Mikkeller Mastodon Mother Puncher American IPA at 6.6% ABV (C$4.79 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 330 ml, best before 21-Sep-2018, acquired 18-Nov-2017, reviewed 21-Nov-2017)
Appearance: hazy medium gold with one finger of rocky pale ivory head, excellent retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: passionfruit, kiwi, hay funk, pale malt, pine. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, moderate tart. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, drying medium bitter and lightly funky finish. (3/5)
I’m not usually one to complain about funk. Or Mikkeller, for that matter. And I’m not really complaining now – I’m just not as happy with this as I sort of expected to be. At the outset, all seemed well: there was lots of passionfruit, and to a lesser extent some other tropical fruit notes like kiwi, backed up by a little pine in the finish. (The oats promised by the label don’t ever really seem to make an appearance.) But about halfway through, the Brett funk made its presence a bit more known, and its effect – to my surprise – was ever-so-slightly negative. It adds complexity, sure, but there’s also a slightly astringent note in the finish, that almost becomes metallic towards the end of the bottle. On the other hand, it was developed for and with Mastodon, so there’s that. Ultimately, though, it ends up getting lost somewhere in the middle of the pack for Mikkeller beers, ending up in neither my top nor my bottom ten. (15/20)
7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
