The thagomizer is the name of the guy who invented the Stegosaurus AND DIPA; the late Thag Simmons. Cartoon, icon, legend.
In reality, the thagomizer is the term for the spikes at the end of the tail of the stegosaurus. It is named after Thag Simmons, but it was originally from a cartoon created by cartoonist Gary Larson in 1982. It's a lecture from a caveman, to other cavemen, describing the spikes as the thagomizer, named after the late Thag Simmons.
The beer itself is packed full of flavour, with citra cryo, galaxy and simcoe all going in to create a hazy and full body that packs a bigger punch than a thagomizer. Well, almost. I know which i'd rather have.
It smells pretty juicy, with a piney aroma that I really wasn't expecting to be so strong on the can opening. The pour is thick and hazy as you'd expect with all the hops, and the carbonation is tight.
There's a slight bitterness at the front of the flavour profile, but very quickly turns into a citrus fruit flavour that's mainly grapefruit and melon, with a touch of sweeter mango.
The tight carbonation makes it very smooth and drinkable, and it is very easy to drink.
The aftertaste remains fruity with a touch of bitterness from all the hops, but it's got a lovely crisp finish that's a little dry and makes you come back for more.
Pomona Island play on the story of the thagomizer in their beer description, saying that Thag Simmons was the inventor of the DIPA, promising to take drinkers to the far side of what DIPA could be. The Far Side being the magazine in which the original comic strip was published.
The can itself is the most wonderful shade of green, following in Pomona's signature style of bold, single colours on cans with one image on the front. In this case the humble Stegosaurs, with it's thagomizer taking centre stage.
Lots of information on the back about the kinds of hops, the dry-hopping process and so on. It's a brilliant can, there's no doubt about it.
If you want to keep Thag Simmons' legacy alive then you can support him by sticking a few of these in your Honest Brew basket.
It will cost members £7.98, with non-members having to stump up a few pence more at £8.69 - but it's a fair price to pay for history. And excellent beer.
