Carolina India Pale Ale

Brewed by Carolina Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Holly Springs, North Carolina USA

From a 12 oz bottle bought at the brewery. Poured with a reddish amber color and a fine head of light foam. Nice flourishing cascadey hop aroma. Delicious piney, citrus hoppiness predominates the palate, but in a restrained and very drinkable way. Bit dry, a fuller backdrop could make it perfect. (#2833, 5/4/2007)

From notes 5/22/05: Pours a brilliantly clear deep golden color with plenty of orange highlghts. Thin airy white head reduces to a thin film. Loose spotty lacing left behind. Aromas have a hefty malt backbone, immediately followed by a citrusy juicy hop note. Malty flavors initially grace the palate, but juicy hoppiness then takes center stage. Not an overwhelming beer, but the hop nature is easily noted and not missed at all. Lingering bitterness in the aftertaste. Thirst-quenching? Definitely. Drinkable? Oh you betcha. We need more IPA’s brewed here in NC, and this one satisfies the need quite nicely.

Aroma of grapefruit, cinammon, apricot. Appears slightly hazy gold with some effervescence of large bubbles and with little to no head. Flavor is pine, resin, and grapefruit, well-balanced by an underlying malt base. Palate is light, refreshing, crisp, dry, lovely. Overall, this beer is really quite good, and I would not mind having a keg of it on tap during this very hot southern california summer. My thanks go to Jonathan for this tasty North Carolina treat.

Pours a striking fiery clear copper with a medium off-white head. Citrusy, pacific nw hops in the nose with a touch of caramel. Flavor has big notes of cacade hop-type qualities: grapefruit, citrus, flowers. There is also ample caramel malt/toastiness to back it up along with a touch of California Ale Yeast in there too. Pleasantly sweet with a perfect, non-harsh hop bitterness. Medium bodied, soft texture and moderate carbonation. Good lacing and head retention. Good stuff.

Copper colored with aroma of hops and citrus and some apricots. Tastes hoppy, dry as it finishes, with some orange zest and grains of paradise at mid-palate. Nice style.

Draught. Copper color with thin head. Aroma is sublime; very rich hoppy nose almosy grapfruity. Hop flavors and bitterness are perfectly balanced with the caramel from the grains. Delicious.

Bottle. Sweet fruity aroma. Some hop. Beautiful, reddish amber; cloudy. Slightly off-white head. Some messy lace. Initial mouthfeel is very hoppy. Very lively on the tongue. Not as sweet as it smells. Could use a touch more sweetness to help cut the hop. Still a pretty nice brew. Enjoyable. Thanks Cornfield for hooking me up with this brew.

Bottle. Golden color with creamy white head. Aroma is grapefruit and straw which are both due to hops, but I would almost swear that I noticed some malt in there. Flavor is similar to aroma--mostly hops with a little malt thrown in. I would like a bit more of a malt balance. Overall, a solid beer.