Tropical Mango Ale - St. John Brewers

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

2.91/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.25

Rising carbonation bubbles in a light yellow body, lots of lace. Very artificial aroma. Artificial tasting bubble gum candy. Beer at the pool in place of a soft drink. Smooth mouthfeel but marginally drinkable. Too sweet, where's the hops.Thanks for sharing Josh.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 13:03:26 | More by northyorksammy

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +28.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I could be mistaken as I've never had them all side by side, but if my memory serves me right, this is the fruitiest of the St. John Brewer's ales. The aroma of mango and papaya is strong, and they're even brighter in the flavor! I don't remember that being the case with their other beers.

It's sweet, and just lightly tangy... citrusy I guess. And that's needed for balance as it's not very bitter. Nor do I find any yeast character, which I did in the others. I'm sure it's there, of course, but it's masked. And unless those are hops contributing to the citrusy character (which would probably be a waste of money and materials), there's no hop character. It borders on "malternative" or "cooler" status. However, with that said, I should also state that it is a fairly tasty concoction! Not thinking of it as a beer, at a party in the summer, or out on a boat, I think I could probably go for a few of these. (How to score this thing... ?)

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2009 23:47:19 | More by NeroFiddled

TMoney2591

Illinois

2.58/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Served in a Surly shaker pint glass.

Thanks to Naugros for this bottle!

The fourth entry in SwillFest 2011. It pours a clear pale straw topped by a finger of cream-white foam. The nose comprises mango, pineapple, coconut, passion fruit, kiwi, and fake strawberry. Not bad in the nose. The taste, though... Lemme put it to you this way: It's like they decided to manufacture a line of flavored rubber bands for children (why not, right?), made this one mango-flavored, then let it sit out for a while, allowing the flavor to diminish with respect to the rubber. Then they made a beer with this flavor. That's what it tastes like. The body is fairly light, with a very light moderate carbonation and a watery feel. Overall, a frustrating beer that lures you in with a pleasant aroma and then cuts you down with its flavor and feel.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 19:10:00 | More by TMoney2591

jwc215

New Jersey

2.15/5  rDev -26.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Best by Jan. 09 notched on label.

Pours dark golden with a thin white head that immediately becomes a quickly vanishing patch. No lacing sticks.

The smell is perfumy, in a cheap ladies' perfume way. There is an artificial mango essence aroma, but in a scented candle-like way.

The taste is artificial-ish mango with perfume. A hint of Ringwood yeast is there, something beer-ish/grainy going on, besides - but not much. Alittle bit of Lightly salted butter is there. Sweetish, fizzy finish. The taste is better than aroma, but still is not good, and doesn't save this one.

The body is fizzy and light, with a waxy aftertaste.

I can't even see this being a "chick drink". Too perfumy, with too many other detractors. The artificial mango just adds to the mess. Not enjoyable or refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2008 13:53:29 | More by jwc215

jdhilt

New Hampshire

2.65/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours a one finger white head that fades quickly to a ring leaving traces of lace. Clear pale amber color. Light-medium carbonation and light bodied. Light mango and hop nose. Flavor is tart mango with some hops. $2.00 for a 12oz bottle from Barb's Beer Emporium Concord, NH.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2010 22:52:10 | More by jdhilt

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.56/5  rDev +22.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Writing another review for a beer I've already reviewed, but has since been deleted.

St. John's mango pale ale pours out a yellow and orange liquid with plenty of clarity. It has a thin white head no bigger than 3/8" on it. The aroma is nice if you like mango. Its plenty sweet, but kicks down the requisite amount of tropical fruit you are hopefully looking for if you decided to buy a beer with mango in it. It really has lots of mango in the aroma, sometimes coming off as mixed with perfume, but thats because perfume has alcohol in it!

Taste is a very mild and thin malt body, AAL levels of hopping and carbonation, and lots of that mango stuff. Its all mango ok? There's nothing else going on. I would love to try a version of this that is massively hopped.

If you loathe or love this beer, it all centers around how much you love or hate mango I would guess. I really like it. But after 12oz, I didn't want another. Too much sweetness to be a repeat drink in the same day. But it goes great around the pool for 12oz with.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 20:46:37 | More by Beerandraiderfan

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

2.48/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

First had: on tap at Brickwall Tavern, Asbury Park, NJ

Strange brew to see on tap here, but whatever. Clear golden-yellow pour with a thin, wispy, white head, that left a few speckles on the glass. Aroma of mango candy and papaya, overly ripe/sweet. One-dimensional, not that I really expected much else. Taste was similarly full of mango and other vague tropical fruits, though quite artificial and syrupy as opposed to fresh and authentic. Yeah, this is one for the college biddies. Body was light, mouthfeel was syrupy, aftertaste was stale. Meh.

