Tommyknocker Brewery - Blood Orange IPA

IPAs brewed with all manner of fruits have become popular in recent years, especially those with citrus. Of those, blood orange is among the most popular, behind, perhaps, grapefruit. The delicious juiciness it contributes is compelling, and Tommyknocker's version is a prime example. Pouring an orangish-golden-copper color and capped by a sticky, persistent foam that laces well, this IPA offers up quite the bold aroma. The blood orange contribution is immediately apparent as a bright candied citrus character jumps from the glass. Mandarina hops are employed here, too, to augment the juicy citrus character with a tangerine-like tone. On the palate, this is one of the more boldly-flavored citrus IPAs we've encountered recently, as a big, juicy burst of orange and tangerine hit the taste buds straight away. Underpinning the juicy character, we found the malt contribution quite robust, delivering good body along with a touch of caramelization and residual sweetness to support the juicy hops and orange. Bitterness comes through firm, but not crushing, balancing the beer's sweeter notes nicely. For food pairings, citrus-oriented dishes are a natural complement. Pan seared ahi tuna with a spicy blood orange reduction should work nicely, or perhaps chicken stir-fried with ginger, tangerine juice & peel, and sesame. Cheers!

The Tommyknocker Brewery was founded as a brewpub in 1994 (which coincidentally is also the year we started The Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club) at an elevation of about 7500 feet in the old mining town of Idaho Springs, CO. The town, which is about a 40 mile drive west of downtown Denver, was founded in 1859 during the Colorado gold rush, and it is this mining history that the brewery latched on to when crafting their brand identity. Tommyknockers are mythical creatures, a bit like leprechauns, that are purported to live underground and signal to miners when a collapse is imminent by making knocking sounds in the rock. They also get blamed sometimes when tools malfunction or go missing.

We can’t verify if tommyknockers are responsible for swiping miners’ tools when they aren’t looking, but we can tell you that they do know how to make some good beers in their spare time. In fact, they’ve been collecting awards since 1995 from both the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup – over 100 thus far. If you’re ever traveling through the Rockies on I-70 near Denver, it’s well-worth stopping at the brewpub for a buffalo burger and a fresh brew on draft. Harnessing pure snow melt water from the Rockies, the brewery produces a very broad range of year-round and seasonal beers (over 20 by our count) as well as a line of sodas including orange, strawberry, and almond cremes as well as root beer. We'll let you discover those on your own and stick to what we do best: Beer! For more information about the brewery and brewpub, call 303-567-4419 or check out their web site at www.tommyknocker.com.