Saber Tooth Tiger (Imperial IPA) Review

Saber Tooth Tiger (8.5%, 95 IBU), our prehistoric predator, is back in the wild. An Imperial IPA, this brew is packed with potent notes of papaya, mango and peach, finishing with crisp, clean, citrus bitterness.

Special thanks to our friends at Cincinnati Museum for showing us a real-life Saber Tooth skull!

Malts: 2-row, Pilsner, Flaked Rye, Dextrose
Hops: Simcoe, Amarillo, Citra

What’s the origin of Saber Tooth Tiger?

Saber Tooth Tiger was unearthed back in 2013, our first Imperial IPA and our first rarity release. Named after a memorably incorrect answer from family game night, this brew quickly won a passionate following in Cincinnati, drawing thirsty crowds to haphazard release parties in our taproom. Since then, it has blazed a path from draft to bottles to — finally — cans! It’s our signature Double IPA and packs a serious “bite.” We felt there was nothing more ferociously feline than the Saber Tooth Tiger.

How did the Imperial IPA style come to be?

Never being content to rest on just regular IPAs, Double IPAs evolved out of our “bigger is better” mentality in the brewing world. One of the pioneers in this realm was Russian River Brewery with Pliny the Elder, and many other breweries followed suit.

What are your notable characteristics of this beer?

Large amounts of aromatics (piney, resiny and apricot), a balanced and complex hop flavor as well as a dry finish.

What makes you want to drink this beer?

Those who love Double IPAs will find ours to be very bright and fresh, while remaining dry. Not over the top in ABV at 8.5%, you can still drink two and be (semi) functional, just don’t drive!

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Medium gold with a slight haze from large amounts of dry hops. Thick white head with a little bit of lacing in the glass.
Aroma: High hop aroma that comes across initially as piney/resiny, followed by notes of apricot and ruby red grapefruit.
Taste: Very piney like the aroma that fades into a “juicy fruit” mélange of flavors. Gives the impression of being sweet from all of the hop flavor, but finishes decidedly dry and slightly spicy. High hop bitterness that isn’t too coarse or lingering.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, medium carbonation, little alcohol warmth.

What foods would pair well with Saber Tooth Tiger?

I like this with chips or Mahi-Mahi with mango-habanero salsa.

Ideal glassware for Saber Tooth Tiger?

The 10-13 oz snifter is perfect for concentrating the aromatics.