With A Rebel Yell

Brewer- Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

Beer- Rebel IPA

Style- American IPA

ABV- 6.50%

Description – Rebel IPA pours a very clear gold color with a crisp white head that doesn’t linger too long and leaves only a moderate amount of lacing on the glass.  The aroma is extremely hop forward with pine being the dominant hop aroma with subtle hints of grapefruit and floral background hop notes with whiffs of sweet malt coming through.  The taste is also very hop forward with notes of pine, grapefruit, and resin hitting the palate aggressively followed by sweet toasted caramel malts before a long dry finish.  The medium light body and moderate carbonation make the perfect vessel to deliver this hop forward beer.  This a very nice take on the West coast IPA style and is certainly something many may not be expecting from Sam Adams, but this is a wonderful and highly drinkable IPA from a brewery that has been a craft beer pioneer.

Food pairing – The hop selection creates a beer that cries out to be paired with spicier food.  Try pairing Rebel IPA with a wide variety of Mexican dishes such as spicy fish tacos, a Carne asada burrito, or Huevos rancheros are all great pairings.  However, if you are more in the mood for a Tex-Mex dish try the beer with a nice Chimichanga.  Jamaican jerk chicken also makes a fantastic pairing with the spices highlighting the hops for a wonderful spice bite on the palate that is quickly quelled by the sweet malt backbone of the beer.  Some other great dishes to try with Rebel IPA are Indian vindaloos, Cajun blackened chicken, and of course a cheeseburger piled high with any topping of your desire.

The Final Word – Sam Adams has built itself a large and loyal fan base and while many other companies may rest on those laurels, Sam Adams continues to create new and tasty beers.  Rebel IPA is the latest in a long and growing line of enjoyable beers being produced by Sam Adams.  In the current craft beer market IPA’s are certainly all the rage, but the issue is that many IPA’s are quite unbalanced which makes for a less than enjoyable drinking experience.  Sam Adams has managed to create an IPA that is very hop forward but still maintains great balance and drink-ability.  When this hits shelves be sure to grab yourself some!

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Where can I get it? -  Rebel IPA is hitting the market in January 2014, so be on the lookout!