Roaring Table Tubo Solo 4Pk

Roaring Table Tuba Solo 4-Pack is a 7.2% ABV New England-style hazy IPA from Lake Zurich, Illinois, sold as a four-pack of cans. This double dry-hopped IPA earned a remarkable 99-point score in a blind taste test by certified BJCP judges for Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine, and it was named one of the publication's Best 20 Beers of 2021.

Quick Facts: ABV: 7.2%  |  Origin: Lake Zurich, Illinois  |  Style: New England / Hazy IPA  |  Brewery: Roaring Table Brewing

Production & Heritage

Roaring Table Brewing operates out of its taproom and production facility at 739 West Main Street in Lake Zurich, Illinois. Tuba Solo is built on a grain bill of Golden Promise Pale Ale Malt, white wheat, flaked oats, flaked wheat, oat malt, Blonde RoastOat malt, and rice hulls — a combination designed for maximum body and haze stability. The hop roster features Mosaic, Citra, Galaxy, and El Dorado in both pellet and Cryo LupuLN2 forms (Citra and Mosaic), dosed across a carefully timed double dry-hop schedule during active fermentation. The brewery fine-tunes its water to a 4:1 chloride-to-sulfate ratio using sodium chloride and potassium chloride while keeping calcium below 50 ppm, emphasizing soft mouthfeel over sharp bitterness. Minimizing oxygen exposure throughout the process is a stated priority in maintaining hop vibrancy.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Fresh mango and grapefruit lead, followed by ripe peach, melon, and a thread of pithy, resinous hops. A secondary wave of candied sugar and pink lemonade sweetness rounds out the nose.

Taste: The entry is lush with dried mango and fresh banana layered over cane sugar. Mid-palate brings candied citrus, passionfruit, and honeydew, riding on a rich, silky body bolstered by the heavy oat and wheat grain bill. Ripe mixed berries emerge as the flavor peaks, balanced by enough hop resin to keep things structured.

Finish: Medium-long and smooth, tapering with notes of fresh-cut grass and a gentle, lingering grapefruit pith. The texture remains pillowy rather than drying, a hallmark of the low-sulfate water profile.

How to Drink Tuba Solo

Pour cold into a tulip glass or stemless wine glass to open up the aromatic hop oils; drinking directly from the can mutes the complex nose. Tuba Solo is best enjoyed fresh and unadorned — this is a beer designed to showcase hops, not hide behind mixers. That said, hazy IPAs can anchor a few specific beer cocktails: a Michelada with Tuba Solo adds tropical depth to the classic tomato-lime framework; a Hop Shandy (equal parts beer and fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice) amplifies the existing citrus notes without clashing; and a Beermosa using mango or passionfruit juice plays directly into the beer's dominant fruit character.

Best For

• Gifting a craft beer enthusiast who follows BJCP-recognized quality
• Weekend barbecues where a bold, fruit-forward IPA pairs with grilled meats
• Introducing someone to the New England IPA style with an award-winning example
• Stocking a curated beer fridge with top-rated Illinois craft offerings

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Tuba Solo taste like? Tuba Solo delivers intense tropical fruit — mango, passionfruit, and candied citrus — on a soft, full-bodied base of oats and wheat, finishing with subtle fresh-cut grass and grapefruit pith.

How does Tuba Solo compare to Revolution Hazy Hero? Both are well-regarded Chicago-area hazy IPAs, but Tuba Solo sits slightly higher in ABV at 7.2% and leans heavier on oat-driven body and Cryo hop additions for concentrated tropical aromatics. Hazy Hero is more widely distributed, while Tuba Solo's 99-point BJCP blind-taste score gives it an edge in critical recognition.

Is Tuba Solo good for sipping on its own? Absolutely — the silky mouthfeel, layered hop aromatics, and balanced sweetness make it an excellent standalone pour, best served cold in a tulip glass to maximize the nose.

Where is Tuba Solo made? Tuba Solo is brewed at Roaring Table Brewing in Lake Zurich, Illinois, a small-batch craft brewery in Chicago's northwest suburbs.

What foods pair well with Tuba Solo? Spicy Thai green curry highlights the tropical hop character; grilled fish tacos with mango salsa echo the beer's fruit notes; a sharp aged cheddar provides a savory contrast to the soft body; crispy fried chicken benefits from the beer's gentle carbonation cutting through the fat; and coconut shrimp mirrors the lush, tropical flavor profile.

What sizes does Tuba Solo come in? Tuba Solo is commonly available as a four-pack of cans and may occasionally be found on draft at the Roaring Table taproom.

Is Tuba Solo worth the price? Tuba Solo positions in the premium craft IPA tier, and the 99-point BJCP score, complex six-hop recipe using Cryo hops, and meticulous water chemistry justify its standing among the best hazy IPAs in the Midwest.

Why Tuba Solo?

A near-perfect 99-point blind-taste score from certified BJCP judges is not a marketing exercise — it is one of the most rigorous quality benchmarks in American craft beer, and Tuba Solo earned it. The brewery's commitment to a specific 4:1 chloride-to-sulfate water ratio and sub-50 ppm calcium level reflects a level of process control that most small breweries do not publicize, let alone dial in. Combined with a double dry-hop schedule using both standard pellet and concentrated Cryo LupuLN2 hops, the result is an IPA with tropical intensity that avoids the harsh, astringent bitterness common in lesser examples. For drinkers exploring top-tier hazy IPAs beyond the usual New England names, Tuba Solo is a serious Illinois contender that has already earned national recognition.