Mangrove Jacks Kveik IPA Review
Its all about the citrus. Its all about the citrus. Its all about the citrus.
The namesake for the Mangrove Jacks Craft Series Kveik IPA comes from the yeast, which has Norwegian origins and leaves plenty of room for intrigue around what the characteristics of the brew will be.
If you like a good strong citrus profile, you are more likely to take to this brew, but we suspect beauty will be in the eye of the brew holder and some may find the citrus forward notes overpowering.
For those happy to drink their ale slighly warmer the tropical back-notes become more apparent, complimenting the citrus along with the solid bitterness.
The Finished Product
Visually we achieved a very clean and clear finish. The colour has gold tones but has a rich depth to it. To me we seem to be somewhere around 9-11 on an SRM colour chart.
We used Light Liquid Malt Extract which has given us a very smooth mouth finish and an easy-going body.
The brew pours well with a firm medium head. The packet description suggests aromas of complex tropical fruits but the citrus characteristics dominant on all fronts. The description calls out orange citrus but there are also stronger notes of Grapefruit which come through from the Citra hop.
With an IBU of 48-56 there is a good satisfying bitterness on the back of the brew. I think it needed this stronger bitterness to carry the strength of the citrus characteristics. If it has been an easier going bitterness, I suspect it would have been overpowered by the citrus. These two characteristics together leave a ‘citrussy’ tang on the pallet.
My original gravity was 1.050 and my final gravity was 1.012 giving me 4.9% ABV against the expected 5.5%. Had the final gravity come down a little more to 1.010 I would have achieved 5.25% ABV which was a little closer to the target.
Mangrove Jacks Kveik IPA - What The Packet Says
Packet Description
Discover a mouth-watering aroma of orange-citrus and complex tropical fruits. Smooth and clean on the palate with fruity notes and a firm, satisfying bitterness. Pours a vibrant gold with a white head.
Brew Details
ABV Approx: 5.5%
Bitterness: 4/5
IBU 48-56
Makes: 23 Litres
Colour: Vibrant Gold
Hops: Amarillo and Citra
Is the Mangrove Jacks Kveik IPA A Citrus IPA?
To me this was the strongest citrus profile I have ever had in a beer. I would happily say it was a double citrus IPA and acknowledge that it was a little too ‘citrussy’ for my liking.
One neighbour I shared the brew with made the same comment yet at the same time another neighbour said that it needed to have more citrus to really be a citrus IPA. And then another couple of friends who did like citrus gave the brew a solid thumbs up.
Your view on how ‘citrussy’ the brew is will most likely depend on your tolerance and preference for citrus profiles. And it’s likely everyone will have a slightly difference view in this space.
One aspect that does affect the citrus profile is the length of time allowed for bottle maturing.
At four weeks I found the citrus to be the dominant characteristic. After eight-nine weeks maturing in the bottle the flavours had largely settled. The citrus notes had mellowed and some of the other elements of the flavour profile, like the tropical back notes came through more easily.
The tropical back notes were also a lot more noticeable when the beer was decanted and allowed to sit out of the fridge for 30-45 minutes before drinking. There’s a lot of commentary on ideal temperatures for drinking different styles of beer if you’re interested in experimenting.
My Takeouts
The Citrus & The Yeast
If you use the Mangrove Jack’s Kveik Yeast independently in a brew it will create a strong citrus profile in a brew during fermentation.
(Note: I am making a general reference to using the yeast as an individual item when brewing, not specifically in relation to this Craft Series Kit).
I experimented with a recipe pack that used the Kveik yeast before I brewed the Mangrove Jack’s Craft Series Kveik IPA.
While brewing the recipe pack, I tasted a trial jar mid-fermentation before adding hops. At that point the citrus notes were of a strength that I would consider the maximum I would want, even if I was wanting to build up a citrus profile.
The yeast will produce a citrus profile by itself, which I would suggest you keep in mind if using the Kveik yeast (available separately) in other brews.
If I use the Kviek yeast again with another kit, I wouldn’t dry-hop with citrus based flavour profiles. I appreciate that comment is based on my preference and tolerance for citrus flavours.
Fermentation Temperature Range
The most defining characteristic of the yeast is that it is capable of fermenting at high temperatures (relative to other yeasts) without the associated off flavours.
The suitable fermentation temperature range is 20-40 degrees Celsius, and the ideal temperature range is 30-40 degrees Celsius.
For this brew and the recipe pack mentioned in the last section I fermented at 27-29 degrees Celsius which was the upper limit of my temperature control in the ambient temperature at the time of fermentation.
This yeast offers a unique opportunity for anyone brewing in warmer temperatures without temperature control. At this point we are having a very mild start to summer but it hasn’t been uncommon for my brews to reach 27-30 degrees mid-summer when brewing in ambient temperatures – which would normally lead some off-flavours.
For the Mangrove Jack’s Craft Series Kveik IPA I’m going for a 6.5/10 on the Home Brew Republic Brew Quality Scale. BUT I’m giving this rating based on my personal preference especially in relation to the citrus profile, which was well past my preferred threshold.
To the credit of the brew, it was exceptionally clear visually and has a very clean flavour profile with no off flavours.
If a Citrus IPA sounds appealing to you, then the Mangrove Jack’s Craft Series Kveik IPA will likely be a brew that you enjoy – but how strong you find the citrus profile will vary based on your preferences.
I shared this brew with several friends – the feedback was inconsistent – but those that had a strong liking for citrus flavours were more likely to take to the brew. I suspect this will be one of those brews where beauty is in the eyes of the brew holder.
