Front of Tropical Platypus by Almanac Beer Company
I have been looking to try more unique style brews and trying to find them is a hard thing to do. Most beer stores I go to are bottle shops, but they do not carry that big of a variety in styles. When I find a beer store that carries a wide variety of styles and unique beers, I have to take a trip to that beer shop. Recently I visited a bottle shop near me that has a great variety of brews and is easy to understand their selections. I heard great things about The Beer Store in Southampton, PA and I made sure I stopped in. I talked to one of the clerks, after he asked if I needed help. We began talking about beer and what I was looking for. I mentioned that I was trying to find Sour style beers and then he showed me to the Almanac Beer Brews. I took home one of them and that is the one I am trying tonight.
Back of Tropical Platypus
First let's look into Almanac Beer Company. They were founded in 2010 by Jesse Friedman and Damian Fagan. These brewers started out homebrewing and now are developing some unique brews. They believe in Farm to Barrel brewing, selecting the best locally sourced fruit and blending it into their unique brews. According to their website, "A brewery dedicated to producing seasonal artisan ales, brewed specifically to complement local cuisine sourced and prepared with the same great care and craft." Every harvest they look to pair with a different Northern California farm to supply fruit for their next unique brew. Each brew is a collaboration between them and the farm.
Time to dive into more about Almanac Beer Company Tropical Platypus. Tropical Platypus is a dry hopped sour that is brewed with Kiwi, Mango, Lime, and Passionfruit. Tropical Platypus has an alcohol by volume or ABV of six percent. This brew is an American Wild Ale style brew. Wild Ales are hard to exactly describe, according to Beer Advocate they are ales that have 'wild' yeast or bacteria added to them. Typically the addition of the wild yeast is added into the brews while they are in oak barrels. The addition of this yeast or bacteria leaves behind a funky or sour taste to the beer. Tropical Platypus is part of Almanac Beer Company, Farm to Barrel Series. There is a variety of brews that are farm to barrel and aged in different barrels, like Oak and Pinot Noir. This brew was brewed to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the City Beer Store in San Francisco. "They constantly fought for the craft beer industry and provided a home for new breweries looking to make a mark. In fact, they were the first to sell Almanac’s beer. This beer honors 10 years of providing a home for craft beer." Seems only fitting that I got this brew at The Beer Store in Southampton and this brew is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the City Beer Store.
Appearance of Tropical Platypus
There is a cloudy or hazy appearance to Tropical Platypus. The color of the brew has a golden or yellow tint to it. Almost reminds me of a wheat beer in the appearance. The foam or head of the beer is white and does not stay for long. It quickly dissipates leaving little to no foam at the top of the glass. There is no lacing to worry about with this brew. Aroma wise is where this brew begins to take off. The first aroma I noticed was the bitter note from the dry hopping. After the bitter hop notes, I began to pick up on the tropical aromas. The first note I noticed or that was the most noticeable was the passionfruit. Then I notice a lingering kiwi and mango note in the aroma. Trying to pick up on the aroma is hard because you notice a funky aroma at first. I then tried to go through the funk to pull out the actual aroma of this brew.
Let's see what this farm to barrel has planned for the taste notes. First sip starts off with a tangy zest taste note. The more and more I drink of it I began noticing the lingering lime note on the tip of the tongue and the oak tannin taste notes in the finish. I picked up on the hop taste, which was not overpowering. The beer has a medium body but a light finish. When drinking this brew, I had a pucker up at first from the zesty taste notes in the beginning. It is not overly acidic, but something you notice at first. I also think that the finish allows you to pick up on the oak taste notes in the beer. If you a wine fan or vino enthusiast, this is where you'll get that taste profile. I began to notice the fruit notes a little more, the more I had of this brew. The kiwi, passionfruit, mango notes are all subtle but something you notice more and more you drink this wild ale. The more and more I drank this brew I notice the funk of this brew that was from the yeast or bacteria added to this beer. It was good and something I wish I could notice without the dry hopping this brew indured.
Check out Tropical Platypus by Almanac Beer Company
Overall I thought this was a good brew. I think the dry hopping did not make me love this brew. The taste goes along with the aroma, which is what you look for in beers. You do not want to be lead in one direction on the aroma and then a completely different note in the taste. I like that you were able to notice the oak tannins in the beer and I think the tropical fruit in the beer blended well with it. If you are into sours this is a beer you should check out, or if you are into wine this is a beer you should let breathe and check out.
Check out Almanac Beer Company on their Social Media:
Check out City Beer Store and Southampton Beer Store
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