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Chicagoist's Beer Of The Week: Revolution Brewing's Citra Hero

By Jenny Pfafflin in Food on Jul 19, 2015 4:00PM

A little under 10 years after it was put on the market, the Citra hop has become one of the most showcased varietals. And for good reason—it’s bright. It’s juicy. It feels tropical. When compared to the resinous, grapefruit characteristics of hops that define other West Coast IPAs, Citra is more Newport Beach than Big Sur. Sierra Nevada's Torpedo was one of the first beers to commercially feature Citra in 2009, while locally, Pipeworks Brewing makes one of its best in its double IPA simply called Citra.

Now there's Revolution's Citra Hero, which is part of the brewery's Hero Series. A deluxe box set of sorts to complement the brewery's flagship IPA Anti-Hero, the Hero Series is a seasonal release of six IPAs that spotlights relatively young single hop varieties, like Galaxy, Crystal and Mosaic (or in the case of Local Hero, showcasing locally-grown hops).

Citra Hero does its namesake hop proud—setting the stage for the Citra is a variety of malts, including red wheat and a house English Ale yeast, which gives the beer a subtle, yet enjoyable place for the the hop to lay its head on. The aroma is full of ripe, oozy citrus like lime and mango, while the taste bursts with honeydew melon and finishes moderately bitter. It’s a great beer to cut through the heavy humidity of Midwestern summer nights.

Revolution suggests Citra Hero is "sessionable" on their website, but at 7.5% ABV, while infinitely drinkable, it might be wise to not play the hero and rather split the 22 oz, bottle. Citra Hero is an ideal match for that chicken you just threw on the Smokey Joe, or pair it with a sharp cheddar.

Revolution Brewing Citra Hero can be found now at most bottle shops, or go straight to the source and find it on tap at Revolution’s Brewpub or at the Kedzie taproom.