Named after the famed series of educational games from the 1970s, Oregon Trail is a West Coast IPA that many pilgrims will be pleased to have sacrificed themselves to create. Probably.
Originally designed to teach American school kids about the hardships of pioneer life in the 19th century, the series of games is now a cult-classic. Providing you can get past the first few obstacles without dying of dissentry.
There's a real juicy, fresh fruit aroma that bursts forth from the can with the eagerness of a pioneer yet to see their first snowy pass. The Chinook, Simcoe and Colombus hops bring more fruit to the aroma party, but the first taste is actually surprisingly bitter.
There's a piney, resinous element to it that is typical of the style but works well with the tropical fruit aromas that combine well. The body of the beer is quite malty, which again compliments the bittersweet combination and brings a rounded experience to the beer. The aftertaste is, as you'd expect, bitter from the hops, but there's a subtle sweetness at the end which brings you back in for more.
The 12-year-old gamer in me loves this can, with it's 8-bit wagon and horses on the desert background that is synonymous with the gameplay. Even the name of the beer is written in an 8-bit style which makes it really very attractive on the eye.
The design goes right the way around the can which makes it instantly recognisable from any angle, with the beer information and nutritional facts on the side not being too obtrusive to the overall effect.
We picked up this from our local beer shop but you can get it online in a number of online retailers, but it tends to sell out fast due to its popularity so you'll need to be faster than a wagon train to hitch your ride to this beer.
