If you haven’t guessed it yet, I’m talking about Appalachian Mountain Brewery (AMB). If you’re not familiar, their mission statement pretty much says it all, “Appalachian Mountain Brewery's mission is to sustainably brew high quality beer, support local non-profits and help our community prosper. Our mission is simple: sustainability, community and philanthropy.”
Today we’re not only sampling one beer from AMB, but also a second new beer…and what’s even more exciting is that I’ve never had a chance to taste either beer before tonight….so off we go.
Up first is Not An IPA. You may already be thinking that if the first beer isn’t an IPA what is it? You may also be playing a little Abbot & Costello “Who’s On First” in your brain, so before we get too far, the first beer is actually called “Not An IPA P.S. It’s An IPA.” Why is it not an IPA, well according to AMB the hops are US-grown (not in “India”) and the “pale” malty-backbone is supposed to balance the hops, but this beer has hops to balance the hops. AMB does concede the “ale” portion of IPA is accurate but they do say that this is “not the IPA you’re used to” so let’s see.
The beer pours a slightly hazy golden color with loads of grapefruit, citrus and tropical fruits in the nose. I liked the layers of dank in the aromas and I was really excited to see them carry into the flavors. This beer is certainly hop-forward on a lot of levels and I really liked sorting through the grapefruit, lemon, dank grassy hops and the subtle soft melon mix on board. As the beer warms a bit, the dry citrus seems to amp up and it finishes crisp and satisfying. Overall it the beer is really drinkable and surprisingly gentle on your palate; and from my standpoint this IS an IPA….and a really good one.
Of course we followed Not An IPA with Not A Double IPA P.S. It’s A Double IPA. This beer was the 2018 Imperial IPA U.S. Open Beer Championship Winner, so I couldn't wait to pop it open. Not A Double IPA, or NODIPA as we started calling it, pours a deeper copper color with loads of resinous pine in the nose. The first sip screams “hops” and the flavors of resinous and dank pine lead the way with a bitter balance of orange rind, dry grapefruit and even more dank. The mouthfeel is sticky and resinous and the finish will lay on your palate long after you swallow. As this beer warmed, the citrus and tropical fruit-forward flavors jumped to the front and the citrus vs dank balance really made NODIPA drinkable and a bit sweet. Overall this is a big beer on a lot of levels, but we really enjoyed sampling it and my 12oz can was gone way too quickly.
Not An IPA P.S. It’s An IPA & Not A Double IPA P.S. It’s A Double IPA are both available now in 12oz cans. Not An IPA hits 6.7%-AbV & 65 IBU and Not A Double IPA rolls in at a big 8.7%-AbV. Get out there and try these beers, and I’ll meet you at the brewery after we finish climbing Grandfather Mountain. As always when you do try these beers, be sure to let us know what YOU think.
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