Recently I was on the hunt for a IPA that reminded me of the first one I fell in love with Mosaic (a high citrus IPA that reminded me of tangerines) by Terrapin Brewing company in Athens, GA. The taste of this “side project” was inspiring a “side project” of my own, but more on that below…

What better way to investigate than a 12 pack set of 4 different beers from the same company: Hi-5 IPA, Hopsecutioner, Recreation Pale Ale, and Krunkles Down Under. I have had the Hi – 5, and the Recreation Pale Ale. The other two were new to me. )

Starting with the Hopsecutioner this was a full flavored IPA golden in color with the smell of hops and some citrus. When drinking I tasted hints of orange peel and the bitter hoppyness that is the IPA. This was good but not what I was looking for.

Next was the Krunkles Down Under. This dark golden American style IPA smelled of tropical citrus fruits like papayas, pineapples, and hops. This is what I was looking for in a IPA the whole time the balance of sweet and bitter fresh fruit and fermented hops. This beer was the real deal for what I wanted at the time.

So what was I working on besides a more advanced beer palate? A new sauce in the kitchen. This Krunkles beer added the right amount of citrus and bitterness to a BBQ Hoisin sauce which so far has been delicious on some wings. I will be trying on a few other things as I tweak the recipe. Stay tuned…