During the winter months, I typically find myself reaching for comfort beers, like thick, rich stouts or even light and simple lagers. An IPA usually doesn’t cross my mind when deciding when to drink for an evening — and a tropical IPA? I think not.
So imagine my surprise when, with my first sip of Founders Brewing Co‘s Moon Rambler IPA, I experienced a pleasant shiver of winter coziness, all wrapped up in IPA hoppiness. It managed to pull me out of my cold night routine with a tasty and interesting combination of fruitiness and milk sugars.
Formerly known as Cow Jumped the Shark, Moon Rambler IPA had a typical IPA flavor, but the amount of Azacca, Mosaic, and Cascade hops made for a much fruitier profile. It was far less distracting than I thought it would be, as tropical IPAs don’t usually appeal to me. What made this, personally, such an enjoyable drink was the addition of milk sugars. When I think of other beers that contain lactose, I come up with a few styles like stouts, of course, and milkshake IPAs. My mind wouldn’t usually apply this amount of sweetness to anything other than a dark beer.
Enjoyed at home, in leggings, rewatching Lost on Hulu (I don’t have much else to do these days). Glass by GirlsInCraft.com
Moon Rambler IPA poured a beautiful, clear gold with just the right amount of frothy head. It was lovely to look at. Instead of making the beer feel thick and sticky, the milk sugars did not seem to leave much on the tongue. All that I noted was a simple IPA bitterness. For all that, it finished nice and clean and was quite drinkable at 6.4% ABV.
While it’s my first instinct to reach for a dark, imposing stout during tis time of year, (dark early, dark beer? hmmm), I would easily add Moon Rambler IPA into my winter brew rotation.
Disclaimer: Founders Brewing Co provided Dani with complimentary Moon Rambler IPA for this review.
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