It’s a great time to be a beer lover. The overall proliferation of craft labels throughout the country combined with people’s unquenchable thirst for new beers has yielded a boom in the space the likes of which we’ve never seen. Craft beer’s ubiquitousness has led to a raft of themed brews that bridge different arenas. In particular, beer’s influence on the automotive and motorcycle spaces has become far more prevalent in the last several years with a shining example being Rogue Ales & Spirits’ newest IPA: Knuckle Buster.
For those familiar with the scene, Rogue is recorded as one of America’s first microbreweries. The Oregon-based beermaker has been a standout in the craft beer industry since 1988, having won a bevy of awards for its hit beers. For its latest brew, Rogue teamed up with Austin, Texas motorcycle shop Revival Cycles to create an envelope-pushing IPA. Much like how Revival Cycles opts to circumvent convention when they handcraft their bikes, Rogue took a similarly innovative approach to make the Knuckle Buster by employing a cold fermentation technique. It’s no secret that beer requires active fermentation in order for the yeast to yield alcohol; that said, most IPAs ferment in the mid 60-degree Fahrenheit temperature range, as cooler temperatures yield slower fermentation times which introduces the increased chance of bacteria and other yeasts growing in the beer and ruining it. Rogue’s decision to cold ferment the Knuckle Buster was a risk worth taking, however, as it resulted in a deliciously crisp and refreshing beer.
Knuckle Buster has a light body and a floral, hoppy aroma and flavor to go with it. Expect a light bitterness with hints of malt, pine, and tropical fruit in this gearhead-aimed brew. The Rogue x Revival Knucle Buster Cold IPA has a limited run from January to April and retails for $13 for a six-pack.
