Penrose Crocodile Boots 4Pk

Penrose Crocodile Boots 4Pk is a New England-style IPA from Penrose Brewing Company in Geneva, Illinois, packaged as a four-pack at 7.3% ABV. Built on the blueprint of the brewery's GABF Gold Medal-winning Goofy Boots, this expression swaps in an entirely Southern Hemisphere hop bill — Nectaron, Enigma, Motueka, and Riwaka — delivering a distinctive tropical and stone fruit profile that sets it apart from most American hazy IPAs. It carries a strong 4.11 average on BeerAdvocate and a 4.0 on Untappd across nearly a thousand ratings.

Quick Facts: ABV: 7.3%  |  Origin: Geneva, Illinois  |  Style: New England IPA  |  Brewery: Penrose Brewing Company

Production & Heritage

Penrose Brewing Company operates out of Geneva, Illinois, and has earned national recognition including a 2020 Great American Beer Festival Gold Medal and a 2019 GABF Bronze Medal in the Juicy or Hazy Strong Pale Ale category for its Goofy Boots. Crocodile Boots builds on that flagship's foundation but takes a sharp turn by relying exclusively on Southern Hemisphere hop varieties — Nectaron from New Zealand, Enigma and Galaxy-adjacent Motueka from Australia and New Zealand, and the sought-after Riwaka. The result is a hazy IPA that leans away from the dank, piney American hop character toward brighter, more vinous and tropical territory.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The nose opens with a rush of ripe pineapple and passion fruit, followed by white grape and a subtle floral lift from the Motueka and Riwaka hops. There is a soft, almost vinous undercurrent reminiscent of pinot gris.

Taste: On the palate, the entry is juicy and creamy with immediate waves of mango and stone fruit. The mid-palate brings grapefruit zest and lemon-lime brightness that balances the softer tropical sweetness. White raspberry and red currant notes emerge toward the peak, adding a layered berry dimension that keeps things from becoming one-note.

Finish: The finish is medium in length with a smooth, lightly resinous texture and lingering passion fruit. A gentle bitterness anchors the back end without drying the palate out.

How to Drink Crocodile Boots

Pour it into a tulip glass or wide-mouthed pint at around 40–45°F to let the hop aromatics open fully. Drinking straight from the can works in a casual setting, but the aroma-forward character of these Southern Hemisphere hops rewards a proper pour. For a beer-based Radler riff, combine it with fresh grapefruit juice and a splash of honey syrup — the citrus and tropical hops amplify the pairing naturally. It also works in a Michelada-style preparation where the fruit-forward profile softens the spice, or blended into a beer shandy with lemonade for a lighter warm-weather drink.

Best For

• Hazy IPA enthusiasts looking to explore Southern Hemisphere hop character
• Backyard cookouts and warm-weather gatherings with friends
• Gifting to craft beer fans who already know and love Goofy Boots
• Pairing alongside a charcuterie spread or taco night

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Crocodile Boots taste like? Crocodile Boots delivers a juicy, creamy New England IPA experience dominated by tropical pineapple, passion fruit, and mango, with supporting notes of grapefruit zest, white raspberry, and a subtle vinous quality. It drinks bold but smooth, with moderate bitterness on the back end.

How does Crocodile Boots compare to Goofy Boots? Both are hazy IPAs from Penrose Brewing, but Goofy Boots (7.0% ABV) uses a more traditional American hop bill, while Crocodile Boots (7.3% ABV) is built exclusively with Southern Hemisphere hops — Nectaron, Enigma, Motueka, and Riwaka. The result is that Crocodile Boots leans more tropical and vinous, while Goofy Boots tends toward classic citrus and stone fruit.

Is Crocodile Boots good for sipping on its own? Absolutely — the creamy mouthfeel, layered fruit character, and balanced bitterness make it a rewarding standalone pour, especially when served cold in a tulip glass to showcase the hop aromatics.

Where is Crocodile Boots made? Crocodile Boots is brewed by Penrose Brewing Company in Geneva, Illinois, a suburb west of Chicago known for a growing craft brewing scene.

What foods pair well with Crocodile Boots? Fish tacos work well, as the tropical hop profile complements lime and cilantro. Grilled chicken with mango salsa mirrors the fruit-forward character. A sharp white cheddar provides a savory contrast to the juicy sweetness. Thai green curry benefits from the beer's citrus brightness cutting through coconut richness. Soft pretzels with spicy mustard offer a simple but effective pairing against the creamy body.

What sizes does Crocodile Boots come in? Crocodile Boots is available in a four-pack format, which is the standard offering from Penrose Brewing for this expression.

Is Crocodile Boots worth the price? Crocodile Boots positions as a craft-premium hazy IPA, and the exclusive use of Southern Hemisphere hops — which are typically more expensive and less common in American brewing — adds genuine production value that justifies its place in the upper tier of four-pack pricing.

Why Crocodile Boots?

What separates Crocodile Boots from the crowded hazy IPA field is its commitment to an all-Southern Hemisphere hop bill. While most New England IPAs lean on Citra, Mosaic, or Simcoe, the Nectaron-Enigma-Motueka-Riwaka combination creates a distinctly different flavor fingerprint — more vinous, more stone fruit-forward, and less resinous than its American-hopped counterparts. It comes from a brewery with proven credentials in the hazy category, including GABF Gold recognition. For drinkers who enjoy the soft, creamy texture of the style but want something that breaks from the familiar hop rotation, Crocodile Boots delivers a genuinely different experience backed by serious brewing chops.