Tropic King - Funkwerks

Homebrew35

Connecticut

4.29/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Pours a billowing head, just about fills the whole glass. Once it settle with good lacing and some retention, its a hazy and nice looking orange.

Aroma is tropical fruit as the label suggests, wow! what a concept. Seriously tho I get mango, passion fruit, banana, some hay and some light funk.

Taste is big banana and bubble gum, apple, white grape, some grass, light barnyard like or cork. Very interesting and ever changing as it warms.

High carbonation keeps this one light and spritz-y on the tongue. But it feels like its medium bodied in some ways. Then the finish is very coating, almost sticky and gummy like. It seems like this one is like liquid bubble gum.

Overall this is an interesting and somewhat remarkable beer. It keeps me guessing and wanting to dig deeper into its subtleties. I'd buy this again even at $11 for a bomber.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2013 02:12:33 | More by Homebrew35

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Got this from SteveO, cheers Steve!

Pours a slightly hazed gold with2+ fingers of pearl colored head. Stellar lacing & head retention, never drops bight all the way

S: Perfumy hops & appleskins, plus pears & passion fruit

T: Follows the nose, some dryness & white pepper up front. Pears, more passion fruit & some grapefruit as this warms, I also get a faint bits of mango as this warms, slight breadyness& honey crisp apples too, pineapple as well. Finishes crisp, fruitty, dry with pineapple & passion fruit, plus a bit of pear & peppercorn

MF: Fairly subtle carbonation, light bodied; skews fruitty

Great drinkability, not a ton of sourness or funkyness, but this works well for me. This runs the gamut of fruyittyness with enough hop profile to balance this out. This is a beer I'd love to see in 4-pack offerings. Funk Werks, you are impressing the snot outta me!

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2013 02:38:16 | More by russpowell

threeviews

New Jersey

4.59/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 750ml bottle into a .4l Rastal tulip (purchased from the brewery in April, 2013 and cellared properly since its purchase)

A- Pours a hazy, orange/peach color with a 1.5-2 finger, rocky white head...beautiful.

S- As the bottle label states: Peach, Mango and Passion Fruit are all represented along with spicy notes of coriander, lemon rind and banana.

T- Malts, hops, spicy/estery phenols (courtesy of the yeast) mingle with absolute perfection. Sweetness balanced by a clean hop/yeast bitterness makes for an absolutely well-balanced (imperial) saison.

M- Full, but not overpowering. Body is reminiscent of La Fin Du Monde from Unibroue. Perfect (i.e. strong & evervescent) carbonation for the style. Very refreshing.

O- An immense Saison! This teeters on the edge b/w Saison and Tripel...but regardless of the style, it does not disappoint. This is an incredible brew. Fans of either the Saison or Tripel style will appreciate (and enjoy) this amazing beer. My only disappointment is the fact that I am unable to obtain FunkWerks' beers in NJ/VT...a must have!

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 23:27:24 | More by threeviews

BeerWizard

Colorado

4.66/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

When I first opened this I smelled it from the bottle and it smelled like straight up leather and wood. That (fortunately) mellows a bit when you pour it, and it poured a very hazy, almost brownish-yellow, with a big white head. The head dissapates and the aroma is fruit, mineral, malt, and some soury-tartness (no leather or wood). The flavor is super-fruity, tart, sweet, and citrus - love it. No lack of flavor, and a nice, warm finish. The high carbonation adds a nice element to the mouthfeel. It's like a party in my mouth! Ha ha. Seriously though, this beer is awesome. I was a little cautious to try it because, eh, could be a gamble with the large format bottle if you don't like it, but c'mon! Imperial saison? Of course it's good! I'm a fan, for sure.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 02:20:11 | More by BeerWizard

denver10

Colorado

4.21/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

I could have sworn I wrote a review for this a long time ago, but apparently not. So here we go.

