Sun Sick Day

Sun Sick Day by Moniker Brewery is being evaluated as a Fruit Beer (Category 29A) from the 2021 BJCP Style Guidelines.

Sun Sick Day Gose features a deep yellow color with significant haze, and a light ring of white bubbles that clings to the side of the glass. It delivers a prominent aroma of fresh, ripe mango with a suggestion of ripe pineapple. As the tropical fruit begins to fade a light bready wheat and an impression of saltiness, like standing on a beach, start to emerge. The mango continues to blossom as the beer warms and vents. A touch of citrus zest from fermentation emerges late.

The flavor follows the aroma with prominent fresh, bright and ripe mango with a candy-like sweetness leading the charge. Light bready wheat emerges mid-palate along with a moderately light and pleasant lactic sourness and light saltiness. The lactic sourness is sharp and clean. A moderate residual sweetness in the middle dries out to a medium finish. There is no hop flavor, and just a suggestion of hop bitterness, which is appropriate for style. This beer is completed by its medium body and moderately high carbonation.

This is an enjoyable and well-brewed fruited gose with an abundance of mango, complemented by a balancing light, salty character and moderately light acidity. A slight reduction in the mango and better attenuation would allow the other qualities of this beer to sing, but it is, regardless, a refreshing and tasty brew that represents the gose style well.