Beer of the Weekend #660: ZeeLander IPA
The Quiet Man has been extra quiet lately and I need a beer. I smell a post!
I had a cold late last week, which is why I skipped the usual Friday tasting. Even PBR tasted a little off. Thankfully, my health and taste buds have recovered, so I thought it was high time to crack open one of the bombers chilling in my fridge.
The beer tonight is ZeeLander IPA, brewed by the Toppling Goliath Brewing Company of Decorah, Iowa.
Serving type: 22-ounce bottle. No freshness date.
Appearance: Pours a hazy, deep orange. An overly careful pour produces a half-finger of eggshell-colored head that leaves a skim with spots of thicker foam and a collar around the edge.
Smell: The first whiff is very pleasing with doses of citrus and tropical fruit. Orange, grapefruit, kiwi (it is brewed with hops from New Zeeland), pineapple, a little caramel, and a little lemon zest. It is a touch catty, too; the cattiness tints each sniff. The beer’s description calls the aroma “confusing.” It is not that confusing, but it is a little difficult to decipher. (Not that I do a particularly good job of it all the time, anyway. I do my best.)
Taste: Sharp and zesty with a lot of pleasing citrus and tropical fruit. There is not as much cattiness as there is in the smell, but it is noticeable with each sip. It is herbal, too. There are flavors of grapefruit, kiwi, orange, caramel, and lemon.
Drinkability: This is how a single-hopped beer should be (are you reading this, Mikkeller?). Tasty, complex, and also a little confusing.
Fun facts about ZeeLander:
-Style: Single hop IPA.
-Price: $7.99/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Alcohol content: 5.5 percent ABV.
-IBU: 88.
The Quiet Man’s grade: A-.
I had a cold late last week, which is why I skipped the usual Friday tasting. Even PBR tasted a little off. Thankfully, my health and taste buds have recovered, so I thought it was high time to crack open one of the bombers chilling in my fridge.
The beer tonight is ZeeLander IPA, brewed by the Toppling Goliath Brewing Company of Decorah, Iowa.
Serving type: 22-ounce bottle. No freshness date.
Appearance: Pours a hazy, deep orange. An overly careful pour produces a half-finger of eggshell-colored head that leaves a skim with spots of thicker foam and a collar around the edge.
Smell: The first whiff is very pleasing with doses of citrus and tropical fruit. Orange, grapefruit, kiwi (it is brewed with hops from New Zeeland), pineapple, a little caramel, and a little lemon zest. It is a touch catty, too; the cattiness tints each sniff. The beer’s description calls the aroma “confusing.” It is not that confusing, but it is a little difficult to decipher. (Not that I do a particularly good job of it all the time, anyway. I do my best.)
Taste: Sharp and zesty with a lot of pleasing citrus and tropical fruit. There is not as much cattiness as there is in the smell, but it is noticeable with each sip. It is herbal, too. There are flavors of grapefruit, kiwi, orange, caramel, and lemon.
Drinkability: This is how a single-hopped beer should be (are you reading this, Mikkeller?). Tasty, complex, and also a little confusing.
Fun facts about ZeeLander:
-Style: Single hop IPA.
-Price: $7.99/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Alcohol content: 5.5 percent ABV.
-IBU: 88.
The Quiet Man’s grade: A-.
