Peace Tree Brewing Company- Hop Wrangler: Mad Props To The Hops Of Hop Wrangler

Thursday August 26th - Once again I am faced with a brew from my friends Tracy & Adam from their trip through Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin.  This one was on my Craft Beer hit list.  I first came across this brewery on Facebook, yes I know; I’m a social media junkie.  Tracy & Adam found this brew once again at Dirty John’s in Iowa City, IA.  Peace Tree Brewing Company is out of Knoxville, Iowa and from what I understand they are a relatively new in the Craft Beer scene.  My bounty was to get my hands on their Hop Wrangler IPA as I am a junkie of the Hop variety.  What’s different than most of my other hunts is that Hop Wrangler is a Belgian-Style IPA.  I’m not big on the Belgian styles but I am doing my best to broaden my horizons.  Peace Tree Brewing Company’s Hop Wrangler Belgian IPA is poured and ready.

Peace Tree Brewing Company classifies this Craft Beer as an India Pale Ale (IPA) and their website describes Hop Wrangler as, “Joe’s multinational take on a classic IPA. IPA’s are known for their intense hop bitterness, flavor and aromas. First, Joe used American and English malt, then American and English hops are added during the mash, first wort, boil, and finally its dry hopped for aroma. Belgium gets involved with the yeast and a special candy sugar finish for smoothness and flavor.”  The label on the bottle expands the story a little different than the website and reads, “We use American, English and Belgian malts for flavor, body and color.  This brew includes six hop additions of American and English hop, one each in the mash and first wort, three in the boil and finally a dry hop addition in the fermenter.  It is finished with Belgian yeast which develops esters that compliment the bouquet of hop aromas.”

Hop Wrangler pours a copper/burnt orange color with a big 1 ¼” tan head.  The aroma is of heavy esters and some earthy hops and a faint fruity and citrus smell in the background.

Hop Wrangler comes delivered in a short stubby 12 oz bottle with kind of an old-school western influenced label.  Upon my first sip I notice that Hop Wrangler is more carbonated than most of the IPAs that I have tried, I’m not saying that it’s a bad thing.  What really intrigues me is that Hop Wrangler is a Belgian-Style IPA that has an amazingly consistent balance of flavor which is more than likely attributed to the use of American, English and Belgian ingredients.  The Belgian yeast is not overpowering, which is what I don’t like about the Belgian styles, and is tempered by a great hop bite that has me super stoked.  I am pleasantly surprised and highly impressed by Hop Wrangler.  Mad props to the folks at Peace Tree Brewing Company, Hop Wrangler is hop-tastic!!

ABV: 6.25%

Consumed: Mother Earth Snifter Glass

Verdict: Buy A Twelve Pack