#formulabeers

When Formula Brewing (Issaquah) and Grains of Wrath (Camas) announced they were teaming up, we knew we were in for something special and potentially chaotic. The result? A West Coast IPA aptly named Recipe for Disaster.

Formula Brewing is known for its technical excellence, specifically its crisp, award-winning lagers driven by the mastery of fermentation sciences. Grains of Wrath, on the other hand, is known for craft beer that tastes like a punk-rock concert; loud, intense, and unapologetically hoppy.

So, what happens when a punk-rock band collides with a laboratory? You get something that combines absolute precision with reckless abandon, or, in this case, a beautiful disaster.

Formula Brewing Science vs. Grains of Wrath Punk

This beer is a clash of the titans.

- The Formula Precision: Formula Brewing is known for being technically flawless, especially with their crisp, scientific approach to fermentation. - The GoW Fury: Grains of Wrath brings that unapologetic, loud, "screw the rules" attitude to their hopping schedules.

Put them together, and you get a brew that has the structure of a precision machine but the attitude of a mosh pit.

Recipe for Disaster Taste Profile

It strikes a perfect balance between Formula’s refined finishing techniques and Grains of Wrath’s heavy-handed hopping schedule. You get that initial punch of citrus and dank pine, followed by a crisp, snapping bitterness that defines the true West Coast style. It’s dry, it’s aromatic, and it’s dangerous at 6.6% ABV because it is so drinkable.

Why "Recipe for Disaster"?

The name is a playful nod to the potential pitfalls of collaboration brewing. When two head brewers with strong opinions get into a brewhouse, things can get chaotic.

However, the "disaster" here refers only to how fast this beer disappears from your glass.

Wee Verdict

This is not a haze bomb. This is a return to form for the West Coast IPA style.

If you love beer that actually tastes like hops and has a respectable bite, Recipe for Disaster is a must-try. It’s the perfect blend of technical expertise and raw intensity.

I gave it a respectable 3.75 caps on Untappd with the average score being 4.04 caps.

Grab It Before It's Gone!

Because this was a limited release, Recipe for Disaster is moving faster than a formula racing car.

- Formula Brewing Taproom: Check their current tap list for fresh pours. - Grains of Wrath Taproom: If there is any left, it’ll be in Camas.

Wee tend to write friendly reviews on WeeBeers as we go by the adage of "if you've got nothing nice to say...". And we love what Formula Brewing is doing over in Issaquah and we have some great reviews in the next few days of some of their craft beer. They know their way around a mash tun, and usually, their tap list is a playground for hop heads. But sometimes? Sometimes you read a menu description that promises a tropical vacation, and you end up getting rained on during a camping trip.

Formula Brewing's Cone Shattered Dreams

This is their 8.6% ABV Fresh Hop West Coast Double IPA and based on the 3.96 average cap score on Untappd it's a big hit.

I really wanted to love this beer as it checks all the boxes of a craft beer I would love. It won a bronze medal at the Washington Fresh Hop Beer Awards. The name is poetic with a nod to the fragility of the hop cone. It's a Double IPA. However, the fragility of my own palate when confronted with certain ingredients shattered that dream.

Here is the thing, none of us at WeeBeers is a fan of the Mosiac hop and now, my first try of the Luminosa hop has me worried it is in the same class.

I know Mosiac has been the darling of the craft beer world since 2012 and Luminosa is supposed to be the next big thing since it first hit the market in 2022. I know it’s supposed to taste like peach-mango lemonade, candied orange peel, boysenberry, papaya and guava. But my tastebuds reject that narrative. In this beer, which relies heavily on that specific fresh hop profile, I don't get tropical sunshine.

I get stale blueberry jam mixed with caraway seeds and a weird, waxy taste that won't let go of the back of my throat.

It’s intense. It’s overwhelming. And unfortunately, it shattered my dreams of a bright, piney, classic West Coast experience. Instead, the heavy dose of Luminosa left a coating on my tongue that tasted vaguely of... well, what I remember those wax teeth at Halloween tasted like.

Wee Verdict on Cone Shattered Dreams