St. John Brewers - Virgin Islands Pale Ale

Got the one from bhensonb. Poured a clear yellow with a small white foamy head and light lacing. Nose of sweet malts and tropical fruit. Fizzy mouthfeel. Fruity mango flavor and soda pop like finish. Drinkable but not very refreshing.

12oz bottle from Total Wine (Tampa, FL). Pours a generally clear dark yellow to golden with a one finger bright white foamy head that settles quickly but still provides some lacing. Aroma is sweet, malt, mango, and ripe fresh fruit. Flavor is much of the same: fresh fruity and mango flavors overpower the sweet malt and bready notes. Light body with a crisp sweet finish.

Duped! This was with all the tropical beers, I wanted a tasteless whatever beer from the tropics, not a poorly made fruit beer from Shipyard. Yellowish orange color, dominating apricot and mango aroma. Lighter bodied, drinkable but one dimensional.

Bottle indicates Tropical Mango. The concept and idea of of Virgin Islands beer with tropical fruit such as mango was interesting. The final result is just disappointing. While the aroma is filled with mango, the taste is badly balanced. The beer should have the sweetness of the mango, and unfortunately it is counterblanced by too much hops bitterness, giving the beer a citrus fruit soda aspect.

The mango flavor itself is pretty decent but everything else just falls flat, taste too astringent and mildly soapy.