Founders Mas Agave

Mas Agave

Founders Brewing Company

I figured it was about time to start looking for a beer to review in June, and just as I started looking around, a new beer fell right into my lap. Not literally, but I just happened to stumble into a local distributor who had just gotten a shipment of the new Mas Agave beer from Founders Brewing Company.

Joining the Founders’ Barrel-Aged Series, Mas Agave is an imperial gose. I’m used to gose-style beers being a lot lighter on the ABV scale so Mas Agave’s 10% alcohol definitely grabbed my attention.

The beer itself is brewed with agave (obviously), lime juice, and salt before being aged in Tequila barrels for “just the right amount of kick. My first sample of the brew was after a long day of brewery hopping but I was definitely impressed with how smooth it went down given the high ABV and tequila taste.

Then last night, I decided to crack open another bottle from the 4-pack and give it the attention it deserves to truly appreciate the beer.

The Look

As expected from a gose, the beer is very light in color, it actually looks a lot like liquid agave honey. A thick frothy head foams up quickly and I was surprised to see it linger a lot longer than many higher ABV beers I’m used to. Even once most of the foam had dissipated a thin layer remained across the surface of the beer.

Aroma

I could hardly take time to appreciate the pour of the beer before the aroma assaulted my nose. Even from a distance, the sweet smell of fresh lime juice filled the air around the glass.

I finally leaned in to try to get a more substantial whiff of the beer but it definitely took some time to get past the lime. After a few tries though, the subtle notes of tequila were definitely there as well. If you’d blindfolded me and put that beer in front of me, I would have sworn it was a fresh margarita on the rocks.

Flavor

As expected from the nose of the beer, the taste is also very lime forward, especially on the first few sips. The beer is so juicy it leaves an almost syrupy sweet residue across your tongue and cheeks.

Behind the lime, you find just a touch of salt and the perfect amount of burn from the tequila barrels. The hint of tequila also becomes more noticeable if you hold a sip a bit longer on your tongue.

Seriously, this beer screams margarita. I’m actually considering trying a glass served on ice the next time I’m baking under the summer sun.

Overall Rating – 3.75/5

This is a really strange beer but I actually thoroughly enjoyed it. For me, the price of the 4-pack was a bit high so I’m not sure when or if I’ll grab more but that’s one of the few reasons it didn’t rank higher on my scale.

It’s definitely a beer I enjoyed, it’s perfect for the summer, and I’d be shocked if I didn’t find another bottle in my hand at least once or twice before September rolls around. If you’re a margarita fan, you definitely won’t be disappointed by this unique creation from Founders.

Cheers!

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