Watch out beer drinkers. The legendary Captain Krunkles is back on the scene, sent on a mission by the Terrapin beer Company of Athens Georgia to search the world for rare hops and ingredients with which to brew unusual beers. Capt’n Krunkles Black India Pale Ale was the first Krunkles beer and was volume 10 in Terrapin’s one-off Side Project series. Indiana Krunkles Wheat IPA was next at volume 15 in the series, and it was time for another episode of Samurai Krunkles at volume 17. After all that travel, Dr. Krunkles at volume 20 might be just the thing for what ales you.

For the summer of 2015, Krunkles is venturing outside of the Side Project Series and into a sampler can assortment pack near you. Terrapin Krunkles Down Under South Pacific Style India Pale Ale is the name and hops from the South pacific are the game. Since Terrapin was the beer of the month at Taco mac for April, I got to try Krunkles Down Under at a special tapping of the beer on April 16^th.

Terrapin says this about it on their website:

The IPA Survival Kit variety pack will also feature a never-before-seen Krunkles recipe; like the current Box Set variety pack, the IPA Survival Kit will be the only place to find the Krunkles beer.

Which of course isn’t entirely true since I got to try it on draft. But you get the idea. Terrapin says this on the label:

Krunkles returns with a new IPA from his time spent on the underside of the world. Brewed with hops exclusively from New Zealand and Australia, this “South Pacific IPA” is packed with so much flavor, it might even make a Kiwi say G’Day!

According to Taco Mac, those South pacific hop varieties are Moteuka, Pacific Jade, Green Bullet, Topaz, Waimea, Rakau, Ella, and Galaxy.

Terrapin Krunkles Down Under South Pacific Style India Pale Ale has an alcohol content of 6.6% by volume, and I paid $6 for a full mug pour. I got a free pint glass with it, too.

My mug of Terrapin Krunkles Down Under South Pacific Style India Pale Ale. Arrived a beautiful brilliant orange color with a thick rocky head of foam and a soft citrus hoppy nose. Taking a sip, I got light caramel up front followed by notes of ripe melon, passion fruit, lemons and a grassy herbal bitter finish. When I drank the beer, I didn’t know so much about it and inferred Australian hops by the name, jotting down Topaz, Galaxy, and Pride of Ringwood perhaps as bittering? I got the first two right anyway.

This was a very tasty IPA that didn’t lack malt as a lot of “West Coast” IPAs seem to. It had lots of delightful hop flavor to boot, and was fairly priced. By all means, a beer I very much enjoyed and would certainly buy again.



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