Epic Brainless Belgian-style Golden Ale

__Aroma:__ “Big juicy candy mango and peach, with funky ripe tones and citrusy notes. Fruit-forward, with stone-fruit characteristics, including light esters, floral notes (blueberry, rose, orange, and strawberry). Underlying grassy, herbal, earthy hops notes, but not as much hops as expected. Low malt with hints of bread and toast.” __Flavor:__ “The mango comes through well, but the hops are understated so that at first, it expresses itself as more of a mango American wheat. At the end of the swallow, a low bitterness lingers briefly, bringing forth the IPA character. Moderate sweetness, with supporting malt, if a little thin, and dry overall.” __Overall:__ “This beer doesn’t know what it wants to be: wheat, pale ale, or IPA. The flavors are muddled, with the mango coming through as peach and indistinct fruits. Without knowing it’s a mango IPA, I wouldn’t have guessed. The hops bitterness was right and the malt supported it nicely—it was balanced and pleasant.”

“Spicy nose with some warming hints. Rich malt with light fruit, candy sugar, white-pepper notes. Hop character is an afterthought. Gets more interesting as it warms. Finish is sweeter and softer than a typical golden strong, but it’s still very pleasant.”

Aroma: “Oak notes up front with hints of white grape, orange, and lemon. Floral and spicy hops character comes through. A kind of coriander perfume bridges the gap between the citrus up front and the underlying spice. A hint of barnyard funk.” Flavor: “Delicate and bright. There is a light sweetness that carries throughout the taste, then fades into low bitterness and low acidity. Citrus, perfume, and spice with bready malt. Definite Brett character, but enough residual malt that it’s a nice accent. Well-balanced.” Overall: “This beer drinks like a wine. Delicate and light with some nice fruity notes of white grape, orange, apple, and pear. The barrel character expresses itself in the aroma but not in the flavor. My sample was too small. I want a bottle to take home.”