Defiance Brewing Co. | Thrasher Session IPA
ABV 4.5% | IBU 44
Mid-winter is an interesting time for beer. When February temperatures are reaching near 70 degrees each day in Denver I never seem to know what I am in the mood to drink. Not yet warm enough for summer styles, yet too warm for dark heavy winter styles. Recent travels to Kansas concluded with my husband and I taking a large box of Kansas beer home across state lines back to Colorado. Thrasher Session IPA was one of these beers (well, really a whole 6 pack of them) and it seemed like the perfect beer to showcase for an early Springtime sipper!
If you haven’t yet heard of Defiance Brewing Company, they are based out of Hays, Kansas which lies in the more Western part of the state. They sprung onto the craft beer scene in 2013 and have quite the lineup of tasty options! I first tried this beer when a few friends who live in Wichita came to visit for GABF a few Octobers back. While I am not much of an IPA drinker in general this one really seemed to resonate with me.
At 4.5% Thrasher is certainly a session IPA but while on the thinner side of alcohol body overall, the flavor in general definitely doesn’t suggest that this is a session-able beer if you didn’t already know that it was! The aroma is quite fruity but unlike the citrusy hops and more from earthy hops. The taste is definitely classic IPA with forward hop characters and a medium malt backbone but again the hop quality is more earthy and herbal style than citrusy-grapefruit knock you to your knees with hops style. For that, I appreciate this beer because some hops agree with my tongue while others (the aforementioned citrusy style ones) don’t always seem to. The bitterness is just about right, too. Not too bitter but yet bitter enough!
If you’re passing through Kansas be sure to stop by Definace Brewing Co. in Hayes or any liquor store in the state that sells this beer and try some for yourself! Their cans will certainly catch your eye with their fun colorful designs as well!
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