Appalachian Mountain Not An IPA
Just like the subtext on this Appalachian Mountain Brewery (AMB) can states, this is, in fact, an IPA. One sniff of the 6.7% ABV (74 IBU) Not An IPA will let you know immediately that it’s not fooling any one. Listed on their website as a New England style IPA, this one really isn’t all that cloudy and it’s got a solid hop bite, so maybe they are trying to fool someone as it really doesn’t fall into that category in my experience.
The IPA packs a flavorful array of tropical fruit notes (pineapple, lemony citrus, tangerine peel and grapefruit) that’s balanced quite nicely by a leafy, grassy hop profile that also presents a good amount of pine. There’s not much of a sweetness here, but what little is on the tongue is countered by a welcome hop bitterness. The bite doesn’t overwhelm the fruitiness that passes right before it, but instead offers more of a dynamic discussion point than overtaking any conversation. Everything fades smoothly to a long lasting finish.
I was impressed with my first foray into AMB’s beers. I’m not sure how often — if ever again — I will cross paths with Not An IPA or its siblings in the future, but this experience was quite tasty and well received. It’s a balanced IPA with good fruit flavors and bitterness that isn’t unique by any means. It’s just a well crafted beer, plain and simple.