Pours a hazy orange gold with a huge creamy white head. Aroma offers some spices and mild banana, ginger, peach and passion fruit, and some sourdough bread. Flavor offers some ginger and spices, citric fruits and some melon, and a dry peppery and hoppy finish. It drinks thin and crisp, but mouthfeel is actually more medium bodied. Overall, a great beer by a great brewery. Funkwerks really needs to start offering this and their saison in four packs so I could buy more of their stuff. As is, I just can not afford to buy their bombers as frequently as I wish i could.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 01:18:00 | More by denver10

Justin_Neff

Ohio

4.38/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Reviewing from notes taken on 3/29/13.

Poured from a bottle into tulip glass.

A: Pours a cloudy burnt orange color. Leaves a great lacing with solid retention. Head is bright white and very fizzy. This one has high carbonation for sure.

S: Waft is black peppery spice. Yeasty belgian esters shine, backed with notes of guava, mango, papaya, pineapple, and banana. This one smells fantastic.

T: The yeast is predominant in the initial sip. The peppery spice takes from throughout the middle of the drink, and the fruity juices finish out with some funk and earthiness.

M: Medium body. High carbonation, but it's not as high as the initial pour led me to believe. Dry, but oddly still somewhat creamy.

O: A very nice beer. The smell and taste of this guy is so complex that it truly shocked me. Every sip something different shined through and took center stage. I'd love to get my hands on another one of these.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 14:29:00 | More by Justin_Neff

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.89/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A: Poured a cloudy yet golden in color with good carbonation presenting, very thick, nice white cap. Lots of lacing and bubbles on this after a few sips.

S : BIG trpoical fruit nose; truckloads of fresh mangos, pineapples, guava and oranges with some yeastiness, light spice, Earth, hay ...needless to say, very nice nose.

T : Initial bit of tropical fruit and citrus and that pretty much persists but very tame, especially after such a big nose. A little bit of spice comes to play with some Earthiness. The finish is sweet, rather dry, refreshing and "juicy".

M: Light-medium body, well carbonated for the style, a bit fo sweetness and little warmth on the palate and mouthfeel along with all of the traditional style characteristics.

O: Nice, unique and very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 14:43:13 | More by barleywinefiend

iannutter

Colorado

4.45/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Given my personal impression and the hype I had heard on this beer, I am surprised that this beer is not ranked higher than it is.

I was given a 750 mL bottle from a coworker here in Boulder and poured it into a ,25 L Leffe glass.

After pouring a thick head, it thinned out but never dissipated. It is a beautiful, tranlucent copper- gold in colour.

The smell is mellow citrus, not unlike some punches I've had in the past.

While the saison flavour is certainly still pronounced (esp. in aftertaste), it is well rounded with a sweet, fruity taste and a extremely smooth mouthfeel.

Overall, I am very happy with this beer and would happily drink it again. It is a wonderful rendition of the style... and just next door for us CO beer drinkers!

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 08:30:07 | More by iannutter

Treebs

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle served in a Half Acre snifter. Thank to pmoney for the share.

A: Pours a deep hazy amber color with a frothy white head forming on the pour. It recedes slowly with great head retention. Sticky sheets of lace are left down the glass.

S: Spicy yeast notes and big citrus orange juice dominate the nose. A banana bread-like sweetness takes over on the backend.

T: Spicy Belgian yeast. Fruity esters with a light banana presence and a ton of orange juice pulp flavor. Some light musty notes and a touch of grainy malt sweetness. Orange zest with some mineral-like qualities to the finish.

M: Sweet and musty finish with a medium light body. Drying finish with a medium carbonation level.

O: I enjoyed the juicy and zesty-like qualities of this one. I'd definitely try this one again.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 19:32:46 | More by Treebs

smakawhat

Maryland

4.56/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Poured from the bottle into an official FunkWerks globe glass.

Another great looker of a beer. An absolute orb glowing apricot body, with a middle column of small carbonation in the middle. Head rises tall, and forms such a big fluffy soapy shampoo white, mostly pinhead, and hangs and clumps on for ages. Giant clumps of white chunks and goodness. Fairly big bubbled collar also. Hot sex in a glass.

