Big River Grille House Brand IPA

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

On tap at Chattanooga location. Reddish brown in the glass with an off white head that left some lacing. Subdue aroma of hops and honey. The flavor made up for the aroma with pine, honey, citrus and a malt background. Medium body. Pleasing mouth full.

Tap at Rock Bottom (Atlanta) - Deep coppery orange, light tan head. Nose was nice with floral, earthy, fruity hop tones, and an underlying caramel toffee malt note throughout. Very well balanced for an IPA (maybe too balanced). Good floral earthy, sweet malt combo. Medium bodied and smooth, light carbonation, wet, hoppysweet finish. A nice session IPA at 5.9%

Had this both on cask and on tap. The difference is significant. It’s dry hopped, it’s very good. Lots of lace. Hoppy aroma. Cask conditioned is very flavourful

Deep copper colored brew with an off white clinging head. The first drink was a hop explosion. (Fuggle I only know that because I asked) what ever they are you know their there. Each drink is better than the previous one. That first drink will awaken taste buds on your tongue that have maybe never been used. It may be short of great but not by much.

Draught at the Charlotte, NC Rock Bottom location. Clear copper color with thin off white head. Big flowery hop nose. Flavor is distinctly hoppy, but well balanced with malty caramel flavor. Dry and bitter throughout. Bitterness lingers.

Nicely hazy red/chestnut brown. Smooth, low carbonation palate, somewhat chewy, really graces the tongue like a velvet swipe. Malty, light caramel, surprisingly dampened in flavor. Easy to drink: dull, dry, dusty hops, doesn’t have a "big hop" profile. It struck me that this is an English IPA. However, the funny thing is that the menu describes this beer as an "American-style, single hop varietal with domestic Fuggles." There’s your contradiction: the Fuggles give it the character of an English IPA, even if they’re US-grown hops. (on tap, Rock Bottom Atlanta)

Draught(Atlanta). Copper color, small head. some malt in aroma. Flavor is better than the pale ale, but still a little unbalanced. Hoppy aftertaste.

Had on tap at the Rock Bottom in Buckhead (Atlanta) Ga. Pours a nice medium copper, decently frothy white head. Light floral aroma with hints of spruce. Flavor has the typical west coast, citrusy hoppiness with a malty, nutty back end. Nothing outstanding but no dings etiher.
Earlier Rating: 5/30/2004 Total Score: 2.8
Had on tap at the Chattanooga location. Has a light copper appearance with a sticky white head and good lacing. Light citrust flavor, average bitterness. Faint sprucey aroma. All in all, an average IPA.