Beer of the Weekend #755: Pompeii

Sometime this month I should probably blog about something other than beer…

The beer of the weekend is the other “coupon” beer I bought last Friday: Pompeii, brewed by the Toppling Goliath Brewing Company of Decorah, Iowa.


The color is hazy, golden amber. Two fingers of bubble-spotted, dense, shiny head dissipates slowly, leaving trails of foam on the glass, a ring around the edge, and a center of thicker foam surrounded by a ring of skim. The aroma is delightfully citrusy and tropical. There are scents of kiwi, orange, light caramel, and pineapple. It has a pleasant and complementary earthy scent, too. The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy. Coupled with the flavor, it makes the beer quite easy-drinking! The flavor mostly mirrors the aroma — and epically so. Pineapple, kiwi, a little orange, and earthy bitterness that lingers on the tongue and tonsils. The bitterness really kicks in after the beer has warmed for forty minutes. (It was ice cold when I took it out of the fridge.) Pale malt and caramel are also noticeable, but the citrus and tropical fruit shine.

Fun facts about Pompeii:

• Style: IPA.

• Price: $7.99 per 22-ounce bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.

• Alcohol content: 5.5 percent ABV.

• IBU: 55.

• Pompeii is part of Toppling Goliath’s Hop Patrol series of IPAs.

• Here’s the description via the brewery’s website:

Inspiration for our newest Hop Patrol IPA comes from the House of Faun in Pompeii, Italy. At this site, some of the world’s most famous mosaics were preserved under layers of ash after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. In this fashion, Pompeii IPA preserves and showcases the luxurious taste of the Mosaic hop. This single-hop IPA offers a floral aroma and a truly complex “mosaic” of taste: dark citrus and pineapple flavors, with deep earthy undertones and a persistent bitterness in the finish.

• It would be worthwhile to spend a day or two in Decorah. It would be a nice getaway, with tasty brew from Toppling Goliath to boot. (I get the feeling I think and say the same thing every time I drink a Toppling Goliath brew.)


The Quiet Man’s grade: A.

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