- Strong Citrus Notes
- Tropical, Sweet & Tangy
- Overly Bitter
- Excessive Fizz Upon Opening
This Tropical IPA from Drop Bear Beer Co., is the last of the four beers they currently offer that I am yet to try. All four beers came in a 4-pack taster page, so you may want to check out my previous three reviews from Drop Bear Beer below:
But before we start, a short overview for you beer nerds out there – information from the brew sheet:
- OG – (Original Gravity) – 1005
- Malts – Munich, DRC, Caramalt, Chocolate, Wheat Malt, Flaked Oats
- IBU – (International Bitterness Units) – 46
- Hops – Ekuanot, Simcoe, Citra, El Dorado
- Ingredients – Water, Malted Barley, Wheat, Oats, Hops, Yeast, Hop Extract
Based on the previous Drop Bear Beers, I’m certainly looking forward to getting this open, so let’s get on with it!
Tropical IPA Initial Review
Instructions/guidance from the beer itself says ‘best served bloody cold’. So you can be sure I’ve had this in the fridge all day before opening.
However, a bad start to this. The bottle which has been stood upright all day fizzes explosively and my review is delayed whilst I clean up the mess.
After a short delay, I do my best to carefully pour the remaining contents of the bottle into a glass. Although doing my best, the beers froths up, completely filling my pint glass – impressive since the bottle is only 330mL.
I leave the beer for a couple more minutes and begin again.
The beer is a dark orange colour, and highly carbonated. The head has settled considerably. The aroma lives up to its name. Definitely tropical notes, driven by citrus and passion fruit.
Taking a sip, the initial taste of the beer matches the aroma. Sweet, tropical and very slightly tangy. Once this passes, there is a strong bitterness that follows – much expected of that from an IPA.
As I leisurely continue through the beer, the tropical sweetness is less noticeable, and the bitterness more so. It also lingers for a couple of seconds after ever sip.
Sadly, the beer sometimes fade off, whether thats because I get used to the taste and the bitterness overloads the tropical, or it fades due to being poured into a glass. Either way, it becomes a beer that lacks depth, just bitterness.
Where Can I Buy Tropical IPA?
There are a few different purchasing options for buying Drop Bear Beer. For this review, we purchased directly from Drop Bear Beer. Otherwise, you will need to purchase from an online retailer such as the following:
Tropical IPA Ingredients, Nutritional Information and Calories
The ingredients in this beer are as follows:
Water, Malted Barley, Wheat, Oats, Hops, Yeast, Hop Extract
| Nutritional Information | Per 100 mL |
|---|---|
| ABV | 0.3% |
| Energy (KJ / KCal) | 64 / 15 |
| Fat (g) | 0.7 |
| Of Which Saturates (g) | 0.1 |
| Carbohydrate (g) | 1.9 |
| Of Which Sugars (g) | 0.1 |
| Protein (g) | 0.2 |
| Salt (g) | 3.7 |
Barley, wheat and oats are the typical allergens in this drink, and the beer is suitable for both vegans and those looking for gluten free
Final Thoughts
Whilst I have thoroughly enjoyed Drop Bear Beer’s drinks in the past, I was less impressed by this Tropical IPA. The initial flavour was pleasant, and something I was expecting to enjoy. But the balanced taste quickly fades, and becomes too bitter and plain for my taste.
Maybe there was something wrong with this batch – it did fizz up dramatically after all. I think I will give it another go in the future, but I will definitely be picking up the Yuzu Pale Ale over this in the future I suspect.
