Style: Pale lager
Brewery: Mick & Jack
Origin: Sweden
Size: 33cl
Alcohol: 5.2%
Price: 35kr
Systembolaget: 30430
The worst thing about planning the beer tastings is when there is hardly any information about the brewery or beer online. I love knowing facts about where the beer has come from and the thought process behind each one, but unfortunately sometimes that can be lacking. This is one of the times when I wish I had more information, because I know very little about this brewery. It began in 2016 but moved into larger scale production in 2019. Based in Skåne, they produce gin and a wide variety of beers, including a rosemary APA. Habanero is a chilli named after the city of “La Habana” or Havana, Cuba and is rated up to 350,000 on the Scoville scale. Even with the lack of information though, how did I find this beer? If I’m honest, it was pretty average. This was paired with a chili cheese quiche.
This was dark amber in colour with a thin white head that lasted well. Medium carbonation was evident, and the beer had a slight haze, but was predominantly clear. The chilli aroma came through strongly, giving off heat that was warming in the nostrils. There were also notes of honey and hay, with a slight tropical note finishing off the aroma. The taste was nice, with the chilli giving off crisp vegetable notes while mixed with the strong honey taste. I hoped for a slightly bigger mango presence, though it must be said. The chilli warmth came into its own in the aftertaste, with the heat noticed first in the mouth and then the chest. It still wasn’t as hot as I hoped, but maybe if the habanero was stronger, it might have unbalanced the beer somewhat. The mouthfeel was also surprisingly thick for a lager.
I enjoyed this, with the mango and chilli notes both present, but I just wished for slightly more of each. If they had upped the fruity mango and heat an extra notch, this could have been amazing. As it is though, it was fine but slightly lacking.