I am a fan of Terrapin beers. Their entire range is well worth a try if you have access to them – they are very individualistic, and not afraid to experiment. Their India Brown Ale is a very well executed version of this style: malty, hoppy, with faint coffee mocha overtones.
Sadly… this does not go well with pizza. The flavours clash horribly, producing a harsh hop bitterness which does not sit well on the tongue. I suspect that for those of you who are hopheads this could work well, but this is not for me. This made me sad, because I have had an outstanding pairing with the IBA – it goes extremely well with a leafy green salad with blue cheese dressing. My homework: have this with a pesto pizza!
Now, pizza with Terrapin Rye Pale Ale? Oh yeah… that’s the stuff! The hops come over as a refreshingly crisp *snap*, cleaning your palate and refreshing it for the next bite, while leaving a pleasing malt sweetness at the back of your mouth.
This is a combo you should seek out as soon as possible!
Tags: India Brown Ale, pizza, Rye Pale Ale, Terrapin Beer
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