Talus In Wonderland

Brewery Name: Two Sides Brewing Co.
Beer Style: IPA – American
ABV: 5.8%
Brewed In: Bluebell, Dublin 12, Ireland

Tasting Notes

Dive into the sensory experience of Talus In Wonderland.

• Appearance: Hazy pale gold to light orange with a bright glow. A fluffy white head sits on top and holds well, leaving a delicate lace.
• Aroma: Cryo Talus turns the aroma up a notch — expect soft floral tones, pink grapefruit, tangerine zest, peach, ripe tropical fruit, and that signature Talus coconut/creamy citrus note. Underneath sits a light herbal freshness, and a touch of pine. Cryo hopping gives it a clean, vivid hop punch without any green or grassy edges.
• Flavour: The flavour leans heavily into grapefruit, bright citrus, and pineapple, backed by softer stone fruit. The Talus contribution gives a rounded citrus-meets-coconut profile, almost like creamy citrus or pink grapefruit sorbet. There’s a clean herbal and lightly piney bitterness that keeps it crisp. The malt stays neutral — light, pale, and designed to let the hops shine. Cryo hopping means bigger hop saturation, but less bitterness harshness.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, smooth and slightly plush with a juicy mid-palate. Moderate carbonation. The finish is clean, lightly drying, and carries a tidy, resin-citrus bitterness. It should feel bright, lifted, and very drinkable, not heavy or sticky.

This year’s cryo-hopped version of Talus In Wonderland is brighter, punchier and more expressive than ever. A brilliant hop-forward opener for your Advent Calendar.

About the Brewery: Two Sides Brewing Co.

Two Sides Brewing Co. is a Dublin-based collaboration project centred around creativity, modern hops and small-batch releases. They work with trusted partners to bring their recipes to life, brewing at the award-winning Third Barrel Brewery in Bluebell, Dublin 12. This collaborative approach gives them the flexibility to experiment with new hop varieties, tweak recipes batch-to-batch and produce limited runs that stay fresh and exciting.

Their philosophy is simple: build clean malt bases, showcase expressive hops and keep the beers fun, modern and full of personality. Talus In Wonderland suits that ethos perfectly — originally designed to highlight the Talus hop, and this year pushed even further using cryo Talus to intensify aroma and flavour.

Two Sides are well regarded for hoppy pale ales and IPAs that drink bright and clean, ideal for people who love flavour without heaviness. Their beers rarely stick around for long, which is half the fun.

If you’re enjoying this one, you’ll find similar hop-forward choices in our IPA & Pale Ale range and more Irish favourites in our Irish Craft Beer collection.

Style Spotlight: American IPA

American IPA is the classic modern craft beer style – pale, hop-forward and all about aroma and flavour.

Origins: Born out of the American craft beer movement, brewers took the old idea of India Pale Ale and reworked it with new hop varieties and fresher, bolder hopping rates. The focus shifted towards bright hop character, cleaner fermentation and serving beer as fresh as possible.

Key Characteristics: Expect pronounced hop aroma and flavour – citrus, pine, tropical fruit and resin are all common – with moderate to high bitterness and a supportive but fairly neutral malt base. Colour usually ranges from pale gold to deep amber, and ABV typically sits somewhere around 5.5–7.5%. The best examples feel punchy yet balanced, with enough malt to carry the hops without getting in the way.

Modern Takes: Today’s American IPAs can lean more West Coast (drier, clearer, more bitter) or towards the hazy, juicy side with softer bitterness and a fuller mouthfeel. Brewers also use modern techniques like cryo hopping to concentrate aromatic hop oils and dial in bigger flavour without rough bitterness. Talus In Wonderland threads the needle – plenty of haze and juicy hop expression from the cryo Talus, but still enough bitterness and dryness to stay crisp and refreshing rather than sweet.

If You Like This Beer, You Might Also Enjoy…

If Talus In Wonderland hits all the right notes, these styles and categories are great next steps:

• Explore more hop-driven options in our IPA & Pale Ale range — perfect if you love citrus, pine and bright hop character.
• Browse the Irish Craft Beer collection for more small-batch IPAs and pale ales from independent Irish breweries.
• Compare this cryo-hopped version with other West Coast or New World pale ales in your Advent Calendar or on TheCru.ie.

These are the beers to look out for when you want bold flavour, expressive hops and that “go on, one more sip” feeling.

Share Your Experience

Loving Day 1 of the Advent box?

Snap a picture of your Talus In Wonderland pour and share your thoughts on social media using #TheCruIE and tagging @TheCru.ie.
We’d love to see where you’re enjoying it and what you think of Two Sides’ take on a Talus-driven IPA.