Feature Beer Friday: Rahr & Sons' Dadgum IPA

by Eric Ducote

Hello everybody, and welcome to another edition of Feature Beer Friday!  No blind side by side tasting this week (will come back to that idea though for sure) but I did recently pick up a few beers from Rahr & Sons Brewing Company out of Fort Worth, TX, and anytime I see a new brewery (to me at least) in our market I think it's worthy of a little exploration.  

As I just mentioned, Rahr & Sons hails from Fort Worth, TX, having opened in 2004 before the craft beer movement really exploded.  Those of you that dabble in brewing, on the homebrew scale or larger, might know the name "Rahr" from the Rahr Malting Company, which supplies malted barley to breweries across the country.  Rahr & Sons Brewing was founded by the great great grandson of William Rahr, the founder of the Rahr Malting Company and Eagle Brewing Company, so brewing is definitely part of the family history. Tragically, William Rahr died from burns he suffered due to falling into a brew kettle during an inspection of his brewery in 1880.  Let that be a less to all homebrewers and commercial brewers alike, safety is important! 

Rahr & Sons' Dadgum IPA

This week's selection is their flagship Dadgum IPA, 6.6% abv and charged with citra and lemondrop hops.  It's a deep golden color, very little haze, with a bubbly white head that lingers for a while.  I find the aroma to be quite bitter, with notes of pine and lemon and a little grainy sweetness.  The flavor is hoppy with a medium bitterness, pine notes still come through as well as more citrus, and there's a definite malty base to support the IBUs.  This is certainly a departure from the haze craze, with a strong lingering bitter finish.  

I'll have no problem finishing off this 6-pack, and if you are looking for a bit of a throwback IPA, this one might in your wheelhouse.  If you're wanting more and more dry hops and haze, this isn't the beer you are looking for. One thing is for sure though, there is plenty of room in my fridge for both.  Cheers!