Mangrove Jacks Lucky Goat Pale Ale Review
A versatile kit that will support a range of preferences and styles for the individual brewer.
Part of the Traditional Pouch range, the Mangrove Jacks Lucky Goat Pale Ale is widely regarded as one of Mangrove Jacks most popular kits and we think for very good reason.
This was also the second time we have brewed this kit recently and our key takeaway is this kit is a very versatile brew that will support a range of preferences and styles of the individual brewer.
For the Mangrove Jacks Lucky Goat Pale Ale review we made two brews – a basics brew and a recipe brew. For the basic brew we made the Lucky Goat Pale Ale the simplest, most cost-effective way we could and for the recipe brew we used liquid malt extract, premium yeast and a dry-hop addition. Overall, we produced two great brews which make for easy drinking, although the recipe brew won the general consensus from our friends.
The Basics Brew
Our goal with the basics brew was to brew this kit in the easiest, quickest and most cost-effective way possible.
To achieve this we brewed the Lucky Goat Pale Ale along with the factory yeast which is provided with the kit and 1kg of dextrose.
We had this brew ready to pitch the yeast with under 30-minutes of prep and for less than $35.
What We Used
Basics Brew Finished Product
As can be expected using dextrose the body of the brew was exceptionally light and had the characteristic sweet tone.
However, the flavour was otherwise clean. Subtle sweet malt character with soft fruit tones.
As described by the packet the colour was a bright gold, almost more what would be expected from a lager.
A cleaner flavour could be achieved using a brew enhancer or liquid brewing sugar over dextrose.
Overall, great brew and easy drinking.
The Recipe Brew
The last time we made this brew we used an Ultra-Light Liquid Malt Extract and the Nelson Sauvin Hop, which produced a great result. We published a video which covered this approach.
This time we took a different approach which produced an equally great brew but with a very different finish, leading us to our comments around the flexibility of this kit.
What We Used
Recipe Brew Finished Product
Overall, the brew was exceptionally well balanced.
The Light Liquid Malt Extract gave us a moderate sweet malt character for flavour, added a depth and richness to the colour and gave us a moderate body with good mouthfeel.
The Amarillo hops worked well with the brew, introducing a nice citrus note with strong hints of orange fruit.
We produced a very drinkable brew but the colour and malt character of the finished product was a lot deeper than a pale ale and more in line with what might be expected from an IPA or APA.
We commented that we felt the Lucky Goat Pale Ale is a very versatile kit that can be taken in different directions depending on the preferences of the brewer. When liquid malt extract is used, the malt chosen will be one of the biggest variables that affects the finished product.
We have previously brewed this kit using an Ultra-Light Liquid Malt Extract which gave us a vibrant gold colour with a subtle malt character.
I’m keen to experiment further with this kit and two alternatives that I would look at using would be a Blonde Liquid Malt Extract or a Wheat Liquid Malt Extract, which would potentially give us a finish more in line with a typical pale ale.
The Verdict From Our Friends
This brew was shared widely among my friends and while both the basics brew received positive comments the crowd favourite in this case was the recipe brew.
The feedback for the basics brew described the flavour as being very clean. The comments for the recipe brew favoured the body which came from the liquid malt extract and the additional flavour elements in the flavour profile.
For me personally I gave the basic brew a 6/10 on the Home Brew Republic Brew Scale and the recipe brew a 7.5/10.
The two things holding the basics brew back for me were the sweet tone coming through from the Dextrose and the lack of body. But – these are also personal preferences and beauty can be in the eye of the brew holder. And as mentioned above the dextrose can be easily swapped out to start overcoming these characteristics, without adding significant cost.
The recipe brew was given a higher rating as it was favoured by my friends – who were more than happy to have another pint each time.
Overall two great and very drinkable brews made using the popular Mangrove Jacks Pale Ale Kit. And one we’ll be brewing again in the future.
Mangrove Jacks Lucky Goat Pale Ale
$28.95
Mangrove Jack’s Traditional Series Lucky Goat Pale Ale Beer Kit – Pours gold ale, with white head. Pleasant malt aroma with soft fruit undertones. Light malt sweetness with a hint of vanilla, well balanced with hop bitterness and clean aftertaste.
Includes style appropriate brewing yeast.
ABV Approx: 4.4%
IBU: 28-36
Optimal Fermenting Temp: 20 – 25ºC
Makes:23 L
5 in stock