Nose is filled with a subtle sense of fruit, but also a light brett. Very dry. Hints of tropical mango and peach, spiced black pepper. Very dry, crisp and nicely balanced.

Palate hits with a lot of pepper spice. A good mix of brett like heat, peaches and fruit rush in the mid palate. Clean and dry with wonderful lively carbonation. Mild fruit character warms and comes a bit after some time but get taken over. Wonderful area spice and pepper brett combination character, downplaying some of the fruit hints. The peppery finish just goes on forever with a wonderful hint of herbal mint as it warms. Huge menthol character no doubt from the ginger (comes off more like mint to me).

If the fruit were just to pop out a bit on the palate and last then this would be just incredible. Either way it's just a fantastic beer and I am finishing this bottle in nothing flat.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 16:27:56 | More by smakawhat

HuskyinPDX

Washington

3.58/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle opened on 11.25.12
Bottle thanks to rockymntnbeer78

A - Pours a cloudy, lighter orange with an explosive light tan head with good retention.

S - Fruity, lots of mango and some Belgian spice.

T - Pepper, spice, mango, tropical frutis.

D - Good carbonation with a light body.

O - Surprisingly lots of spice. Tropical fruits then follow.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 07:32:25 | More by HuskyinPDX

cvm4

Mississippi

3.88/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours a light, hazy orange. Huge, billowing head.

S - Citrus notes along with funk.

T - The yeast and fruit come alive in the taste! Not a real funk beer here though.

M - Slightly heavier than a saison.

O - It's good for an imperial saison. I tend to like my saisons sans-imperial.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 23:26:33 | More by cvm4

ehammond1

California

4.08/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle (2011)

Acquired via trade
Thanks, quirkzoo!

(Aged for 6+ months)

Slightly hazed peach and light orange in color with a thick, quickly forming, incredibly persistent, tightly bubbled near-white head, that eventually leaves thick ribbons of lace down the glass. A gorgeous, bubbly saison.

Mild fruit (citrus) notes along with earthy and slightly funky yeast. This isn't nearly as funky as Crooked Stave's offerings, but it's funky in a similar vein. There's some floral and light pepper notes as well.

The flavor is fruity and yeasty with only a mild level of moderate funk character. Moderately bitter, though marvelously drinkable.

Medium bodied with high carbonation. A very well crafted beer.

A fantastic saison, though I could use even more funk.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 16:45:26 | More by ehammond1

LeeryLeprechaun

Colorado

4.33/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Tropic King pours a nice orange hazy color with a solid two fingers of head. Tiny bubbles surge to the surface throughout the tasting.

The is of citrus, I can pick out pineapple, passion fruit, some pale malt, and some other tropical fruits hide in the background. The aroma is magnificent.

The beer starts of a little sweet and then finishes with a nice spicy hop aftertaste, maybe pepper or ginger.

The body is medium and the mouthfeel is sticky, very enjoyable.

This is one awesome saison, it is well balanced and the spicy hop finish is perfect. Tropical fruits are also very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 01:07:56 | More by LeeryLeprechaun

mactrail

California

4.1/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sweet and fruity with just an edge of bitterness. Attractive amber color in the tall Blanche de Chambly glass. Nice enough head. Very pleasantly spritzy on the tongue.

A great blend of spicy and sharp textures, with a mellow and malty base. Some buttery flavors, and a bit of acidity in the aroma. Nose of apples on a hot day, the cider press with yellowjackets buzzing around. Such a nice malt flavor, like a Hefeweizen with the sweet bananas and a little touch of the Berlinerweisse. Tends toward a tart finish.

I like the slightly elevated alcohol in this, as well as the restrained Belgian flavors. Not as bitter as many Saisons. From the big bottle purchased at Grapevine Liquors in Denver.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 06:13:09 | More by mactrail

katan

Colorado

3.83/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

8% ABV noted on the bottle. Into a goblet.