Serving type: on-tap

05-09-2013 03:42:49 | More by Rifugium

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.65/5  rDev +25.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A: Poured a crystal clear pale orange with a huge foamy ivory colored head that was rocky. Almost no carbonation presence was detected while the head retained nicely eventually settling to a thin, sudsy layering.

S: The nose was very aromatic and full of fresh fruitiness of mangos, kiwi and was very sweet and juice like bearing some apricots and oranges as well. Could smell this all day.

T: The initial flavor was sweet and very fruity with mangos, kiwi along with some melons. There was some sweet sugary peaches as well while the overall flavor was very crisp, and juice-like with a little spiciness found in the finish.

M: thin, juice-like full of mangos and oranges and almost no carbonation to be found.

D: Per local area not bad. Fruity, crisp, sweet and would definitely beat the heat on the beaches of the virgin islands. I would buy a case for the summer time.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2008 22:40:35 | More by beerthulhu

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.28/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

One of my frequent traders, tone77, dropped off some bottles for me the other day, having noticed that I am on a short CAN hiatus. Cool!

My pour created a massive two fingers' worth of fizzy eggshell-white head with low retention. Color was a deep golden-yellow with NE-quality clarity. Nose was as advertised, very mango-like. People often characterize mango as sweet, but it should have a slight tang to it. The nose was reminiscent of cutting into a fresh mango, which we used to get on the mess decks at various times while I was in the navy. Mouthfeel was slightly thin but it had a tasty tang to it on the tongue. The label mentioned "Pale Ale - Ale with Natural Flavor Added" and I wonder if they really used a hoppy pale ale as its base as the flavor seemed to incorporate both the mango tangy sweetness with a slight hops bitterness. Finish was tangy and sweet, very mango-like, but not something that I would want on a steady basis. I kept thinking that it could be used in a reduction as a glaze for ham. Now, that would be really good!

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2010 17:38:22 | More by woodychandler

kylehay2004

Florida

3.78/5  rDev +29.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

enjoyed at the brewery tap room on st john island.

A: two finger head with decent retention and lacing on a slightly hazy crimson body.

S: nice mango sweetness with mild hops and malts but the mango dominates.

T: nice mango and hops mix with a mild hop bitterness. The play between bitter and sweet is interesting.

M: medium body and moderate carbonation.

Overall: the mango is a little strong for me. The base beer seems to be obscured too much. Great island pale ale though.

Serving type: on-tap

05-03-2012 17:44:35 | More by kylehay2004

Deuane

Pennsylvania

3.35/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Got a bottle from a friend who discovered this beer while lazily enjoying the beach on St. John. I was not aware that it is contact brewed by the Shipyard Brewing Company till I read the label.

A-Bright, clear copper kissed golden yellow with a thin, bright white head that quickly reduced to a thin veil of retention and left zero lace.

S-WOW! Without question the best feature of this brew. A powerful tropical fruit bowl pop with strong notes of mango (duh!), papaya and a touch of orange. A touch of honey drizzled, sweet biscuit malt in the background.

T-Damn, too bad the flavour doesn't come through as nicely as the aroma. Sure, the fruit flavours and honey sweetness is present but in a level that quickly becomes too much, syrupy and artificial. Not bad, but certainly a let down after that delicious blast in the nose!

M-Light bodied, sharp and crisp with decent lingering fruit flavours and just a touch of spicy bitterness.

D-While sitting in my house on a cold and blustery February day ehhh...not so much. While sitting on a sun drenched beach with the lapping waves of the Caribbean tickling my toes...absolutely! This is a beer that needs to have the right mood to be enjoyed properly. Maybe a little to close a malternative/wine cooler but it dose have a beer body so....

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2011 23:06:33 | More by Deuane

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev +27.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a rich golden color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is strong on mango's, considerable sweetness. Taste is also of mango's, not as sweet as the smell, a bit of hop presence. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and has good drinkability. Overall a different and good quality beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2010 13:39:17 | More by tone77

Suds

Pennsylvania

1.2/5  rDev -58.8%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

So, I'm always up for trying a new beer. Luckily, I didn't have high expectations for this one. It's a pale copper color with a touch of haze and not much of a head. The aroma is strange...lots of mango, a little grass, some grain. The smells don't work well together, and are not appealing. The taste, though, is worse....artificial fruit flavors (not good), a little sourness, no malt...bitterness at the finish. A bit metallic. Spritzy mouthfeel. This one is a sink-pour.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2010 19:05:59 | More by Suds

Overlord

California

2/5  rDev -31.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

I was in the mood for some mango beer by the pool. So excited for this. Now I have five more bottles to try to get through. SCREEEE!

Pours a clear orange-ish color. Surprising lack of head. Maybe an inch.

Actually smells okay! Kind of a mango overload, as there is nothing else, but it smells like mango. Albeit, a kind of fake, overly mango-y mango.

TAste is horrid. Artificial, chemical-ly, just completely "fake." I couldn't really taste anything else about it. Just a complete mess. Really has no relation to beer.

thin and watery doesn't help matters.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2010 17:40:54 | More by Overlord

cjgator3

Florida

2.88/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle into a pint glass.

A- Pours a solid golden amber color with a nice off-white head that provides a good amount of lacing and retention. The appearance is definitely the highlight of the beer.

S- There is definitely a lot of mango in the aroma, with possibly a hint of wheat. It is pretty sweet and fruity, but not bad.

T- There definitely tastes like there is some wheat in the flavor along with other slightly fruity flavors (I am assuming this is the mango flavors). Not horrible, but it could be better.

M- Pretty solid mouthfeel with a nice creaminess to it and a decent amount of carbonation.

D- Okay beer, but nothing I would want to drink again. It would be okay down in the islands I suppose, but I will pass the next time I see it.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2008 21:42:23 | More by cjgator3

claspada

New Jersey

3.43/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Aromas begin with full, fresh fruitiness including (and predominantly) mangos with some lesser tropical kiwi and oranges. Some lemony and pineapple which could be hops or fruit, does it matter.
The initial tastes begin quire sweet and very fruity with mangos and the above citrus flavors mixed in as well. There is a nice initial citrus bitterness as well (once again hops or fruit? It is not discernable). As it warms you get a little more metallic bitterness/spiciness in the finish.
The mouthfeel is thin; quite juice-like. Moderate carbonation with a full finish of mangos and oranges adding to the semi-dry finish.
Overall this is a decent take on a fruit beer; definitely in the higher echelon for the style, but I honestly enjoyed this a lot more a couple years ago before my palate really understood good balance and flavors in beer. I can enjoy one or two of these on a hot beach weekend (like I just did this past weekend) but I am not in love with this like I thought I was.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2011 20:45:24 | More by claspada

Jayli

Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer pours a very slight hazy golden orange with a half finger of white head, recedes to a thin film quickly leaving very little to no lacing to speak of. Nose is heavy with mango, papaya, orange, and apricot and some pale malts linger as an undertone. Taste is very sweet - the fruits truly come out and dominate this beer. Apricot was the most prevelent flavoring for me, with mango and papaya mixing. Finish is of pale malts but not blended as well as it could be. Lighter bodied, higher carbonation, crisp as first with a sticky finish. This may be better sitting in the sun, but one or two will do ya on this beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2009 14:39:28 | More by Jayli

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A-Pours a light amber color. A tiny bit of debris floats around the beer. A subtle head forms. Leaves some lacing too.

S-Pretty firm on the mango. Not getting too much else behind the mango aroma. A bit of hops, which are fruity, and some sweet maltiness. But this one is about the mango.

T-Just like the nose. The mango is the big ticket. Only a tiny amount of bitterness. Quite one sided, but if you like mangoes then drink it. They did succeed at what they set out to accomplish, so cheers to that.

M-Quite bubbly and light. Not too dry, but the mango taste does last on the palate for a while.

O/D-Eh, only had a single and that was enough. Interesting beer but it reminds me of a Magic Hat #9. Both have a specific fruit they highlight, and both are quite mediocre beers. But hey, give it a shot.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2011 02:43:27 | More by VelvetExtract

CampusCrew

Florida

1.75/5  rDev -39.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

appearance: looked liek a normal pale ale but with quickly diaspating head

smell: some nice tropical fruit aroma

taste: I got this for freee to sample, and it was a drain pour after the first couple of ounces. Over fruited and tastes liek somehting a macro would make

mouthfeel: kight bodied

drinkability: could not mask the flavor

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2009 22:09:42 | More by CampusCrew

KTCamm

New Jersey

2.83/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Served on tap at the World of Beer near Tampa Palms FL.

