NugMo IPA by Toppling Goliath Brewing Company is a juicy hazy IPA that highlights Mosaic, Sabro, Simcoe and Amarillo hops. Pinneapple juice flavors dominate the beginning and middle of this IPA, ending with a lite cedar note and absolutely no bitterness. This article covers a review and relation to Mark Schlereth as a sports reference.
Technical Details for NugMo IPA
- Beer Name: NugMo
- Beer Style: IPA
- Brewery: Toppling Goliath Brewing Company (Decorah, IA)
- Brewery website: https://www.tgbrews.com
- Purchased: Beer Geeks in Rockwall, TX
- Tasted: 8/24/21
- Glass Used: Rastal Teku Stemmed Beer Glass 14.2 ounces
NugMo IPA Scoring Categories
Beer Review Toppling Goliath’s NugMo IPA Scoring Categories:
- Can Design: bad Tiki idol from the Brady Bunch Hawaii vacation episode
- Appearance: medium thickness yellow to orange haze 4/6
- Aroma: sweet tangerine up front, pineapple notes on the back end 22/24
- Flavor: pineapple juice does a Polynesian dance with some cantaloupe, apricots, peaches and melons, followed by a smooth and dry finish with a hint of cedar and no bitterness 36/40
- Mouthfeel: almost perfect creaminess, sticky, smooth 9/10
- Overall Impression: what a hazy IPA should taste like every time, fruity, creamy and keeps your taste buds coming back for more 19/20
- Total Score: 90/100
- This IPA is memorable for only being 6.7% ABV, therefore making it extremely crushable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. I wish it was offered year round instead of being a rotational release.
Brewery Background
Toppling Goliath Brewing Company (TG) is located in Decorah, Iowa and opened in 2009. Founded by Clark and Barbara Lewey after a very successful run in the home brewing market. TG focuses on hazy IPAs and barrel aged stouts. Current beer portfolio includes forty beers that rotate throughout the calendar year. Have strategically expanded distribution to thirty states in the USA as of 2021.
Beer Advocate named TG the #2 brewery in the world. TG’s Kentucky Brunch Brand Stout has held the title of #1 rated beer in the world since 2015 (current Untappd rating of 4.84 out of 5.00). Hazy IPAs and barrel aged stouts are TG’s forte, and their sours are improving on a daily basis due to unique brewing techniques and using top notch ingredients. TG gets a ton of beer geek hype across the internet, in magazines and in beer stores. Agree the hype is warranted, due to the TG beers I’ve tasted have been extremely good and complex. TG is very active in the social media market with timely posts on Twitter and Instagram.
Due to the annual rotation of forty beers, TG has focused on improving their “flagship” beer recipes, by tweaking with new hop profiles and adding fruit. Structures Brewing has a similar approach in Bellingham, WA. I’m now wondering why more breweries don’t follow this business model. Best guess is that most breweries don’t have solid flagship recipes that enable tweaking and testing during a calendar year. Nothing wrong with trying subtle changes to a baseline product, enabling the beer geek community to have debates about special releases and best batches.
NugMo IPA Background
Toppling Goliath brews the following flagship beers:
- Pseudo Sue Pale Ale – 5.8% ABV, Untappd Rating 4.14
- King Sue Double IPA – 7.8% ABV, Untappd Rating 4.34
- Dorothy’s New World Lager – 5.0% ABV, Untappd Rating 3.58
- Pompeii IPA – 6.3% ABV, Untappd Rating 4.06
NugMo is a rotational release by TG, which means it pops up into distribution for approximately 3-4 months at a random timeframe. 2021 was a summer release and I’m hoping it continues in 2022. Anytime of the year would work for my palate.
Sports Comparison for this Libation
Mark Schlereth, retired OL from the Denver Broncos. Had a decorated twelve year career in the National Football League (NFL), playing for the Washington Redskins from 1989-1994 and the Broncos from 1995-2000. Won three Super Bowls in 1991, 1997 and 1998. Endured 29 total surgeries during his professional playing career, with 15 being operated on his left knee and 5 on his right knee. Was inducted into the University of Idaho sports hall of fame in 2008, due to an illustrious college career as a Vandal.
John Elway, QB, played his entire pro football career with the Broncos from 1983-1998. He single handedly carried his team to three Super Bowls (1986, 1987 and 1989) only to be blown out by better teams. During the second half of his career, the front office started drafting and signing free agents to help Elway win a Super Bowl championship before he retired.
A lucky rabbit’s foot arrived in 1990 (Shannon Sharpe), a security blanket in 1993 (Gary Zimmerman) and a four leaf clover in 1995 (Terrell Davis). A Tiki idol arrived in 1995 via free agency and he was the guy that made everything click in the locker room and on the field. He threw up before kickoff and took care of his own business at the line of scrimmage. More importantly he created wide open zone blocking lanes for Davis to run through and kept Elway’s jersey clean. If it wasn’t for “Stink,” the Broncos would never have won a Super Bowl title in 1997, let alone two. Schlereth should never have to buy a beer again in Denver.
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Cheers and keep it classy everyday!
