Just in time for the premiere of The Walking Dead’s sixth season on AMC, the Terrapin brewery of Athens, Georgia gives us The Walking Dead Blood Orange IPA. It’s only natural, of course, that a Georgia brewer like Terrapin produce a beer themed after The Walking Dead. The hit comics and show are based in Georgia in most of its seasons so far, and cases of beers from Terrapin (and other local brewers like Sweetwater and Red Brick) can often be seen on screen.

But would I be able to get any of this beer? Ah, that was the question. Terrapin The Walking Dead Blood Orange IPA was released on October 5^th, but I didn’t get a chance to go on the hunt for it until Sunday, October 11^th. Stopping at Sherlock’s Town Center in Kennesaw, I was pleasantly surprised to find cases of the beer stacked by the main cooler doors. Wanting a bottle for myself and one each for my sons (big fans of the show all of us), I plopped three bottles into my cart along with various other goodies.

When I got to the register, however, there was a problem you see. The cashier informed me in no uncertain terms that there was a strict two bottle per customer limit. Understanding that today’s beer geeks have a tendency to hoard “rare” beers like this one, I politely implored him to respect my long-term loyal customer status and allow me the extra bottle for my sons. My pleas, however, fell on deaf ears as he steadfastly refused me that extra bottle, as if asserting his authority over me were his primary concern in life.

Getting my haul to my car, however, I thought better of it, went back in the store and demanded an audience with the manager. She overruled the Overzealous Cashier, who had been watching me with an evil eye the minute I came back into the store. At her command, he rang up my third bottle, but he was not happy at all about it and gave me such an attitude that I began to grow angry with him. I was magnanimous on my victory, and told him I knew he was only doing his job, but that only seemed to make matters worse. Still, I had what I came for, and left with my prize.

The moral of the story, of course, is that I am not at all happy with the current craft beer craze reaching such insane levels that beers must be chased after and rationed, as was the case here. There are so many great beers out there that I rarely hunt down certain ones anymore. Indeed, in this case it was more The Walking Dead connection that had me searching for this beer, not the beer itself.

From the label:

Terrapin Beer Company and The Walking Dead have teamed up to brew the official beer of the undead. Made with blood orange peel, and a horrific amount of hops, this bloodthirsty red IPA will have you prepared for the upcoming zombie apocalypse.

Ingredients from the website:

OTHER: Dried Blood Orange Peel

MALT: 2-Row Pale, Crystal 45, 65, 85

HOPS: Summit, CTZ, Cascade, Centennial, Zythos, Calypso, Citra, Lemondrop (Calypso, Citra, Mosaic dry hop)

The Walking Dead Blood Orange IPA has an alcohol content of 6.7% by volume with 73 IBUs. I paid $7.99 a bottle at Sherlock’s, less than I thought this beer would run.

The Walking Dead Blood Orange IPA pours to a blood red color with a thick creamy head formation and a bitter orange peel nose mixed with sweet malts. Taking a sip I get deep stewed malts with subtle chocolate and bold juicy citric blood orange notes. The astringent harsh bitter orange peel notes jump out like a zombie from a closet, combining with resiny and citric hop notes and the beer finishes herbal grassy, very hop and orange peel bitter. I like that this beer is bursting with rich, juicy fruit blood orange flavor, and I have to say this beer combines blood orange with hops much better than other “blood orange IPAs” I’ve tried.

I’ll reiterate my disdain for the state of craft beer such that we have to hunt for rationed amounts of beer. But I’ll confess that I’m glad I got a bottle of this one, both because it is very good indeed but also because, well, you wouldn’t want to be caught dead without a bottle, would you?

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