A - Pours a deep golden color, very thick, hazy, appearing to have lots of suspended yeast. Huge pearly white head that sticks around forever. Lots of lacing.

S - Wild and spicy nose. Lots of grassy and herbal notes, complimented by an array of strong white pepper.

T - Starts off smooth and sweet, light amounts of pilsner malt. Mid stream gets a little spiciness mid-stream, some clove and perhaps a hint of banana. Finishes very spicy, then a citrus and floral complexity sneaks in at the end. A little alcohol warmth makes an appearance in the aftertaste.

M - Moderate body but lots of carbonation. After it sits on the tongue for a while, it gets a little more sugary and coating. Alcohol warmth is present, sticks around quite a bit in the finish.

O/D - An interesting saison, kicked up a notch from what you might normally find. Almost more tripel or golden ale like as the funkiness is rather subdued.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 22:45:06 | More by katan

shivtim

Georgia

2.38/5  rDev -39.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Clear honey-color with some orange. Translucent and flat looking. Large soapy white head settles down to a few bubbles.

Nose is bananas and some citrus hops. Maybe a little bit bready. Average. Slightly Belgian-ey.

Taste is syrupy and medicinal. Stale hops. Ethanol and turpentine. Really not very pleasant. Not picking up any saison qualities.

Unfortunately not a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2012 04:45:00 | More by shivtim

chugalug06

Colorado

4.5/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Beautiful, huge, white fluffy foam head. Cloudy golden color; lots going on in this brew. Sticky (spotty) lacing. Head poured bigger then I've seen in quite sometime.

Huge fruit (heavy mango) and light hops. Hops add a ton to this brew. Lots of pepper, pineapple, ginger, lemon, orange... Yum.

Perfect carbonation and sweetness. No off flavors or bitterness. A very relaxing brew to enjoy on a hot day. Very slightly too dry. Mango provides nice base brew, not over powering. Nice thin relaxing texture. Fruits are awesome in this delicious brew.

Highly recommended! Awesome brew, I'll definitely pop the $12 for another bottle, soon. Nicely done Funkwerks!

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2012 02:28:10 | More by chugalug06

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big thanks to fortsambo for sending this bottle out my way. Thanks also to rake for sending this in the Sour, Saison, & Funk BIF. Served in a Funkwerks tulip.

Pours a nice golden color with a thick, foamy white head and a good bit of sheety lacing on the way down. Good cap and collar throughout.

The nose has some light fruits and a bit of white pepper. Light perfume and floral hops. The hops come out a bit more in the flavor. Nice Belgian varieties. Light bready malt. Touch of earth. Body is light-medium with good carbonation. Semi-dry finish.

Nice beer. Would like a bit more yeast character for a beer of this size, but still quite good.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 01:31:55 | More by Thorpe429

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle into a couple of snifters. The brew pours a fairly clear golden color with a bit of haze to it. A solid 3 finger cap of white froth sits atop. It slowly recedes leaving patches of lace all over the glass. Streaming bubbles of carbonation maintain about a finger worth of lacing atop that is slightly off-white. A light swirl effortlessly revives a finger of yellowish stained head.

The smell of this brew initially is very yeasty. it is almost chalky with an earthy feel to it that is minorly herbal. As it opens up in the glass, it really explodes with belgian phenols. Clove and banana nearly dominate with a bit of fruit accent included. Across the back is a bit of peppery quality that mixes with a hint of sulfur.

The taste of this brew is quite spicy and herbal with a touch of bitterness. The yeasty character is right upfront tasting of clove, banana and a bit of fruit that is somewhat melon-like. There is a peppery spice through the body that finishes with some warming alcohol yet dry and crisp into the finish.