Pours clear golden yellow, completely see through. Thin. Wisps of white foam.

Smell is powerful mango. Fruit bursts forth.

Taste is light - watery, with an overload of fruit. Sickly sweet.

Light; easy to drink in one sense. But very sweet. A taster size is good enough.

Serving type: on-tap

03-09-2011 02:04:48 | More by KTCamm

PorterLambic

Florida

3.6/5  rDev +23.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a rich amber color. Large head drops fairly quickly to a thick film of light tan.
Smell is sweet, malty, mango, light hops. Nicely balanced.
Taste is hops (more than in the smell), milder malt, mango.
Dry finish, tangy medium effervescence, good medium body with a mango/hop aftertaste. All told, a pretty good brew.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2010 03:55:43 | More by PorterLambic

indiapaleale

Massachusetts

3.03/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I've never been to the US Virgin Islands but thanks to the magic of contract brewing (at Shipyard in Portland, Maine no less) this bottle of liquid tropicalness is mine. So basically I am drinking a bottle of beer from a brewery south of me but actually brewed by a brewery north of me...go figure.

Pours a sort of orangey light golden color with a rather thin head that quickly goes away. Looks like an easy drinking lightish beer.

Smell is disgustingly sweet, like that of a generic fruit syrup and not that of super fresh mangos from the tropics! But, that was to be expected since mangos don't grow in Maine. Kind of reminds me of Magic Hat #9s bigger badder brother.

Taste is sweet followed by a sort of bland boring ale taste that is kind of drying. The sweetness is pretty much cloying and doesn't taste "real" at all.

Blah, maybe this stuff is awesome when you are on a beach and its brewed right nearby but the contract version of this is pretty putrid. I am not a fan.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2009 02:14:57 | More by indiapaleale

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

2.68/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2.5

A-light gold, almost no head, lots of bubbles. looks like an adjunct

S-smells like mango! it smells good. for some reason, i did not expect that. medium strength.

T-it tastes like carbonated mango juice, with more focus on the carbonation than the mango. its very light flavored, but the flavor lasts throughout the taste and makes up the after-taste. there is a slight, slight bitterness to it. the bitterness i find to be slightly unwanted.

M-very light, high carbonation with a dry finish.

O-labeled as a pale ale, listed as a fruit beer. i'd definitely say this is a fruit beer before being a pale ale. its just way too light for me. it tastes lighter than the BMC light beers. its too light even for a hot and sunny day in my opinion. its more of a novelty beer or something you'd give to girls.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2011 20:25:45 | More by AdamBear

shand

Florida

3.6/5  rDev +23.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a nonic.

Pours a pale golden color with two fingers of fluffy head that quickly recedes. You know what? This smells very good. A blast of mango, realistic and juicy. A bit one-dimensional, but gives me hope. The taste? MANGO. This is mango that doesn't take shit from anyone. This mango and his buddy Hardcore Orange will beat your ass down, take your lunch money, and steal your sixth-grade girlfriend while he's at it. Some wheaty maltiness tries to interrupt the mango party towards the end of this brew, but hell no! This mango isn't going to take that shit. Mango mango mango. Mango. This tastes like mangos with just a hint of wheat character that is a bit unmatched with the main brew. I like it though. Refreshing. Very sweet and fruity though.

The mouthfeel is just about right, it's a bit thin and highly carbonated, and the drinkability is quite good. Do you like mangos? I mean really, really like mangos? This is the brew for you. If not, or if you're expecting anything close to a "pale ale" as the label claims, stay far, far away. I can get down with fruit in my beer though, and I like this well enough.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2011 01:31:10 | More by shand

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev +20.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Poured from tap into pint at the brewery in St John. I love mango so this looked perfect.
Nice golden amber color, but not much head. Still looks pretty good though. Nice sweet malty aromas, definitely a fruity nose with an ver so slight hop aroma.
Taste is nicely sweet, malts...you really do taste the mango. Its a good brew for the heat. Its very similar to a #9 but mango instead of apricot. Nice english malt backbone with a bit of sweet fruit over it. Not sure why the reviews are so low, its quite nice and easy...what else do you want on an isand like this?

Serving type: on-tap

04-22-2013 20:23:21 | More by DrinkSlurm