Style: Pale Ale (American)

ABV: 5.5 IBU: 36.0

88/100

Aroma:	11
Appearance:	3
Flavor:	16
Mouthfeel:	5

Tampa Bay Brewing Co Production Brewery Reef Donkey

What the brewers say

Our acclaimed dry-hopped American pale ale that drinks like a session IPA. Motueka, Ekuanot, and Citra hops give this beer a lemon/lime aroma with a citrus/tropical fruit flavor.

What our panel thought

Dank, piney, resinous hop aroma offers a pleasant welcome, with lightly toasted bread and a light sense of candy sugar. Flavor brings piney-dank hop flavor, its bitterness in balance with sweet, crackery malt. Nice carb helps the hops pop. Clean and classic.

What our editors thought

Riotous nose of lemon-lime, cut grass, onion, cannabis, orange, and stone fruit—loud and brash. The sip is more restrained, with herbal bitterness pitted against stone fruit and light malt. Maintains constant energy and liveliness.

Review printed in: Beyond Beer: Hard Seltzer, Hard Kombucha, and More (Apr-May 2021) (View All Issues)

Print Shelf Talker

How We Review

REVIEWS FOR YOU >

Omission Bright Eyed IPA

“Light Earl Grey tea and wort aroma. The hop aroma is a bit muted, but the flavor delivers the hops and has a medium level of supporting bitterness. Clean and refreshing with medium-high carbonation and a semidry finish.”

MadTree Brewing Brunch So Hard

Pretty pink color. Generic red fruit up front in the aroma. It comes across a bit like raspberry. Lemon comes through a bit more in the flavor. There’s slight sour in the finish as well from the hibiscus. Medium light body and dry finish.

North Park Infinite Content

Peach, blueberry, mango combination suggests light vanillin complexity. Flavor is enjoyable, with sweet orange, strawberry, lemon, grapefruit pith, and pine. Soft and sweet, low bitterness. Very light hop burn on the tail end. Finishes dry and bitter. Brings you back for another sip.

FRESH BEERS >

The best new craft beers available in a beer store near you. Sponsored content.

New Belgium Dominga Grapefruit

New Belgium wood cellar blender Lauren Limbach was gifted a new foeder that she aptly named Dominga—a play on the Spanish word for Sunday. She first created a mimosa-inspired golden sour called “Dominga: Goddess of Brunch.” Now we are excited to introduce the cocktail-inspired version, Dominga Grapefruit Paloma. Inspired by the classic cocktail of Mexico, Dominga packs a refreshing combo of bright grapefruit and lime flavors, along with agave and a pinch of salt.

Firestone Walker Oaktoberfest

Oaktoberfest is our oak-inspired homage to the great German tradition of Oktoberfest. We go the extra mile of maturing this beer in French oak barrels to create an amazingly smooth mouthfeel. The result is a classic German festbier with a hint of West Coast hoppiness. Grab your stein, don your lederhosen, and enjoy!

Firestone Walker Parabola ’24

Parabola is always a beast of a beer, with intense flavors of black cherry, dark chocolate, vanilla, and roast coffee—yet each annual release also bears its own subtle imprint. For this latest edition, we aged the beer for a year in 12-year Elijah Craig barrels. These coveted bourbon barrels imparted signature notes of charred oak, caramel, and cinnamon, taking the Parabola experience to new heights. Pour some out in your favorite snifter; behold the impossibly opaque color as you allow it to warm up a bit; and then let the dark magic of Parabola stun your palate with its unrivaled flavor and complexity.

Sierra Nevada Cosmic Little Thing Hazy Double IPA

For the latest in the Hazy IPA series, ride Sierra Nevada’s interstellar wave of tropical flavor in this Cosmic Little Thing, a hazy nebula glowing with Comet, Strata, and Helios hops for notes of citrus, berries, and lychee. Head into orbit with this 8 percent ABV hazy double IPA before the next Hazy IPA rotator hits. Look for Cosmic Little Thing in six-packs and 19.2 oz singles.

Firestone Walker Cosmic Crusher Juicy Imperial IPA

Out-of-this-world flavor that packs a punch—take a journey with Cosmic Crusher. “Cosmic Crusher is our crazy adventure into the realm of imperial juicy IPAs,” says brewmaster Matt Brynildson. Cosmic Crusher is built around two ultra-tropical hops—Galaxy and Strata. The result is a level of flavor, aroma, and mouthfeel that can only materialize at high strength, crossing the line into a whole new cosmos of punchy mango and pineapple character. SKUs available: 12 oz six-pack cans, 19.2 oz single serve, and Mind Haze Variety Pack.

Firestone Walker Luponic Distortion

Luponic Distortion is the Firestone Walker trailblazer that continues to break the rules, back for the first time since 2021. The classic Luponic Distortion base recipe returns with an all-new hop blend to deliver a fresh blast from the past. Brewed with a secret blend of new-age hops, the 2024 edition of Luponic Distortion turns up the volume with mind-bending flavors of lychee, peach, nectarine, and strawberry. Available exclusively in the Beer Before Glory IPA Mixed Pack.