From one of my favorite breweries, Toppling Goliath, today we look at Sun Reaper. Labeled as a Double India Pale Ale, I found it was a bit hazy and mild to warrant the name. However, their description of…

“…medium body and mild bitterness. A hop-derived explosion of pineapple, orange, and passion fruit flavors up front with a layer of soft pine in the finish” 

…as pretty spot on. You can smell the pineapple before you even take a sip along with some darker notes I wasn’t quite able to name. That ‘something’ carried its way through the taste mixing well with the huge amounts of citrus. You got a great, almost juicy, full flavor in the mouth that tapered off with some nice piney notes (my favorite bit). IBUs sit at 50, so not too bitter in my opinion but great for a full-flavored citrus-centric beer.  

Color is pretty reminiscent of a good high-quality orange juice with not too much head and some pretty lacing – all good and well, but I’m more interested in the flavor and hops honestly 😉 

So what did they pour into this beer? Did a little bit of research and it looks like they piled in six different hops: 

Azacca

Fun fact, Azaka Medeh is the Haitian god of agriculture which is who the Azacca hop is named after. A dual-use hop, Azacca gives a great aroma of tropical fruit and flavors of mango, pineapple, tangerine, and pine. It is a direct descendant of Toyomidori, a hop variety produced in Japan in 1981. 

Citra

Released in 2008, Citra was created by Joh I. Hass, Inc., Select Botanicals Group, and the Hop Breeding Company. Since then it has become a favorite among brewers as a high-impact aroma hop with a strong citrus profile. 

Columbus

While the exact lineage of the Columbus hop is slightly hazy, it was originally bred by Charles Zimmerman as part of a USDA breeding program sometime in the 1970s. Its hoppiness packs quite a punch while the more citrus notes are slightly understated. I’ve heard it described as dank and pungent. What do you think?

Galaxy

Known for its citrus, peach, and passionfruit aroma, Galaxy is an Australian breed descendant from the German variety, Perle. It was first commercially produced in 2009 and since then has become another favorite as both a standalone and when partnered with other hops. 

Mosaic

Known for its triple use profile encompassing bittering, flavor, and aroma, Mosaic was released in 2012 by the Hop Breeding Company. It has characteristics of wonderful hoppiness but also carries flavors of mango, pine, and citrus. This is a hop I’ve come across quite a bit. 

Sabro

Coming to you from the Hop Breeding Company, Sabro’s heritage is actually indigenous to the mountains of New Mexico and was originally called HBC 438. It has beautiful fruity and citrus flavors with distinct notes of tangerine, tropical, and stone fruit aromas. Check out this article from homebrewer, Stan Hieronymus, to learn more 🙂 

As always, keep supporting your local brew spots and check out Toppling Goliath for more awesome beer.

Cheers ~ Steph