Disclaimer: We will come clean. This review was, unfortunately, written at a time when we were not aware that mats of bubbles are symptoms of a dirty glass. Just because we are Drink Me Dirty, it does not mean it is acceptable to drink from a dirty glass. Clean and rinse your glasswares properly. As better informed drinkers, we now vow to spread the gospel of clean glassware. Read more about this topic here. #DirtyGlassMafia
Name: The Mandarinian
Brewery: HideOut Craft Brewery (Philippines)
Style: Specialty IPA: New England IPA
ABV: 7%
Review Year: 2019
Earlier this year, we wrote about the first four canned beer releases of Hideout’s Hopman series in our feature, Hopman: Ales of Suspense. The beer series is dedicated to exploring the various hop varieties and their salient attributes through brewing. The latest of the series is The Mandarinian, a Specialty IPA brewed with the hop variety, Mandarina Bavaria. The featured hop is a variety that originated from Germany and is associated with prominent citrus characteristics such as pineapples, tangerine, and lemon among others.
STYLE GUIDELINES
This beer is being evaluated as a Specialty IPA: New England IPA (21B) in the context of the provisional guidelines of the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) for the said beer style. The most current version of the guidelines can be found on the BJCP website.
TASTING NOTES
Poured into the glass, The Mandarinian dazzles with an orange-yellow color. Aromas of rambutan, lychees, lanzones, tangerine, and chewable Vitamin C tablets come through. However, the palate tells a contrasting story. The Mandarinian is a medium-bodied beer that showcases flavors of pecan nuts, vegetal bitterness, and unripe oranges. As the beer warms, notes of unripe oranges surface further, joined by some bitterness from tea. The beer then leaves a lingering and puckery sensation of lanzones and pecan nuts.
THE VERDICT
Overall, The Mandarinian tells two contrasting yet interesting tales of what Mandarina Bavaria can bring to the table. While the aroma is already spot-on, we think more bright citrus notes could enhance the palate further.
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