About 25 years ago, as craft beer was beginning to grow beyond, what was then, a very few select breweries nationwide, a new brewery was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and it quickly gained a huge legion of fans because their beer was so good! That brewery was… and is… Troegs Independent Brewing.
Because I was living in the Philadelphia area at the time and already well into my craft beer journey, I was able to enjoy Troegs beers just as they began distribution after opening in 1997. One of the very unique aspects about Troegs then—and certainly now—is that every Troegs beer is not just true to its style, each beer is, plain and simple, excellent. There are many breweries that make one… or even six… really good beers and then have a bunch of average beers. But I’ve never had a Troegs beer that wasn’t outstanding—and I’ve had at least 18 different Troegs beers! Yeah, I counted them.
Troegs Independent Brewing currently has eight year-round beers and 13 once-a-year releases. One of their once-a-year beers hit stores in mid-June and is still available as we wind down summertime… if you’re lucky enough to find it, as I was just a few days ago. It is Troegs second most anticipated beer release each year, after Mad Elf Ale. The beer? Nimble Giant! And this is a giant of a beer!
Nimble Giant is a 9.0% ABV Double IPA and available in 16 ounce cans. But like all great Double IPAs, there’s nothing boozy about this. This beer is delicious! Troegs uses Azaca, Mosaic and Simcoe hops in this well-balanced Double IPA. I poured my first Nimble Giant into a 16-ounce tulip glass and watched a beautiful, clear orange beer climb up the glass with a nice frothy, white head. As I lifted the glass, I picked up a floral sweetness, very much like honeysuckle. Nimble Giant has only a very slight hop bite, a welcome flavor in any IPA, and has a nice sweetness to it with notes of pineapple and grapefruit. The finish is smooth and soft making this a beer that’s easy to drink at any time.
So make a point of looking for Troegs Nimble Giant now while it’s still around and treat yourself to a great Double IPA!
Cheers!
Jefferson
The Craft Beer Guy
Email: jward@thebayonline.com
