Big River Grille House Brand IPA

Brewed by Big River Grille & Brewing Works Chattanooga (Gordon Biersch)
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Chattanooga, Tennessee USA

At the brewpub, pre-Noogfest. Pours copper with yellow-beige head. The aroma is very sweet with honey and caramel, some light citrus and spice notes. The flavor is sweet nuts, honey, and some faint bitterness. Robust for an IPA.

Draft. Amber with an off-white head. Bitter hop aroma and flavor as expected. Very drinkable IPA.

Draft at Rock Bottom Atlanta. Pours a rusty red color. One finger, light tan head. Piney aroma. Very faint hop flavor, really muted. Bready malt dominates the body. Clean finish with just a hint of bitterness.

Name: Loop IPA
Date: 07/24/1997
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewpub
Score: ii

dark amber, thin fine head, sweet carmel malt aroma with a touch of hops, medium malt body, low hop flavor but a good bitter finish
-------- /> Date: 10/20/2001
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewpub

slightly hazy light amber, soft fruity floral hop aroma, big burst of hop flavor, not overwhelming but assertave, nice bitter finish, hops from beginning to end as it should be
-------- /> Date: 05/22/2002

toned down a notch, but still great
-------- /> Date: 07/20/2002

bringing up the malt a lot, still good hop character, but this brewer is becoming a master of malt, long bitter finish
-------- /> Name: Loop IPA
Date: 01/21/2004
Score: iii

touch of biscuit malt in the malt profile that becomes more pronounced and really makes this beer, otherwise unchanged, still mild for an ipa but a tasty brew
-------- /> Date: 06/18/2005
Mode: cask

opaque orange, frothy tan head, great sweet carmel malt flavor with well balanced hops, low bitterness,
-------- /> Date: 07/30/2005
Mode: cask

really well balanced with lots of hop flavor on the sweet malt, great citrus character, nice long bitter finish, the best hoppy beer to ever come out of this place,
-------- /> Name: Loop IPA
Date: 08/09/2005

still mild after all these years

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 5/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Score: **4
-------- /> Date: 05/20/2006
Mode: cask

toned down a lot, none of the big hop flavor or citrus character, still a nice long bitter finish
-------- /> Date: 10/20/2006
Mode: cask

very creamy body, the citrus must be a thing of the past, picking up a soft buttery character that fits with what has become an English cask IPA

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 8/10; Overall: 14/20
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **4

Pours a deep amber color with an off white head. Aroma is caramel, with grassy bitter hops. Flavor is malty, caramel, with a grassy/earthy finish.

Draught. Pours red with a small head. The aroma is fruity with hints of apples, caramel, and a nice hop complexity. The description on the menu describes this as being an American style IPA, but I strongly disagree with that. Though it is mildly robust, the flavor, hop profile in particular, are quite British IMHO. There is a very nice level of citric-type acidity present with slightly meaty notes. The caramel is adequate to balance. This is a drinkable session type brew.

Draft in Chattanooga w/ Shag/Clash. Full amber color with a decent initial head. Retention was not as good as the better IPAs, nor was the lacing, but decent. Aroma was piney with some citrus hopping also going on. Flavor was pine and citrus hop water with some caramel malts mixed in. Pretty drinkable, yet not a stellar IPA, beatable even by many a pale ale. Mouthfeel was average for the style.

On Tap in Chattaboogie, TN at their restaurant - Drank 2 pints with a shrimp scampi appetizer and filet medallions main course. It was a good combo. This is an above average Beer, but a below average IPA.