Brewers Gone Wild!

I was talking with a guy at work last week about an upcoming brew session and how I was going to try some new hop varieties.  The varieties are not new to the brewing world (Simcoe, Warrior, Amarillo, etc.), but somehow I have not managed to work these into my IPA recipe experimentation.  The discussion led to a suggestion that I try the latest limited release from Tyranena over in Lake Mills, WI.  His description of the beer was simple..."like chewing on raw hops".  I ran out to the store over the weekend and picked up a 4 pack before it disappeared off the shelves.

Stickin' It To The Man Extra India Pale Ale is the current big, bold and ballsy release in the Brewers Gone Wild series by Tyranena.  Each beer in this series is "to the extreme. Big flavor, wild names and.... well.... do you need more?" according to the company's website.  The label describes Stickin' It To The Man as:

"Ruby red and nearly medium-bodied, Specially roasted malts and audacious hopping produce a rich cornucopia of fruity flavors and aromas, sticking it to the beer establishment."

So how does the beer live up to its billing?  Here are my tasting notes as I finish off the last bottle in the four pack.

• Appearance: Ruby red is the perfect description of the color, thin head gave way relatively quickly with some hanging around on the side of the glass as I taste, No haze or cloudiness that almost leads to a brightness
• Aroma: Pine, citrus, some light caramel
• Taste: Flavor up front starts with a focus on hop flavor and sweetness, bitterness is there but really starts to come through as the beer hits the rest of your tongue, And it really hits hard, the bitterness is very dry and really grabs hold of your tongue, Hop flavors (grapefruit, citrus) hang around but more in the background

I really like how this beer comes together.  The bitterness is strong and lasting and pushes right up to the limit of being harsh.  It really is like chewing on a hop pellet!  Minutes after I take a sip, the flavors and bitterness continue to hang around in my mouth.  The dryness makes me want to pick up the glass for another sip!  Probably explains why this is the last of the four beers in the pack.  For those who like hop heavy beers, I think you will find Stickin It surprizingly drinkable.

Tyranena has definitely done well to prove that not all Wisconsin brewers are afraid to use hops.  In past posts and reviews, I have commented that the micros in this area tend to shy away from really big and bold flavors.  Nice to know that there is someone out there marching to the beat of a different drummer.  I am just bummed I missed out on some of these past releases:

• Who's Your Daddy? Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Porter
• Bitter Woman from Hell Extra India Pale Ale
• HopWhore Imperial India Pale Ale
• Spank Me Baby! Barley Wine-Style Ale
• The Devil Made Me Do It! Imperial Oatmeal Porter Brewed with Coffee Beans
• High Class Broad Imperial Brown Ale Aged in Brandy Barrels

Based on these names, something tells me that a "Girls" Gone Wild reference isn't too far off in the future.  I'll start the thinking off with "Show Me Your Hops"!

Comments

[Jonathan]

We actually added Simcoe to our IPA recipe last night. I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out. I've been pushing for some experimentation with Amarillo, but we've yet to find the recipe we want to fiddle with. Sorry... not really related to the post, but you got me all excited about brewing in the first paragraph!