This is a medium to lighter bodied brew with a modest amount of carbonation. It is light and lively in the mouth but you really feel the full brunt of the 7.5% abv. Overall this is a pretty decent take on a saison. I would probably enjoy it more if it wasn't so spicy with as much focus on the herbal bitterness and phenols. But as-is its not bad and worth a try if you get a chance.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2012 00:55:50 | More by stakem

hopfacebrew

Colorado

4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Undated 750mL bottle to tulip. The beer pours a haxy deep yellow-orange color with a 2.5 finger white head with decent retention and lots of lacing. A nice mix of wild yeast character together with some ginger and pepper spice, earthen hops. The flavor follows suit with more noticeable intense lemon fruitiness, earthy hops, and a hint of sour. Medium bodied and well carbonated. Overall, easy to drink, didn't notice a higher abv. Smooth. I would buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 00:59:48 | More by hopfacebrew

mikereaser

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a light golden orange with a giant half of a flass of white fluffy sticky foam that is coating the glass in lots of lacing.
S - Juicy citrus aroma with a yeasty saison funk, a little bit of malt sweetness and even more citrus. Very nice indeed
T - Almost tart sweet citrus flavor, more lemon than anything else but also hints of some tropical fruits, mango, kiwi, just alot of flavor. There is also a hint of pepper along with the yeasty funkiness. It finishes with more lemon peel.
M/D - light bodied with alot of carbonation. Its so easy to drink and this bottle will go down quick unfortunately. Definitely worth grabbing if you can, well worth it.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 02:39:36 | More by mikereaser

DCon

Missouri

4.38/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Enjoyed a 1 PINT 9.4 FL OZ 750 ML bottle of this w/ ChrisF & was received at the "Big Beers Festival" in Vail, CO. Poured from the easy going bottle w/ TROPIC KING in yellow writing into a 16oz Pint Glass. Has only 1 YR Cellar Limit on the back of the bottle but no freshness date. Not worried.

Aroma- Tons of fruitiness, spice, and herb from the beginning. Malt and sweetness come in at the middle then. Nice hop and light sour finish. Nice! Can't beat this!

Appearance- Pours a 4 finger head that has GREAT retention. Very cloudy, golden with a nice light orange body. Leaves good lacing behind that is referred to as "Belgian Lace" (while studying for the BJCP).

Flavor- Very soft attributes all around. Fruit and light spice hang out around on the palate and bring an easy dry concluding finish. Belgian style also with a light bitterness level.

Mouthfeel- Light-Medium Bodied, Highly Carbonated, Effervescent, and has easy prickling on the tongue with light spices and malt.

Overall Impression- A VERY awesome Saison! This used to be my favorite style and I have to say, would love more of this. Nice sour notes and spice but went down easy. HIGHLY recommend! Will be looking to enjoy my Helter Spelter soon enough or else trade it. That good!

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2012 02:04:03 | More by DCon

GregSVT

Texas

4.18/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750ml bottle into a snifter

A: Pours a hazy dark yellow/orange with a huge white head that sits around for a while and leaves a ton of sticky lacing. It's amost overcarbonated which might not bode well for the mouthfeel.

S: The nose has big notes of lemon grass, ginger, peppery yeast, earthy hops, and a funky brett-like aroma.

T: The taste mimics the nose with big flavors of lemon rinde, fruity esters, earthy hops, and a slight funky brett style flavor. I know this doesn't have brett in it but it sure tastes like it.

M: The feel is medium bodied with huge bubbles from the carbonation...I'd like to see a bit less carbonation.

O: The Saison yeast used in this one is a bit funkier than some others in the style I've had. Still a tasty beer and one I would recommend.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 05:26:53 | More by GregSVT

JoeAmerican77

Colorado

3.93/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The color of dehydrated, supplement enhanced urine...thats brownish yellow for those non athletes out there. Exploding carbonation and a fat white head top it off. Banana, oranges, clove, spicyness out the hizzle, a huge nose for sure! There is lemon, peaches and yeast, orange skin and spicy alcohol rocking the tongue, a bit of hop bitterness in the afterthought. Good flavor unfortunately it overpowered my palate after a few sips leaving a numb lemony taste. Good medium body that acts light and refreshing.

Overall a solid Saison from a good colorado brewery.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 00:49:21 | More by JoeAmerican77