Beer Review: Mango Guyabano sWheat Tart (Rotunda Brewing Company)
I had an opportunity to make a quick trip out to Annville, PA to a micro brewery nestled neatly besides another landmark, the Batdorf Restaurant located roughly a quarter mile from the Annville square. Rotunda has become well known across Pennsylvania with the likes of their solid Annville IPA. But there is a style I feel they do better than many. Sours. More specifically their “sWheat Tart” series. Eric Stubbs, RBC’s Head Brewer, will tell you that he never set out to be “the sWheat Tart guy”, but with beauties like this Mango Guyabano sWheat Tart, you would swear he was fibbing.
The Brew
Beer: Mango Guyabano sWheat Tart
Brewery: Rotunda Brewing Company
Style: Sour – Fruited
ABV: 6.9%
IBU: 12
Untappd Description: ” sWheat tart fruited with mango and soursop puree“
Enjoy In: Anything with an opening
Enjoy At: 50-55 degrees Fahrenheit
The Review
First impressions are everything. I say that because “normal” beers pour smoothly with little drama. This one though, was special. It flowed from the can as fresh squeezed juice, lumping over as if it had pulp. Rest assured, there was no pulp, just thick, gorgeous juice.
Rotunda has brewed a LOT of their “sWheat Tart” beers, such as Watermelon Raspberry, Cherry Pie, and Blood Orange, but never anything with soursop. Mango Guyabano was Eric’s test bed for this Latin American fruit. Give it up for the culinary background!
The smell comes across wine-like with notes of mango and…applesauce? Yes, applesauce in the best possible way. In spite of its very thick appearance, the mouth feel was super smooth. I could go on, but just look at the glass. No filter, baby! Speaking of no filter, the flavor is rich and the mango fruit notes are just as bright as the color. The taste, OH! the taste. It has some bite from the soursop, but the tart/sour is never overpowering and is balanced out by the sweetness. I imagine the flavor profile of this particular sWheat Tart is like that of rolling hills, washing over your tongue with a subtle peak and gentle glide downwards.
Rotunda has started brewing limited quantities of their sWheat Tart beers. It’s a good and bad thing, depending on how you view it. On one hand, cans won’t stay on the shelf to take up inventory space, or potentially going bad. On the other, it does put a limit on how much one can take home. Then again, your wallet may thank you. What I’m getting at is this: Once you have a Rotunda sWheat Tart you will understand why they sell out quickly. The only one to sell out faster was the Blood Orange (it was gone in two hours!)
My Untappd Score: ****-1/2
Global Rating: 4.38 (as of 7/18/19)
PROST!
-J.Doncevic
