Colour matching is an art form in the fashion and interior design world. Not so much the beer world, but if it tastes good who really cares?
Maltgarden have really gone a bit bonkers with this flavour-bomb of a pastry sour. Blueberry and banana are a tried and tested combination, but when you throw in both marshmallow and coconut it gets a little freaky in the can.
A lot of big flavours in one can could be a recipe for a muddle of a beer, but Maltgarden have matched the flavours just as well as - if not even better than - their colours. Whatever their colours may be.
With such a big flavour like banana in this one, it's no surprise that banana is the main aroma as soon as you open the can, with a tropical undertone of coconut. It smells almost exactly like a pina colada but without the pineapple, which is strange in a beer.
The pour is surprisingly purple, which will be where the blueberries first make themselves known. It is quite thick for a sour, with a creamy and smooth texture that helps it really go down smoothly despite the sharpness.
The flavour is very heavy on the banana at first which gives it a really strong base to bring in the sour tartness of the blueberries, which balances the dense, fruity banana really well. The marshmallow brings in a touch of artificial sweetness which actually works quite well with the rich flavours, while the coconut brings a tropical flavour that lingers in the back of the flavour profile all the way through.
The aftertaste is very much like a cocktail, all of the big, fruity flavours combining to leave a very exciting and satisfying flavour after each sip.
For a beer called Matching Colours Maltgarden have realy made a statement with their can design. I can only assume that the colour scheme was based on the flavours in the beer with the yellow banana mixing in a watercolour style with with blueberry blue and the silvers mixing in presumably to represent the coconut and marshmallow.
The colours, while maybe not matching, are very visually striking and help to really contrast and stand out on the shelf. There is continuity there with the beer name and description on the front with the same font as all Maltgarden's beers, with the name Maltgarden on the bottom in a band of white that runs around the whole can.
There's information on the back about the beer's provenance, with a little more detail about the ingredients and the usual nutritional and retail requirements, but this can is mainly about the arty colour scheme on the front.
Get one of these vibrant vestibules of succulent sourness from your local bottle shop like we did, or online you can currently get it from Craft Metropolis for £5.50.
A very reasonable price to pay for things that match so well.