The clock is ticking down as Iowans all over the state await the much-anticipated release of Toppling Goliath’s bottling of their IPA, pseudoSue. Toppling Goliath brewery (www.tgbrewing.com) out of Decorah, IA is arguably the best brewery in Iowa. As beer lovers, we are always waiting for the next great brewery to bring their beers to our shelves in Eastern Iowa, when in fact, we have one of the best breweries within driving distance of our homes. I haven’t had all of their beers, in fact, I have yet to get to the brewery myself, (spring trip?) but of the beers I’ve had from this brewery, they are all comparable to the best that America has to offer and pseduoSue is one of my all-time favorite beers.

From the brewery:

This single hop ale showcases the Citra hop. Named for the largest T-rex fossil ever discovered, she roars with ferocious aromas of grapefruit, citrus, mango and evergreen. Delicate in body with a mild bite in the finish.

This highly drinkable, smooth-tasting IPA is singled hopped with that fantastic Citra hop. Citrus flavors with piney notes as well dominate the palate and finish with a bit of malt to balance this beer out wonderfully. Waiting patiently for the facebook message or the tweet telling us when the bottles are coming off the line and will be available for purchase, because I for one, will be waiting in line to buy a couple of cases of this fantastic brew. You always feel great when you support Iowa Craft beer, but Toppling Goliath is making it easy for us to do so by kicking out amazing tasted, well-crafted beers. Cheers!

REVIEW

Style: India Pale Ale

ABV:5.8%

Purchased at: Red’s Alehouse, North Liberty, IA on tap.

Pour: Orangish pour, nice medium-sized head, tons of lacing.

Aroma: All citra hop aroma. The smell is amazing.

Flavor: More citra hop, grapefruit, lemon, and orange mixed with a bit of pine. Wonderful!

Ratebeer.com rating: 98/100

Beeradvocate.com rating: 95/100

Overall: A

My recommendation: You don’t necessarily have to wait for the bottles to arrive, (hopefully 2 months?), bars and restaurants around Cedar Rapids and Iowa City continually have TG brews on tap, or make the trip to Decorah and get it as fresh as you can. These guys are the real deal!