NaughtyTemple, from Toppling Goliath, was released just over a month ago now.
When it was released, Naughty Temple was big news. Sadly,
only one liquor store in Eastern Wisconsin received a case of it. Like many in the region, I lined up at Three Cellars in Franklin, WI for a chance to purchase Naughty Temple, at the
price of $25 a bottle. Somehow, the
fates were in my favor and I ended it up a few bottles. Having had the excellent ZeeLander, I was
thrilled to have multiple bottles of what I was sure would be an excellent
beer. A barrel aged version of their
Naughty 90 IPA, the Naughty temple is an interesting concept. It harkens back to a time when IPAs were
brewed in England, then loaded on a boat, shipped around Cape Horn at the
Southern tip of Africa, and delivered to British ex-patriots in India.
As I am sure many of you are aware, hops were
originally used in beer because of their antibacterial properties. Hops allowed breweries to put out a product
that had a lesser chance of infection than the gruit ales that were more
popular at the time. Whereas unhopped
beers had a high chance of going sour or spoiling due to other infections, hopped
beers remained remarkably preserved over time.
It is only fitting then that the first beer shipped hundreds of miles
from the brewery would be heavily hopped.
The original British IPA is the resulting beer, one that was hopped at
what was then an extreme rate, then stored in barrels and loaded on ships for
the long trip to India. By the time the
India Pale Ales arrived, the hops flavors and bitterness would have faded to
the point where the beer was more like a Pale Ale or a British Bitter. The history of the IPA is a pretty
interesting story, but its not one that I feel comfortable to discuss in detail. For more information, check out Mitch Steele’s book, IPA.
On to the review.
At Beeradvocate, Naughty Temple has
a score of 94. At ratebeer, it has a
score of 89 overall and a 73 for style.
They Say:
On the bottle:
He
ventures to the Naughty Temple, weaving through its intricate web of slithering
sensations, while bitter loves dance playfully upon his tongue. Slowly, slipping into madness, he surrenders
himself to the sweet sip of seduction.
As he emerges in the wake of ecstasy, he is greeted with a warm, tender
kiss. A wave of bliss washes over him,
and happiness is all that exists.
From the Owner
We use a little lower than the usual ABV (under 8) for barrels, and are really selective about the barrels that make the final blend. Of the 6 barrels that made it the year and half through quarterly testing, only 3 made it for the final blend.
I Say:
Naughty
Temple pours a slightly hazy golden amber with a very thick, creamy, off white
head that holds excellent retention through the entire glass and leaves behind considerable
lacing in the glass. The aroma is dominated
by whiskey, vanilla, and oak from the Templeton Rye barrel. Lingering around the oaky aromas, are subtle
toffee and sweet caramel malts, complemented by earthy hops.
The
flavor is considerably more balanced than the aroma. It has toffee and caramel notes from the malt
that blend well, without being overwhelmed by the vanilla notes of toasted oak,
whiskey, and a combination of earthy and spicy hop notes. At first, Naughty Temple has a moderate
alcohol bite that mellows considerably as the beer warms leaving a considerable
amount of pleasant alcohol warmth.
Surprisingly, there is a lingering sour note on the back end. Naughty Temple is full bodied with a moderate
level of carbonation.
When poured
into a goblet, most of the flavors were enhanced. The alcohol notes, toffee, and more earthy
hops, and sour notes were more prominent, while the oak and whiskey flavors
were subdued.
Naughty
Temple is a good beer, I went into it with high hopes that were perhaps too
high. I honestly wasn’t sure what to
expect, after all its not every day that a brewery releases a barrel aged IPA. If Naughty Temple were not so expensive, due
to its rarity, then I would whole heartedly suggest that you all be on the
lookout for it when it’s released again next year. However, at the price point of $25, you should
hold off. Pick up some ZeeLander, or
another of Toppling Goliath’s excellent beers instead, you will be happy you
did.
That’s
all for today! Have a great weekend!
Happy
Drinking!
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