On our recent inaugural journey to the Fuggles and Warlock Brewing tasting room in Richmond, the Sip Advisor was settling his tab when he spotted a bottle of this beer. Having never tried it and it not being available on tap, a swift addition was made to said bill.

The Hopper Texas Brown is a hybrid between an IPA and a brown ale. Using six different West Coast hop varieties, the 6.5% ABV, 65 IBUs beverage is robust with flavours of caramel, nuts and citrus. It is available in bomber-sized bottles at the brewery and private liquor stores.

I just had to try a serving of this brew, given its unique blend of styles. Ironically, the term Texas Brown Ale comes from California, with companies from that state (such as Sip Advisor favourites Stone and Bear Republic) experimenting with the rare beer type.

I think the beer’s name is a play on the 1990s TV show ‘Walker, Texas Ranger’, starring the legendary Chuck Norris. Leave it to Fuggles & Warlock to come up with such a pop culture reference. I could be wrong, but that’s my theory and I’m sticking to it!

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