Almanac Mariposa
It looks like I’ve been on a bit of an Almanac run as of late, having just published a review for Astounding Enterprises the other day, this one for their Maripos and another on the horizon. It’s hard not to pick up the brewery’s beers whenever I see them on the shelves — each one I have had thus far has impressed in their own ways. Mariposa, a foudre-aged sour blonde with plum and dry-hopping, certainly keeps that tradition alive with one of the more unique flavor profiles I’ve encountered from the company thus far.
Let’s start with the first thing that hits the tongue. The level of sour tartness on Mariposa isn’t nearly as strong as some of its peers — it still provides a welcome pucker, but also allows the base blonde, plum and barrel influence to shine wonderfully. The dry-hopping adds a leafy/grassy profile to vinous notes, dark fruits and what I can only describe as bubblegum from the base blonde’s yeast profile. I’m not sure how else to describe that unique presence.
Regardless of what that flavor truly is, Almanac Mariposa is an outstanding and wonderfully tart brew. The dark fruit influence from the plums mingle perfectly with the vinous notes from the wine barrel and woodiness while the dry-hopping (El Dorado and Citra) offers up a bit of additional aroma and liveliness to the affair. This would be a good one to have as a novice fan of sour ales — it packs a pucker, but not enough to peel enamel from your teeth.