Highland Brewing IPA
Earlier this month Highland Brewing announced some big plans for 2016. Three year-round offerings, three new seasonal releases, two new brews in their Warrior Series and four Kinsman Project beers have all been planned for the coming year. And now, the first of those ten new products — Highland IPA set to be released on January 4th — is just about ready to go.
I was lucky enough to receive a sample of this West-coast style IPA the other day and finally sat down with it last night. Weighing in at 7% ABV (64 IBU), Highland IPA is brewed with Chinook, Citra and Centennial hop varieties with solid malt bill of 2-Row, Victory and Caramel 20. The result is a beer that packs in plenty of pine resin, citrus fruit character and just enough bready malt to keep everything from getting too out of control.
Appearance
The brew pours a pale amber/apricot in color with a small head of off-white foam that feel to a thin collar.
Aroma
This particular bottle was filled on the 16th of this month, so it’s just about as fresh as fresh can get a state away — and it smells like it! Loads of pine resin, tropical fruit (grapefruit, orange, lemon and a touch of mango), herbal notes and a hint of honey all fill the nose with a grassy notes.
Taste
This isn’t a new school tropical fruit bomb, but it still packs plenty of fruit. A touch of cattiness accompanies pine resin, grapefruit, grass, mango, apricot and a moderate sweetness from start to finish. A solid amount of hop bitterness peaks quickly before fading excruciatingly slowly to the long lasting and lightly drying finish. This medium bodied brew is quite flavorful and gently warming.
Overall
Highland IPA is a heck of a beer. It’s got a great hop character and solid bite, but not too much bitterness that your palate is wrecked for another glass. The combination of resin and citrus fruits makes for a refreshing and engaging drinking experience that I look forward to enjoying year-round. Be on the look out for this new brew right after the New Year gets underway.
Rating: 4/5
This is a review of a promotional sample.
