Monday, December 14, 2015

Toppling Goliath X-Hops Gamma

Toppling Goliath Xhops Gamma. A label utterly devoid of information, with illustration that seems to depict the effects of gamma radiation on ...something? Another SCI-FI/super-hero vibe going on. Brewed and bottled by Toppling Goliath Brewery, Deborah, Iowa. There's gobbledygook on the label, but we'll get to that later.

Lightly hazed, and cast in a bright golden hue, with a prodigious slab of snowy white head, looking fantastic.

Nicely citric and spicy aromatics, mellow and lovely.

In the mouth: sweet and juicy malts meet the palate first, with clean and peaceable hops gliding in next. Whatever this is, it's not a bitter attack on the tongue, it's all groovy and smooth. Delicious. Easy-drinking. Nice.

This is when I feel like reading the label copy, i.e. gobbledygook: "Deep in the labs at TB, through the vaulted door, down the steps and past the room labeled "Beware the Leopard" lies an experiment forgotten. For over a year, it remained dormant, calculating the precise moment of return to unleash the ultimate blend of hops. Finally, escape! This unbridled force descends upon the unsuspecting masses. Can you handle it?"

Well, since you ask, yes, I can. It's no "ultimate blend", and it's not an "unbridled force." It's someone getting a little too creative in their writing, resulting in overblown copy for what's really just a very nice pale ale. Good beer. You can drink it. Probably a lot of it. I'd put it at less than 6% ABV, probably 40 IBUs. Maybe. I can't find the information anywhere.  But. Find it, drink it, enjoy it.

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