Rodeo Clown Imperial Tropical IPA - Karbach Brewing Review
I’ve had a love affair with the Rodeo Clown lineup from Karbach brewing for a while now, so it’s great to see them expanding the brand and putting out something more palatable to beer drinkers looking for an Imperial kick without all the residual bitterness.
Presenting, Rodeo Clown Imperial Tropical IPA! This IPA packs some bucking ability with 9% ABV, but Karbach was able to tone down the bitterness from 85 IBUs in their original Rodeo Clown to 40 IBUs in this beer while still maintaining a great balance.
It has a simple malt bill that consists of 2-Row Barley Malt and Flaked Wheat, and it has a fruit punch hop bill of Citra, Comet, Mosaic, and Galaxy (karbachbrewing.com). These hops are a modern brewer’s dream. All of them pair so well that when brought together the drinker is gifted with fruity, floral, and dank flavors and aromas. But enough talking, let’s boogie into our firsts.
First Impressions:
On the eyes--Pale orange with a cream-colored head that maintained decently well. Just a slight haze, but pretty clear.
On the nose--Citrus and dank, for sure. The tropical flavors are a little more subdued to me, but it has that distinct Rodeo Clown aroma, which I believe comes from the Citra hops.
On the palate--Just like a bull, it has lots of kick and a head full of horns. It has that Rodeo Clown punch with a nice wash of tropical flavors. The fruit punch competes with the orange citrus from the Comet hops. The Galaxy hops are right up front and provide some peach and pineapple flavors to balance out the citrus and more grassy flavors (possibly from the Comet hops and a dry-hopped Citra). These hops blend so well to provide an amazing rush of fresh flavors while not compromising on malt sweetness or hop bitterness. It is well balanced and easy to drink, even with the high ABV, so beware. The ABV is noticeable, but not oppressive with the fruit and floral flavors smoothing it out.
Food Pairings: Karbach Brewing suggests pairing Imperial Tropical with coconut shrimp, Kalua pork, bananas foster, or gruyere cheese. It has a great fruitiness to complement the bananas foster and enough effervescence to cut through the fried coconut shrimp and the strong gruyere cheese.
Verdict
This is a good beer to have close by when you want a little punch in your fruit. It is fairly inexpensive as far as Imperial IPAs go, and a good place to start if just venturing into these brutal beers. If you haven’t tried Rodeo Clown beers, give this one a go first to ease yourself into it, or try their Rodeo Clown Imperial Haze. Anyway you go, I think you’ll be impressed with this crowd pleaser.
Cheers!
Mr. Brew