Mantra Roots Double IPA

Mantra produces good beer, they are made here in Nashville, and I've enjoyed most of what I've had. So, it is in that vain that I accept the challenge of a beer that has added carrots. The last one that I had with something added was tangerine, but it's not uncommon to add chocolate, coffee, or something to the mix. Sometimes it works out, but I would kind of rather that brewers master the usual ingredients first. Also notable was that all but one can distorted the top from internal pressure when I pulled them from the standard four pack holder.

Holy foam, Batman! This beer's head shot out of the can as soon as I opened it. When I tried to pour, I wound up with like 2" of beer and the rest was just foam that took too long to go down. The hazy, orange-bronze beer has the aroma of ... beer. I don't smell the carrots, and I'm quite the fan of carrots, so I would think I would detect the scent. Ah well, let's see if we get beer or a vegetable garden for the sip.

First sip is interesting, that's for sure. All up front, it is a no-nonsense beer with the bitterness that you would not normally expect from a DIPA but you might from an IPA. Then, things take a turn for the worse. The back-end is bitter, dry, and lonely. It has a harshness from the grains and the carrots that are really too much for the mouth to contend with. This isn't HiCu level bad, but it is off-putting to say the least. But that is only a sip, and we can't judge a painting while looking at it through a keyhole in the front door of the museum.

Tip-in is sweet malt, carbonation sizzle, and carrot ...err... cartoness. The middle is awash with pine and citrus hops while the gentle grains and carrot seem to do a very good job of producing a base. Then, the finish is a discordant bitter, dry, pine hit with a slight carrot and pine trail-off.

Bottom Line: Sometimes, you color outside the box and make a Picasso. Sometimes, your child just couldn't help herself. This was deliberate but ultimately fruitless.

1.75/5