Hoppy Sour Mandarina American Wild Ale…it’s Erykah Badu crooning in a lemon grove with wildflower petals caught in her hair and drifting down around her—bracingly citrus-sour, softly and lushly floral, and funky in a gentle and even seductive way. Sours are flowing fast at hip establishments ’round the United States, but San Francisco’s Almanac Beer Company has elevated the trendy brew with its Hoppy Sour series, brewed in the company’s farmers-market-inspired “farm to barrel” signature style.
The blend of Mandarina Bavaria, Mosaic, and Citra hops in Hoppy Sour Mandarina creates a tartly refreshing, citrus-driven thirst quencher that’s tailor made for summer sipping but with enough earthy complexity to please even the most, ahem, soured aficionados. Mandarina pours a hazy peachy golden color with a medium-retention white head with little bracing. The prevalent aromas are of oranges, tropical fruit, lemon zest, and a subtle but discernable funk while the flavors are lush tangerines, lemon-lime bitterness, and a lingering sour/dry finish crisp enough to call to mind a sour Mimosa. Brunch beer? We can’t be the first ones to have thought of that…
