I was passing through Madison on my way to a wedding in Western Wisconsin and needed a place for lunch  – so I stopped at a place where I had always had a good experience before with beer to see if the food was up to par.

I took my first look at the beer list and saw the Twisted Hibiscus option. I had been meaning to try Revolution Brewing’s Rosa Hibiscus Ale for awhile – since I’ve never tried a hibscus beer. Even though it wasn’t the beer I’d been eyeing up, this was my chance to try one out.

I’ll admit I was hesitant at first because I’d been convinced before that anything with a floral edge was just going to taste like over acidic coffee that resulted from someone just trying to be too creative. I do not like coffee with “floral notes.” This beer was really pleasant though.

What was really great about it was how well balanced the flavor was. I could tell that this wasn’t a first draft. It flowed like any well made beer should – starting and ending sweet & smooth with a brief bitter kick in the middle. The hibiscus was subtle enough to not scare me away – so I was pleasantly surprised and only really upset that Vintage Brewing Company couldn’t have this all year.

The story here is that I was feeling adventurous, but a little scared, and it worked out. So if you are in front of a beer that seems a little crazy to you… try it.