Tumut River Brewing ‘Bad Mofo’ West Coast IPA

Rating:

“The Bad Mofo is our take on a West Coast IPA. A big, American style ale which is fairly bitter at 80 IBUs and with large amounts of dry hops in fermentation for a crisp aromatic citrus hop hit which is balanced out by strong malt backbone. In brewing this beer, we mainly used Munich from Voyager Craft Malt in the Riverina region of NSW and some locally grown Rye corn for a unique rye malt taste. Predominant hops are US Mosaic and El Dorado. If you’re into big, traditional IPAs – this is the bad mofo for you!”

Glassware: IPA

Appearance: Quite a deep amber with soft candy red hues. It forms a sturdy two finger head which holds together well. Excellent lacing as it ebbs.

Aroma: Rather malty for the style but at the same time it offers up a gorgeous mix of caramel, gritty toffee and nutty residual sweetness. The hop profile is a little shy but does provide subtle piney additions alongside some sappy resin, mixed citrus, canned fruits, overripe stone fruits i.e lychee and melon. Not bad for a malt bomb!

Flavour: Certainly acts more like a West Coast IPA now. It opens with a burst of hop bitterness, acetic citrus and pithy rind but it’s offset by those sweet caramelised malts. The bitterness and pithy citrus surges through the mid and leads to a dry piney finish with old fruit hanging around on the back palate.

Mouthfeel: Fairly smooth and silky with the 80 IBU’s kicking in post swallow. Medium body. Mild-medium Co2. 7% ABV is somewhat evident.

Overall: We wouldn’t say it’s the best example of a West Coast IPA but it’s punchy and has some depth to it. Hardly memorable though.