Tropic Boom Imperial IPA - Saint Arnold Review
Craft brewing keeps rolling, and that means new beers and styles and adaptations to review all the time. The newest comes to us from Saint Arnold out of Houston, Texas.
Touted as Texas’s Oldest Craft Brewery, Saint Arnold does anything but remain stuck in the past. It’s likely why they’re not only the oldest but also consistently one of the top brewers in Texas.
Tropic Boom Imperial IPA is their newest concoction and we’re hoping it will wow us with the combination of 2-Row, Pilsner, White Wheat, and Acidulated malt, and punch us with HBC 682 (Pahto), Citra, and Mosaic hops. With a name like Tropic Boom, we expect a lot, but the name almost doesn’t go far enough with its 9.5% ABV and 27 IBU.
Debuting in January 2025, we’re excited to see how this powerhouse of an Imperial IPA strikes us.
First Impressions:
On the Eyes--We were expecting it to be rather cloudy considering the ingredients and dry-hopping, but it’s actually quite clear with a galaxy of hop goodness floating throughout (Galaxy hops not included). Tropic Boom is golden and topped with a cream colored head.
On the Nose--Very sweet! And fruity. Saint Arnold promises notes of mango and apricot, but it smells a lot like peach candy to me, which, I guess, smells a lot like mango and apricot. You win Saint Arnold.
On the Palate--Light in body but very heavy on hops with a low bitterness, as expected from only 27 IBU. Like the aroma, it’s very sweet, with definite tropical and stone fruit sweetness. I taste the mango and apricot most prominently but they are thankfully accompanied by the lightest floral note to balance the sweetness. A sweet note lingers through the finish that is quite dry for such a juicy beer. Tropic Boom is very strong! But the alcohol is actually hidden quite well by the intense fruity notes.
Final Thoughts:
There’s no doubt about it: Tropic Boom is a very modern beer, and very fitting to its name. And I keep saying very a lot because it’s very intense. Which, of course, is the point. Its aroma is strong and fruity, but also not a liar. It fits the beer to a T with flamboyant aromatics from what I can only guess is huge amounts of dry-hopping. The hops used are a well-tested pairing, and they deliver the fruity flavors.
An interesting note about Tropic Boom is that it drinks a bit like a Tripel. It’s quite thin and finishes very sweet with a touch of spiciness. If it wasn’t for the powerful stone fruit sweetness, I would have pegged it as a Tripel for sure.
As you can guess, this beer is not for those old codgers (or young ones) that don’t like sweet, over-the-top beers. Tropic Boom is as its name alludes: A fruity smack to the mouth, followed by a punch of alcohol. Proceed with caution to this new brew.
Cheers!
Mr. Brew