Robin Shepard
Nate Warnke, owner of Rockhound Brewing Co.
While imperial IPAs have become commonplace in local breweries and brewpubs, Madison’s Rockhound Brewing Company has a different twist on the style. Through its small barrel-aging program, the brewpub is offering T-Rex, a double IPA made with hints of gin, juniper and sage.
What is it? T-Rex IIPA from Rockhound Brewing Company of Madison.
Style: The imperial IPA is deep golden to reddish-amber in color with a medium- to full-bodied mouthfeel. Its hop profile often features resiny, piney and/or citrus tones, depending upon the type of hops use to make it. IIPAs should have a malty backbone, and are often spicy and warm at their 7.5–10 percent ABV.
Background: T-Rex imperial IPA falls almost into the beer cocktail genre with assertive gin character from barrel-aging and the addition of botanicals. “Everyone seems to have a double IPA, but the uniqueness of the gin and herbal flavors are what makes [this one] popular,” says brewpub owner Nate Warnke. T-Rex is appropriately named because it’s a monster, with boozy gin notes and a strong dose of piney juniper. And, at 12 percent ABV, it deserves respect for being aggressive. The name is also a nod to Rockhound’s anniversary and Warnke’s trend of naming his annual birthday beers after dinosaurs. The first, in 2017, was a bold Belgian quad called Thunder Lizard.
Warnke made just one five-barrel batch of T-Rex for the brewpub’s second anniversary in April. It was initially offered for a short time during Madison Craft Beer Week, and it just recently came back on tap at the brewpub.
T-Rex is made with five hops: Galaxy, Citra, Skyrocket, Hallertau Blanc and Saaz. Those combine for an estimated 80 IBUs (International Bitterness Units). The background malts include 2-row brewers base malt and a touch of caramel malt for color. The batch was split in two for aging. Half went into gin barrels from Two Tall Distilling of Sun Prairie, and the other in the bright tank with American oak spires. After about two months of aging, it was all blended back together along with a mixture of pureed sage and juniper.
“I had this idea as a homebrewer and never did it,” says Warnke. “I like the earthier, juniper gin. To me, if you are going to barrel-age with gin, it should be straightforward with lots of juniper.” T-Rex is among a handful of barrel-aged creations at Rockhound. The small brewpub doesn’t have much room for barrels, yet it has an ongoing commitment to an occasional release called its “Petrified Wood” series. Last fall Rockhound offered Tumbled Boulders, a whiskey barrel aged IPA. Warnke describes T-Rex as his biggest and boldest effort so far.
T-Rex is sold over the bar for $8/10-ounce glass, $48/ growlers (refill). It’s expected to remain on tap well into August. If you do miss out, Warnke says he’s held back some for the 2019 Isthmus Beer and Cheese Festival.Because of its popularity Warnke intends to brew it again once he can get more gin barrels.
Over the past few weeks Rockhound visitors have been treated to flights of four five-ounce samples that break out the elements of T-Rex into the base IIPA, gin barrel-aged IIPA, oak-aged IIPA, and the final combined T-Rex with the botanicals. If you’re interested in the flights of T-Rex, head over to Rockhound this week, because the individual component pours are very limited.
Tasting notes:
- Aroma: Lots of notes of gin and juniper.
- Appearance: Clear deep amber-bronze. A thin to medium bubbly tan head.
- Texture: Medium- to full-bodied. Its alcoholic warmth will gradually build over the course of a glass.
- Taste: Juniper combines with Nugget hops for assertive pine flavor. The sage is noticeable in the background, along with a subtle and soft oakiness.
- Finish/Aftertaste: The gin and juniper, along with the citrus flavors of the Galaxy, Citra and Mosaic hops all merge into a lingering spicy-warmth.
Glassware: The Belgian tulip or the snifter. This is a sipping beer to slowly appreciate all that’s going on from the hops, barrel aging, gin, juniper and sage.
Pairs well with: the brewpub’s pesto pasta, with its parmesan cheese and shrimp. The beer’s strong juniper and pine accents will also go well with pungent cheeses and paté.
The Verdict: If you enjoy gin and juniper, this is a beer you’ll want to have. The core T-Rex is an assertively hoppy double IPA. You’ll pick up nice citrus aroma and flavor from the hops, although they also seem to amplify the piney qualities of the gin, juniper and sage in the background and finish. In the end, there is also a lot of resiny spiciness and warmth from the 12 percent ABV. This is a beer to sip slowly and appreciate its many different flavors. This is an interesting and good beer that I recommend trying. However, with all that alcohol and juniper, one T-Rex during a visit is probably enough.
