Glassware: The bright and fresh hops with semi-sweet malts create a perfect IPA. To fully experience this beer proper glassware is an absolute must! The Speigelau IPA glass is again the first choice with this IPA but a snifter, nonic pint, or Willi Becher pub glass will also work wonders. The key is to allow the beer to warm slowly and have a way to trap the wonderful hop aromatics.
Description: Breaking Bud pours a clear pale yellow, slightly golden hue with a white head that leaves behind a thick lacing on the glass. The aroma is a perfect balance between hops and malts. The hops aroma of tropical and citrus fruits with pine and overall dankness lead the way with sweet crystal malts present in the background. The taste follows the nose with mangoes, passion fruit, grapefruit, and pine cascading over the palate first before sweet crystal malts soothe the palate. The balance is textbook within this beer and while it comes across as a more aggressive West Coast IPA, it is still extremely easy drinking. The moderate ABV also makes a case for a great beer to have on hand while relaxing poolside this summer. The moderate carbonation and body create a smooth yet crisp mouthfeel. Breaking Bud is quite simply one of the best IPAs coming from the West Coast today and is a must try beer for all IPA lovers!
Food pairing: Breaking Bud is not an overly aggressive beer but could easily overpower lighter dishes such as salads. Spicier dishes love this hoppy beer, though, for a truly enjoyable meal. Try pairing with tamales, tostadas, enchiladas, empanadas, and even tacos and burritos. The spice factor of the dish does not matter either as the sweet malts can handle anything so pile the peppers high.
Backyard cookouts are now back in full swing and this is the perfect beer to have with any barbecue standards. Breaking Bud is a wonderful match with barbecue chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, and especially spare ribs. The sweetness of the sauce will melt into the beer and the hops and spices will combine for an invigorating experience with the pine and tropical hop flavors elevating the barbecue sauce.
All beers go great with pizza, but Breaking Bud is one of the best IPAs with the traditional Friday night favorite. The bready crust will melt into the light crystal malts and the hops will bite into any spices in the sauce or toppings. Breaking Bud is a true workhorse beer and pairs well with any number of dishes, so feel free to experiment.
The Final Word: The IPA style is a market segment in the industry that is very saturated. This makes recommending IPAs a necessity to gain an understanding of which are the must-try beers. Breaking Bud is certainly a must try IPA for all hop lovers. It is also decidedly a West Coast style IPA with a strong bittering quality, but still maintains perfect balance. Knee Deep has developed a strong reputation for brewing aggressive yet well balanced West Coast-styled IPAs and Breaking Bud is the crown jewel. The sweet crystal malts and crisp taste also make it an excellent choice for a summer IPA, but thankfully it is available year round. If you have not tried Breaking Bud yet, but are an IPA lover, go get some immediately!
