Jeff Eggleston
Founders Brewing Co. was started in 1997 by Mike Stevens and Dave Engbers.
Many beers later, it is probably most known for its Breakfast Stout and Kentucky Breakfast Stout (KBS), a cave-aged bourbon barrel stout that has become one of the most anticipated releases in recent craft beer history. But, the company makes more than just stouts for breakfast, a lot more.
Today’s review is of Mango Magnifico, a 10 percent ABV ale fermented with mango and habanero chilies. The label appears to show a pair of female flamingo dancers and there is no description or summary of the beer on the bottle, which also lacks a bottling or best by date.
Poured into a glass, the most magnificent thing is the color, a brilliant orange-yellow-gold color with a touch of cloudiness. There is a finger of white head, small spotty lacing and a stream of carbonation bubbles continuously rising to the top. Aromas of fresh cut mango, orange juice, peaches and plums and a little bit of overripe citrus funkiness in the background.
The taste is overpowering with sweetness and a very pronounced alcohol bite. I am getting a lot of overripe citrus and a bit of heat from the chilies. Carbonation is flat, which is a surprise considering all of the carbonation bubbles that were initially present. The mouthfeel is cool and coats the tongue with sweet citrus while delivering a bit of heat from the habaneros at the end. The sugary sweetness of slighty past its prime mango and orange overpower an otherwise good balance. Allowing the beer to warm just adds to the previously mentioned faults and brings more of the alcohol to the forefront.
