Beer of the Weekend #925: Tailwind
Look what I found! It’s a can of Tailwind, the official beer of RAGBRAI XLVII, brewed by the Big Grove Brewery of Iowa City, Iowa.
How old is this can? “08/08/19” is printed on the bottom, so that should be the canning date. Where has it been all this time? I wish I knew. I found it at the Co-op in Iowa City in a sale display near the registers—nowhere near the beer fridge. The good sign is that it was brewed after RAGBRAI, so it is not part of a leftover case from an overnight or pass-through town.
The color is hazy amber. A finger of beige, bubbly head leaves a frothy collar and a broken, bubbly skim.
The aroma is spicy, funky, and light. Earthy hops are prominent, along with perhaps a touch of rye, and there are scents of bready malt and wheat. It is also yeasty and slightly funky. It is no doubt an interesting brew.
The first sip offers quite a bit of earthy bite. It’s spicy, yeasty, and funky—not necessarily something I prefer to drink after an 85-mile bike ride, but that’s just me. Earthy hops are prominent, and wheat is much more noticeable in the flavor than in the aroma. There is a touch of farmhouse funk and it is also peppery. It is a complex but weird and enjoyable beer—fitting since RAGBRAI is weird and exhausting but enjoyable.
Fun facts about Tailwind:
• Style: Golden ale.
• Price: I think it was $1.99 per 16-ounce can at the New Pioneer Food Co-op in Iowa City.
• Alcohol content: I think it’s somewhere around 4.5 percent ABV.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B.
How old is this can? “08/08/19” is printed on the bottom, so that should be the canning date. Where has it been all this time? I wish I knew. I found it at the Co-op in Iowa City in a sale display near the registers—nowhere near the beer fridge. The good sign is that it was brewed after RAGBRAI, so it is not part of a leftover case from an overnight or pass-through town.
The color is hazy amber. A finger of beige, bubbly head leaves a frothy collar and a broken, bubbly skim.
The aroma is spicy, funky, and light. Earthy hops are prominent, along with perhaps a touch of rye, and there are scents of bready malt and wheat. It is also yeasty and slightly funky. It is no doubt an interesting brew.
The first sip offers quite a bit of earthy bite. It’s spicy, yeasty, and funky—not necessarily something I prefer to drink after an 85-mile bike ride, but that’s just me. Earthy hops are prominent, and wheat is much more noticeable in the flavor than in the aroma. There is a touch of farmhouse funk and it is also peppery. It is a complex but weird and enjoyable beer—fitting since RAGBRAI is weird and exhausting but enjoyable.
Fun facts about Tailwind:
• Style: Golden ale.
• Price: I think it was $1.99 per 16-ounce can at the New Pioneer Food Co-op in Iowa City.
• Alcohol content: I think it’s somewhere around 4.5 percent ABV.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B.
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