Here’s my first beer from the Tin Roof Brewing Company of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It’s called Voodoo Bengal Pale Ale, and I got a can from that Happy Wanderer of the beer world, Erik Bierbiker. Now, I’m going to tell you a little about it, but first I think I’ll take this opportunity to tell you about my reviews and why they’re formatted the way they are.
You may have noticed my reviews are a bit, well, formulaic. I offer you an intro with some thoughts on the beer or the beer world in general, then quote some information from the label or website, give you stats like ABV and IBUs and the price I paid, then tasting notes and final thoughts. I try to include a label or logo for the beer as well. There’s a reason for all this actually, and it’s that, well, this information may not be around forever.
What do I mean by that? Well, the craft beer market is happily still expanding rapidly, and we’re all glad for that. But consider that there are many beers that recall fondly from the 80s and 90s that are just gone, and no information really exists for them anymore. In that vein, I try to preserve a record for posterity of all (well, maybe most) of the beers I try. It’s just another of the man y services we offer you here at Bruguru.com.
But back to the beer. Tin Roof, which opened in 2010, says of their brewery on the label of my can:
Just like rain falling on a tin roof, there’s nothing more comforting than that first sip of Tin Roof beer. Brewed to perfection in Baton Rouge, Louisiana-Tin Roof is our culture, our way, our beer.
Ingredients from the website:
Malts: Pale, Honey, and Caramel
Hops: Magnum, Palisades, Glacier, Cascades
Tin Roof Voodoo Bengal Pale Ale has an alcohol content of 5.5% by volume with 37 IBUs. I don’t know the price in this case as the beer came to me via trade. Tin Roof calls this beer an American Pale Ale. Here’s what I think.
Tin Roof Voodoo Bengal Pale Ale pours to a bright orange amber color with a towering head of pillowy foam and a soft delightful nose of candyish malt and gentle hops. Taking a sip, the beer has an appropriate maltiness for the style with just the right amount of caramel, toast and honey. That leads into a spicy, subtly citric, herbal dry English style hoppiness that leaves a soft gentle bitterness on the tongue and finishes long and dry. Not too assertive though; this is a pale ale, not an IPA.
I found Tin Roof Voodoo Bengal to be a tad under-hopped for an APA, but right on for a pale ale. Either way, it’s well balanced between hop and malt and a very delightful little beer indeed.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft