a little fruity with our second beer release of the week. To bring the beach a little bit closer, we made “Mango Strut.”

We tapped into our tropical side by juicing nearly 100 pounds of mangos, then tossed in a few hundred strawberries for good measure. Beach, pleeease.

Sour seekers, your wait is over.

Background

Souring beer in a production brewery presents a real threat of cross-contamination. To resolve this issue, instead of pitching bacteria into a fermenter, where it can hide in small crevices and ruin future batches, bacteria is used in the kettle before the wort goes through the boiling process. Since the wort is soured in the kettle, the brewer is able to boil the wort after souring to kill off any active bacteria before cooling the wort and sending it to a cellar tank to ferment with brewer’s yeast.

The resultant beer does not have the complexity of a true aged sour so brewers often add fruit or other flavorings to liven up the flavor. Pure mango puree was added during active fermentation to give Mango Strut a juicy quality. The name Mango Strut comes from a farcical parade in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami called the King Mango Strut.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Distinct citric acid note.

Flavor: Tartness up front that turns into more of a fruit juice sweet/sour mix. The essence of mango is lightly present in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Light but not thin. Vibrant effervescence.

Aftertaste: Sparkling carbonation and ebbing citric acid.

Physical Description

Color: Peach

Clarity: Nearly opaque. Like a sunset on a cloudy day.

Carbonation level: High

ABV: 4.1%

Ingredients

Malt: Pilsen, White Wheat

Hops: Centennial

Yeast: American Ale