Modus Mandarina

This beer pours a very pretty deep amber with a nice fluffy beige head that sticks around and produces a pleasant Belgian lacing on the sides of the glass. The first impression when raising this beer to your nose is of an orange grove -- a big orange juice and zest character, as well as an earthy forest floor-like mossy character with hints of freshly mown grass. Taking a sip, the orange from the aroma comes through very nicely in the flavor with the orange zest oils more prominent. A moderately toasty and bread crust malt backbone helps support the substantial bittering into a very dry finish.

Since the beer is quite dry and bitter, it would pair nicely with a Chinese chicken dish served with sweet-and-sour sauce or duck sauce – the oranges complementing the flavors, and the bittering helping to cut the sweetness of the food.