Tröegs Independent Brewing Releases Nimble Giant Double IPA

When you think of Hershey, Pennsylvania, you probably think of chocolate, and you're not wrong. That is, indeed, where the chocolate maker is headquartered, and it's where the candy-themed Hersheypark is located. If roller coasters aren't your thing, though, there's more to the little Pennsylvania town than just streetlights shaped like Hershey's Kisses. Tröegs Independent Brewing is nestled just adjacent to the theme park, and it's a playground for beer and food lovers.

While lovers of Tröegs may be most familiar with year-round brews like Perpetual Ale, they also eagerly anticipate the seasonal releases like Mad Elf, which is brewed with local honey and a boatload of fresh cherries, or Nugget Nectar, a juicy, hoppy limited edition brew that locals covet and stockpile.

Co-founders and brothers John and Chris Trogner, originally developed Nimble Giant as part of the brewery's Scratch Series, but it has evolved to become one of the highest-rated and most coveted annual releases. And Nimble Giant, according to an email sent to Tasting Table, has just stepped onto the scene for its brief 2023 appearance.

While Nimble Giant, which will be available in 4-packs of 16-ounce cans and on draft, delivers an impressive 9% ABV, it's surprisingly graceful. The double IPA began its life as an evolving experiment dry-hopped with both Mosaic and Simcoe varieties giving earlier incarnations the creamsicle-mango-honeysuckle-grapefruit backbone from the hops' flavor profiles. The addition of Azacca hops and their complement of pineapple notes form a distinctive triumvirate that makes up the Nimble Giant. The duo of Pilsner and Vienna malts balance out the assertive notes, creating a beer that BeerAdvocate rates 94/100, or Outstanding.

This year, the Nimble Giant will be packing a little surprise for some of its lucky fans. Some cans were chosen at random to be adorned with a "You Found the Giant" contest sticker, which bears a QR code consumers can scan to enter to win a Tröegs Giant Jenga set, along with other goodies as a grand prize, or 19 additional prize packs for runners-up.

Tröegs Independent Brewing only distributes Nimble Giant and its other beers throughout the Mid-Atlantic and surrounding states, though a stop in at the brewery and tasting room is definitely a must-do for beer lovers passing through the area. Along with brewery-exclusive Scratch Series beers, guests can indulge in bites from the Snack Bar, which features local ingredients in items like Hop Fries, seasoned with rosemary hop salt and broiled oysters with Tröegenator chipotle butter.