Too often these days it seems flavorful beers are inevitably and gut-bustingly stodgy, making it difficult to enjoy more than one without feeling like it's Thanksgiving or Brat Fest. But just in time for summer, sunshine and gut-rot-free drinking, Ale Asylum has brewed up Bedlam IPA, a Trappist-style IPA that's easy to drink without sacrificing taste. Brewed in the Trappist monastic tradition dating back to the Middle Ages when beer ruled over water, Bedlam is both refreshing and full-flavored.
Crack into a Bedlam IPA and you will immediately be enticed by wafts of strawberry, orange and grass. The beer pours a beautiful reddish brown, a color not unlike that of the sky after the sun has dipped below the horizon on Lake Mendota. Indeed, we do declare, the scent of Bedlam caressed our faces and her scent tormented us for hours.
The promise of Bedlam's sweet breath was not a shallow one. The amber liquid's first tender kisses caused our hearts to skip a beat and as the hoppy deliciousness tickled our mouths, jolts of electricity coursed through our limbs making us tingle all over with warm familiar feelings of content and elation that made our toes curl.
This titillating experience left us wanting more, much more, and the summer seasonal promises many sunshine-filled days of delight to come. Ale Asylum's Bedlam has moved us to raptures in a world of rose-colored strawberry hops. Try as we may, we can't get the cool sweet taste of the 7.5 percent ABV IPA out of our heads.
Our brief encounter with Bedlam IPA has left a lasting impression and we will not stoop to discussing the beer's merits in relation to other summertime brews because Bedlam stands on its own as a monument to all that is honest and beautiful in a hoppy world.
Best served: Cold, straight from the bottle.
Best enjoyed: Sitting out in the sun. This is unquestionably the ultimate Terrace beer.
