So far this week I've looked at a stout brewed with Oranges, a Belgian ale brewed with Sea Salt. Neither of those beers have anything on the wild ingredients used in this brew. Mikkeller, who we've looked at before, are no strangers to pushing the boundaries, but Mexas Ranger is most definitely the most daring of their beers that I have had the pleasure to enjoy. Mexas Ranger is brewed with spices, almond milk, cocoa, chilies, black beans, avocado leaves and is then aged in tequila barrels! I couldn't look myself in the mirror if I left that beer on the shelves. I just wish I had some tacos to go along with it! To the beer!
Mexas Ranger pours an inky, silky black buried underneath a towering layer of frothy, bubbly mocha colored head that leaves great lacing. I'm not really sure how I was expecting this beer to look, but I certainly wasn't expecting to see something so porter/ stout-ish.
The aromas on this beer are downright lovely. Subtle notes of powdery cocoa lend a faint but round sweetness. Some terrific complexity is added by nutty, spicy hints, a faint hit of vanilla, and a very understated fruitiness. It sounds like there's a lot going on, and there is, but everything is very measured, very complimentary. Complex, but subtle.
Mexas Ranger is medium bodied and leads with flavors of bitter, roasty, cold pressed coffee. A milky sweetness soon follows. That sweetness is balanced by plenty of dry, tart flavors and some very nice bittersweet chocolate notes. Faint smokiness and a subtle spiciness add some complexity.
None of those bizarre ingredients really stand out and overshadow any of the others. They all work in concert to create a very subtle, quite complex, and ultimately pretty fascinating beer. Don't be put off by the tequila barrel aging. I am not a fan of the cactus derived spirits in the least. Tequila flavors don't really manifest. I think it's most evident in that sharp tartness. Good stuff here. Seek this one out.
HD
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