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Alabama IPA

Discussion in 'US: South' started by dj14365, Feb 27, 2015.

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  1. dj14365

    dj14365 Aspirant (293) Feb 7, 2015 Alabama

    So I haven't had any IPAs since I started to "actually" drink beer, and I'm looking for a good one to start with. Before I got into beer I tried a few and just remember them being way to hoppy and bitter for my tastes at the time. In the year or so since then (I'm only 21 and have had a fairly rapid ascension into beerdom) I've started to enjoy a lot of different things with a decent amount of hop to them, and I feel like it's time to give IPAs a legit go.

    There is a bar near me with a great selection of Alabama beer's and really just beer in general (60 something taps with about 30 from AL), and I was hoping to give one of the local ones a try. They have both Tuscaloosa breweries as well as Good People, and Yellowhammer, along with a few others I can't remember.

    So if anyone has a recommendation for an IPA from Bama I'm all ears.

    Thanks ahead of time. Also the Bar is Loosa Brews if anyone was interested.
     
    #1 dj14365, Feb 27, 2015
  2. KMitch

    KMitch Initiate (0) Aug 29, 2012 Alabama

    Good People IPA or Monkeynaut are both good and I thought Lamplighter by Druid City was good as well. For a DIPA I like Weedy's by Blue Pants best if it's really fresh. Snake Handler is a close second as well as Gorillanaut.

    Some session IPAs are good too...I like GoTo by Stone and Even Keel by Ballast Point best although they are not from AL.
     
    #2 KMitch, Feb 27, 2015
    honkey likes this.
  3. dj14365

    dj14365 Aspirant (293) Feb 7, 2015 Alabama

    Should have mentioned that I'm not sure I'm brave enough to try a double just yet. Of the ones you mentioned which would you consider your favorite, I'll probably end up trying multiple ones since I enjoy tasting as many different beers as possible, and I'd like to get a decent sample before making up my mind considering everything will be a little bit different, but I'd like a starting point.
     
    #3 dj14365, Feb 27, 2015
  4. MOVERTON1284

    MOVERTON1284 Initiate (0) Jul 23, 2014 Alabama

    Best regular IPA to me is Take the Causeway from Fairhope. I also like Monkeynaut and Good People IPA.
     
    #4 MOVERTON1284, Feb 27, 2015
    BlackNotesIII likes this.
  5. honkey

    honkey Maven (1,338) Aug 28, 2010 Arizona
    Trader

    Normally I don't pimp my own beers on these forums, but at Blue Pants we have an IPA coming out that I think would be a great first IPA since it doesn't utilize an early bittering hop addition. It has a huge hop flavor of pink grapefruit, tangerine, and some tropical notes. Without the early hop addition, the bitterness level is perceived as being very low, although it does have a very high amount of IBU's.

    I really like Good People IPA a lot as well and I feel like it is a really good example of the style. Monkeynaut is excellent as well and I think it gets a lot of people into IPA's because it has a maltier backbone to balance the beer than a lot of other IPA's we find in Alabama.

    Always check cans or bottles for freshness. An IPA passed its prime (typically 2-3 months) can turn you away forever. Although, if you are getting it on draft, I would assume that most breweries are flying through IPA's so quickly that you wouldn't have freshness issues.
     
    #5 honkey, Feb 27, 2015
    zookerman182 and richj1970 like this.
  6. JuliusPepperwood

    JuliusPepperwood Initiate (0) Jul 21, 2013 North Carolina

    If you are just getting into craft beer and want to try more hoppy beers why not find a few hoppy pale ales you like then work up to IPA's? Good People's Pale Ale and Back Forty's Naked Pig both have some nice hop flavors but won't be overly bitter.

    Moving up to IPA's I'd recommend Trim Tab's IPA and Druid City's Lamplighter. Both have some fruity hop flavors without being super bitter. There a lot of good Alabama IPA's out there so let us know what you end up trying and what you liked.
     
    #6 JuliusPepperwood, Feb 27, 2015
  7. imyourhero21

    imyourhero21 Maven (1,366) Oct 9, 2011 California
    Trader

    That ipa sounds awesome. Moved to Nashville from san diego and always looking for good new ipas to try. Where are you located in Alabama? Wanna go visit down there when it warms up a bit soon. Thanks !!
     
    #7 imyourhero21, Feb 27, 2015
  8. bmeGT

    bmeGT Initiate (0) Feb 19, 2015 Georgia

    Going to agree with most here and say Good People IPA is a good start. When you move up to a double, the Snake Handler is a must get. The IPA that really got me hooked though, is Two Hearted Ale by Bell's. I'm in GA and we get regular distro, so you should too.
     
    #8 bmeGT, Feb 27, 2015
  9. dj14365

    dj14365 Aspirant (293) Feb 7, 2015 Alabama

    Is this the "Spare Pair" that's on the site? Because what you're describing sounds intriguing to me.

    I've had and enjoyed a number of beers with a decent amount of hop to them. Don't believe any were pale ales, but some English and Amber that were in that same upper 30 IBU ballpark of say the Naked Pig.

    I'm going to try to get out to the bar today, so I'll let you know how it goes.
     
    #9 dj14365, Feb 27, 2015
  10. dj14365

    dj14365 Aspirant (293) Feb 7, 2015 Alabama

    I know of a craft store just down the road from me that get's Bell's, but I'd be hesitant to go with it. I got a 6 pack of their amber and it was almost undrinkable which is odd since I typically love ambers. Don't know if I got a bad batch or something considering the brewery's good reputation.
     
    #10 dj14365, Feb 27, 2015
  11. bmeGT

    bmeGT Initiate (0) Feb 19, 2015 Georgia

    Maybe check out their (if they have it) make your own 6 pack and throw a few different IPAs in there. That way you don't spend all your cash on one kind.
     
    #11 bmeGT, Feb 27, 2015
  12. MOVERTON1284

    MOVERTON1284 Initiate (0) Jul 23, 2014 Alabama

    Bells amber is fairly hoppy for an Amber. Another great IPA to start with is Bell's Two Hearted Ale.
     
    #12 MOVERTON1284, Feb 27, 2015
  13. bmeGT

    bmeGT Initiate (0) Feb 19, 2015 Georgia

    Right.
     
    #13 bmeGT, Feb 27, 2015
  14. dj14365

    dj14365 Aspirant (293) Feb 7, 2015 Alabama

    So I went with Good People's IPA, and it was awesome. WHY HAVE I NOT BEEN DRINKING THIS STUFF ALL ALONG!!!

    Grabbed a 6 pack of monkeynaut and a single bottle of Stone's delicious IPA on the way out. I can't wait to try em out. Think I'm hooked.
     
    #14 dj14365, Feb 27, 2015
    Last edited: Feb 27, 2015
  15. bmeGT

    bmeGT Initiate (0) Feb 19, 2015 Georgia

    Stone is a big jump (taste-wise) from a lot of your typical IPAs. Just a warning. Still delicious!
     
    #15 bmeGT, Feb 27, 2015
  16. honkey

    honkey Maven (1,338) Aug 28, 2010 Arizona
    Trader

    We are in Madison, Alabama. About 1.5-2 hours from Nashville. If you make the trip, let me know and I'll join you in the taproom.

    Spare Pair is actually a pale ale that is being discontinued and replaced with an updated pale ale recipe. The IPA is a new beer coming out in about 2 weeks. I have a description of how we are brewing it on my blog... (http://drankprettygooddontit.blogspot.com)
     
    #16 honkey, Feb 28, 2015
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