Beer Review: Golden Nugget IPA

Reviewing the Golden Nugget IPA from Toppling Goliath Brewery out of Decora, Iowa. Toppling Goliath is a relatively new craft brewery to the scene, but is making a bold early impression and making some exciting brews, such as Mornin' Delight (a CBS killer, if you ask me) and Zeelander (a super lemon-forward IPA).
Score: 94

Growler pour from a growler filled the week before FOBAB 2012. Served in a Founders snifter and enjoyed on 12/01/12. Shout out to my friend Mathieu LaFontaine for hooking me up with this brew as part of my "winnings" from the fantasy baseball beer league this past summer.

Appearance: Pours a light amber color that is clean and falls between translucent and transparent. Only a thin layer off head off the pour, which settles to a pencil-thin ring around the glass. Below average lacing, but excellent cling. 4/5

Smell: In-your-face lemon, pine and grapefruit! Not just a lot. I mean its like someone took a sledgehammer made of lemon juice, pine needles and grapefruit and whacked you upside the head. Ample doses of dank, resinous hops as well. Very West Coast IPA-esque. Candied caramel malt, mango and sweet non-descript tropical citrus too. The aroma on this beer is an absolutely intense beast; and I love it! It is much more lemon/pine forward than most IPA I have had. 5/5

Taste: The taste is more subdued than the aroma with less citrus and more maltiness, leading to a more balanced profile on the tongue. Upfront is caramel malt, grapefruit and lemon, with a strong piney backbone. The back half is bitter, resinous hops, pine and mango-y lemon. Lots of lingering piney bitterness with a dash of candied caramel. There is a faint amount of non-descript residual black pepper-like spice in the finish as well. Some dirty hops come out in the finish/aftertaste as the beer warms. 4.25/5

Mouthfeel: Viscous and oily! This is one of the more full bodied IPAs that I have had to date with a nice low level of carbonation that nonetheless gives the hops a good kick while leaving the bitterness on the tongue to layer. Very bitter, and the hops prickle the palate. 4.5/5

Overall: This one blew me away. The nose on this brew is absolutely unreal. This is one of the tastiest IPA I have had in a long time.

Recommendation: Hop heads need to seek this beer out, though it is likely too intense (in a good way for IPA fans) on the bitterness for the casual beer to truly enjoy. Toppling Goliath is a brewery you may not have heard of yet, but need to check out ASAP!

Pairings: Thai chicken pizza.

Cost: $13 for a 64 oz growler fill (if you bring your own growler).