It’s been a mindblowingly busy few weeks. My son’s baseball season is in full swing, with 5 games in just the past 5 days. At the same time, I finished up an insurance designation (FLMI) for my job, which involved taking lots of tests. We also hosted a Mizzou alumni picnic at our house and are preparing for a Caribbean cruise. With all of that going on, I haven’t been able to just sit and enjoy a beer very often. Tonight is the first night in a while I’ve been able to do so. My friend Joe, from Atlanta gave me this beer when we met up a few months ago to do the Bourbon Trail. It’s a tropical IPA from a brewery in Athens, Georgia.
Location: Poured into a TEKU pint glass from the can at my home in Bloomington, IL.
Numbers: 6.6% ABV, ~200 Calories
Appearance & Aroma: It’s straw-golden in color and a bit hazy. It had a rocky, white head on it that left a good amount of lacing on the glass. As expected, it has a tropical aroma with a mix of pineapple and orange citrusiness with hints of pine behind it.
Taste & Feel: The body is medium and the mouthfeel is smooth and a bit oily from the hoppiness. Up front it has a sweet tropical hop juiciness, and the middle is less juicy with some hints of bitterness, but still primarily hop flavored. The finish gets juicy again with lots of citrusy juiciness, but there’s still a hint of bitterness behind it. The hop flavors last and the bitterness starts to creep out as the hoppiness lingers for a couple minutes.
Food Pairing: I enjoyed this beer with tacos, and it was a great pairing. The hop juiciness contrasted the steak tacos, and added to the tropical feel.
Overall Impression: I enjoyed this beer, it reminded me of the Narrow Gauge OJ Run my sister got me. Although not quite as juicy, it was close. I love these hop flavor, rather than bitterness forward, IPAs with a good amount of citrusiness. They are quite refreshing in hot weather as well. Overall, I thought this was a great sumer IPA, and it’s one I’ll grab again next time I’m in the Atlanta or Athens area.
My Rating: 
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