Twisted Pine Ghost Face Killah
The Bhut Jolokia or Ghost Pepper hasn’t been the hottest pepper on planet Earth in quite some time. In fact, I think it’s number 11 on most lists of super hot peppers — the top spot currently belonging to the recently crowned Carolina Reaper. Anyways, just because this well know bringer of the heat isn’t number one any more doesn’t mean it ain’t hot. It is. And Twisted Pine have done a solid job of not only capturing that heat, but also a solid amount of flavor in their Ghost Face Killah.
I’ve known of this beer for a while now, but had never run across it until mid-November of last year. Just a single bottle was sitting there gazing at me, tempting me… and I succumbed to the temptation. I like spicy food and have several ghost pepper based hot sauces currently open in the fridge as I type this. I’ve even had a couple of chili beers in the past, but not one this hot.
Brewed with wheat and a hop blend of Willamette and Northern Brewer varieties, the brewers then add in an unholy amalgam of Ghost, Serrano, Habanero, Jalapeno, Anaheim, and Fresno peppers. The result is a beer that goes down like liquid fire, but also packs in a ton of flavor.
Appearance
The beer pours pale yellow with no head at all. It’s got a viscous quality that gives off an evil aura.
Aroma
Well, Ghost Face Killah smells like it’s got peppers in the mix. It’s not necessarily spicy, but does give off a tingle and warning of heat to come. There’s not much else in the mix, but it still smells pretty darn good.
Taste
To begin with, the beer is not nearly as brutally spicy as I was expecting. It certainly packs a solid punch of chili heat that takes half a second to kick in before it spreads glowing warmth throughout the body, but it’s not a beer to be afraid of. A solid amount of vegetable character fills the mouth with a wash of spiciness that coats the tongue. The beer is soft and lightly syrupy as it goes down. At 5% ABV the beer isn’t really all that potent, but the amount of chili heat it brings does go to the head pretty quickly. The heat subsides a bit after a few sips.
Overall
Ghost Face Killah isn’t a beer meant to be quaffed or enjoyed a couple of times over in a session. It’s a gimmick beer. It’s a beer that is fun and different and one that I’m glad to have finally been able to try. For fans of spicy foods, this is the beer for you. It’s not as hot as chomping down raw ghost peppers (which I’ve done a couple of times), but it does pack a decent amount of heat. It’s a beer that I actually quite liked.
Rating: 3.5/5
