Xül Beer Co. & Untitled Art | Mango Dragon Imperial Smoothie
Mangos, dragonfruit and prickly pear purée…what kind of delectable concoction is this? Well, if you like your dessert in beer form, particularly an Imperial Fruited Sour Ale, then look no further than this offering from the minds of Xül Beer Co. and Untitled Art. Let’s dive in, shall we?
If you’re not familiar with Untitled Art, they’re kind of a big deal in the world of delicious Fruited Sour Ales; they picked a perfect partner to collaborate with in the form of Knoxville, TN-based Xül Beer Co. While Untitled Art may be the veteran in this collaboration, Xül Beer Co. also brings a lot to the beer table with proven success with the high-quality beers they’ve brewed in their short tenure (they. opened Oct. 30, 2020). When these two paired up, we knew we would be getting something special and they certainly delivered on that.
The beer pours a beautiful bright red in the glass, almost like a form of art. Upon pouring, the light pink foam rises and brings the aroma of tart fruit and tropical notes to the nose. The aroma alone hints that you are about to partake in a delicious beverage.
Then you get into the first sip. The first sip brings several different flavors to your palate. We suggest just taking your time, letting all of the flavors sink in over several slow sips. The initial sip provides a sweet flavor that almost caresses your tongue as it goes down. This is definitely a Smoothie Sour Ale, as it’s moderately thick. A second sip and a swish bring the sweetness again, but also some of the tartness you would expect from this type of beer. Although tart, it’s not overpowering in any form. On the back end is where the mango flavor really comes through–it almost cuts through some of the sweetness to provide a perfectly balanced flavor profile. All of these things come together to create a well-balanced and complex Imperial Sour Ale. You’ll need to be very careful with these though: They’re so good that you don’t really taste the alcohol, but at 8% ABV they can sneak up on you.
Who knew that two breweries separated by more than 700 miles could come together so closely on a team level to brew such an amazing beer? The craft beer community is such an amazing community all across the globe, laden with endless amounts of uber-talented folks that just want to make amazing beer and get together and have a good time. In the end, that’s what it’s all about: coming together, enjoying the literal fruits of their labor, being able to share them with those that enjoy craft beer and appreciating all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes to make it.
With all that being said, do yourself a favor – grab some of this beer, meet up safely with your friends and have a great time enjoying this beer. We know the great people from Untitled Art and Xül Beer Co. would want you to get together and enjoy the spoils of this treasure of a beer they brewed together!
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