Saint Brewis

A St. Louis Craft Beer Blog

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Ska Brewing Company – Modus Mandarina

Brewery: Ska Brewing Company
Location Durango, CO
Style American IPA
 ABV 6.8%
 IBUs 88

 

Best Quote During Tasting

Do they even make car alarms anymore or was that like a 90's thing?

Justin:

Aroma - Orange, orange, orange, orange, orange.  Orange tic tacs.  Orange soda.  Orange zest.  Orange juice.  THEN, there's some sweetness from the malt that's bready and caramel.  It's basically orange, though.
Score: 10/12
Appearance - The beer pours a shade of gold that one might even call "orange" and yes I'm being serious.  There is a nice, fluffy head that is eggshell white and made up of tight bubbles.  The head won't ever leave and clings to the glass like it's holding on for dear life.
Score: 3/3
Flavor - It's orangey, for sure but not as orangey as the aroma and definitely not as sweet as one would expect.  The front end gets most of the sweetness and towards the middle is where the hops kick in.  They're fruity and kinda resinous and provide bitterness right here as well.  Finally, there are some distinct earthy notes from the hops on the back end before it goes into a semi-dry finish.
Score: 17/20
Mouthfeel - It has a medium+ body which goes well with the juicy theme of the beer, medium carbonation and no alcohol warmth.
Score: 4/5
Overall Impression - As the kids say: "Daaaamn, Daniel!"  This beer was good.  A little gimmicky?  Sure!  But show me a brewery that doesn't have one of those in their lineup.  The combination of the hops and fruit make this one fun to drink.  Right when you think you know what you're getting, BAM, you get some earthiness out of nowhere to layer on complexity.  Even though it's the same ABV and the same IBUs as the regular Modus Hoperandi, it drinks very differently.  Unlike MH, this one could be used to break someone through their fear of IPA bitterness.
Score: 9/10

 

Modus Mandarina Final Score
  • Aroma
  • Appearance
  • Flavor
  • Mouthfeel
  • Overall
4.3
User Rating: 0.0 (0 votes)
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Justin Phelps

Justin Phelps

Co-Founder at Saint Brewis
Justin Phelps is a Certified Cicerone® who was born and raised in St. Louis. His passion for beer goes beyond just drinking it as he is also an award-winning home brewer. While he may be a marketing professional by day, he's a blogger, brewery hopper, and beer enthusiast by night.

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