High Pines
Highland Brewing

 

The tide is high for a return to a stronger, bitter and drier IPA that favors pine flavors as much as its does fruit flavors. This back to basics move is due to Highland Brewing and their blend of new and old hops.

High PInes pours a rather standard light copper color and with the faintest of hop-leading haze. With a burst of fragrant pine, citrus peel and toasted caramel at its leading scent, nuances of berry, tropical fruit and marmalade add complexity. Sweeter on the tongue, the initial impressions of caramel, nuttiness and toast give a granola-like taste to the early palate.

Developing fruit flavors of orange peel, red grapefruit and pineapple replaces the drying malts on the middle palate with a juicy citrus and tropical taste. Trending bitter with fresh cut spruce, peppery pine resins and fragrant cedar, the late taste shows remarkable dryness with hints of black currant and black tea to close.

Full bodied early but drying to a malty-dry consistency, the beer finishes decidedly bitter with a long aftertaste of bitter resins, grassiness and lighter suggestions of hemp and botiancal gins.

 

12oz can into a pint glass. Canned 6/30/22, so about 7 weeks old.

Another splendid looking ipa from Highland. Golden amber body with a strong white head which eventually shrinks to a fat collar and covering. Rings of lacing.

Decent hoppy aroma, nothing in particular jumps out.

Well, the abv is certainly apparent. Strong malt base gives a nice sweetness. Rising above all that is a great piney bitterness.

Mouth close to full, finish a warming pine note which doesn't dry out.

Overall, best of the recent 4 Highland beers I've been fortunate enough to try, courtesy of s-I-l Greg. Thanks mate. All were good.

4/26/22 Highland Brewing, tap room at the S&W Market.

Lovely bright caramel color, fresh pine and sweet, subtle blueberry aroma, and the flavor follows suit. Bright sweet pine, smooth with only a slight bitterness.

 

12 ounce can - $1.99 at Total Wine & More in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours a bronze-toned body, a tad hazy with a frothed, off-white head. Ample, sustained lacing.

Smell: Hand-picked breweries tossed with simple syrup and a spritz of alcohol backed by whiffs of barley, pine resin and nectarine essence.

Taste: An upfront sweetness helps to dull some of the sharpness, the discordantness of the acidity, bitterness and booze. Pale malts, some toast, some toasted grains. Sustained albeit subtle spiciness throughout. Orange-nectarine vibe with the obligatory berry Mosaic accent. Stinging pine and pepper amidst the bitterness and alcohol. All flavors merge as you reach the finish, then flush out a bit drying, leaving just a smidge of heat and bitterness and resin, though none of it particularly overbearing.

Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Medium carbonation.

Overall: A solid, likable rendition. Plenty punchy at 9% but relatively easy-drinking.

 

Pours a lightly chill hazed golden color with nice thumb sized off white head that laces well.

Aroma is nice fruity citrus with hints of pine needles some light sweetness that could be blueberry but not much of a blueberry fan personally so eh could just be malt sweetness. smells nice what ever it may be.

Taste follows nose nice hoppy citrus fruity with nice pine resin bitterness on a good semi sweet malt base. Has that god lingering west coast bite which I miss from all the hazy craze. The 9% is well hidden and could be dangerous as these go down fairly easy.

Mouthfeel is a big medium with about medium level of carbonation.

Overall a solid beer like most of Highlands brews. will most likely be picking up more of this long as its found fresh.

 

Poured from a 12 oz can dated 7/16/21 into a Willi Becher pint glass.
L- Pours a clear amber color with a large fluffy head.
S - Slight fruitiness with some pine.
T - Taste hoppy with some pine and some maltiness on the finish.
F - Medium body and carbonation.
O - Pretty easy drinker for a 9 % IPA.

 

12 oz can from the Wall of Beer in Clemson SC ($2.19). The fill date of 29 March 2021 is stamped on the bottom of the can.
Look. Deep amber colored body with a good white head.
Aroma. Bready malts with grassy, piney and fruity hops, including a hint of blueberries. The flavor follows.
Overall. A fine DIPA, particularly for the price.

Picked up a 12 oz single as part of a mixed sixer from Ingles Spartanburg store cooler 5-4-2021 for $10.98. Canned 2-25-21; consumed 5-12-21.

Beer poured a clear orange with a beautiful white head that has some good hang time.

Initial nose was very nice, full of fresh tropical and citrus fruit. Subsequent sniffs yields a strong pine presence.

Taste is large pale malts that combined initially with tropical and pine but is not primarily your old school grapefruit and pine bitter finish; 7/10 on my scale.

Mouthfeel is medium to full bodied and smooth.

Overall a nice beer for a really nice price. Would have again.

 

Amber color. Piney smell and taste with a bit over done on the bitterness.

Canned on 02/01/21.Pours into an imperial nonic a clear brass color with a large blooming slight off white head that sticks like glue to the glass,already happy it doesn't look like a beer milk shake.Bright citric notes hit first in the nose followed by some hefty sweet malt,a light smattering of grass and pine is there as well.Resin!Yes resin is the first thing I notice on the palate!Bright citrus and aspirin come in under the pine resin making for an old school hop profile,a sweeter biscuity malt base is there thru to the finish.I love it,,am I rating it a little high?.....Maybe but thank you Highland for going back a few years in making this,well done!

 

 

12 oz can , filled 2/9/21, into a tulip glass . It pours a clear golden orange (been a while since I had a “clear” IPA) with a half finger head that settles into a couple mm lace for the duration of the glass. Smell is pine, grass, and some sugary malt. The taste is right line, heavy pine, though not bitter. There may some stone fruit buried in there. The feel is medium, carbonation medium light, goes down easy for a 9%er. Overall, worth a go.