Nola "Hoppyright Infringement" IPA

I've only ever had one Nola beer before, and it was an Irish stout that I was okay with, but I wasn't really sold on. This one's an IPA, and anyone who knows me knows I like IPAs. The fact that this is an Imperial IPA means that, honestly, I may not like it as much. I find that Imperial stouts, Imperial porters, and Imperial IPAs tend to be less approachable than their standard counterparts. If you really want to do something with an IPA, I'd say go for a double IPA. But that's not what I have, so I'm just gonna drink the beer they made for me.

The hazy beer is the color of damp straw, and it has an off-white head that grips the sides of the glass, but it's not to be leaving any lacing. The smell is of lots of fruit. I'm getting citrus and tropical fruits, and they seem to be backed up with a kind of reedy malt. It's a good start.

First sip is surprisingly sweet and smooth. Even though this seems to have a whole bunch hops in it, they are definitely being controlled very well by a cool, calm, and laid-back malt. The citrus is very forward, but there's some pine and melons joining in the song of hops. That malt ads to the sweetness, but it doesn't alter the flavor profile that much. It's a pretty good sipping beer.

Tip-in is sweet with a mild carbonation burn that carries mangoes and tangerines leading the way. The middle of the beer gets a little more raucous, as it has pine that hits the back of the throat while the mangoes, tangerines, grapefruits, and maybe some watermelon just dance around the whole rest of the mouth. The finish does have a flash of bitterness, and then its tartness takes over to lead to a reedy and dusty trail off.

Bottom Line: This is a pretty good beer.

3.5/5