It’s just a relaxing Saturday, and after spending the morning cleaning house, it was time to sit and watch some college basketball. I had heard many good things about this beer from St. Louis friends, and on Twitter, so I bought a 6-pack of this beer a month or two ago. I’ve already had a few, but I’m finally getting around to sitting down and doing a review of it.

The bottle says, “ A Special Release IPA, TIPA is available for a limited time, with a new IPA every few months. Schlafly Tasmanian style IPA is brewed with 100% Australian hops. They impart a unique citrus flavor to the ale. ”

Location: Poured into a Schlafly snifter glass from the bottle at my home in Bloomington, IL.

Numbers: 7.2% ABV, ~ 230 Calories

Appearance & Aroma: It’s golden-orange in color and is slightly hazy from a bit of sediment in the bottom of the bottle. There’s a good amount of carbonation, giving it a fluffy, white head with a good amount of retention. There’s a very citrusy, grapefruity aroma.

Taste & Feel: The body is medium and the body is somewhat crisp from the carbonation and hops. There’s some sweet honey-like maltiness up front, followed by a burst of tropical-citrusy hop flavors. The mix of grapefruit, pineapple, mango, and other citrus flavors was almost puckering as it continued into the finish with a little bit of piney hop flavor. The finish is a bit dry with a good amount of citrusy bitterness, which lasts for a little bit in the aftertaste.

Food Pairing: This is a really citrusy flavored beer, and therefore, I’d probably go with something complimentary. I think it would be great with a white fish dish, but I would really love to have it with some fish tacos – mixing some tangy, citrus, and light flavors.

Overall Impression: I had heard a lot about this being a good IPA, but I didn’t know to expect the huge citrus in this beer. It was a nice mix of grapefruit, mango, pineapple and other tropical hop flavors. While I’ve had several “West Coast style” IPAs, this was even more citrusy, and was fairly unique compared to other beers I’ve had. It wasn’t until I had the Lagunitas Sucks that I’d had anything with such a tropical citrusy hop profile. Overall, I think it’s a different kind of IPA that’s very drinkable. I also enjoyed Schlafly’s AIPA, and I look forward to the others coming in their IPA series.

My Rating:

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