Time again to grab one of the beers that its makers have sent to me for comment.
Spoetzel Brewery in Shiner, Texas, better known simply as Shiner, has been in business since 1909, mostly with a flagship lager that, due to Texas’ arcane beer labeling laws, is named Shiner Bock. They have opened up their portfolio lately in answer to the craft beer boom, and now offer their first India Pale Ale.
Wicked Ram IPA is a 6.0% abv pale ale that has been on the market since last fall. According to their description, the beer is made with 2-row, caramel, and wheat malts, “which provide a bright copper color and fuller body.” Hops are the familiar Crystal, and Bravo, a recent varietal known for high-alpha bitterness but some sweet and fruity overtones. The beer is dry hopped with Centennial before packaging.
As the picture shows, it can kick up a pretty fluffy head when poured. There’s a lightly filtered body, showing some haze in a light copper colored malt. The smell carries some hops, of course, just a bit of citrus fruit, not much bitterness to the nose.
There is some sharp bitterness in the first taste, that insinuates itself around the edges of my tongue to the back. That’s the dry hopping for sure. There’s a slight note of fruit that tries to stand up under the main bittering, but it gives up and becomes hard to distinguish.
It does have the saving grace of a sweet, slightly toasty malt background, which almost comes close to balancing against the hops. This still is not likely to be the best starter beer for someone who doesn’t care for bitter stuff, but it’s a good beer for the hophead to explore. Best to try with grilled food and meaty dishes, and a good contrast to mild cheeses.
