What can I say about Columbus IPA? As far as the background of the beer goes, I can tell you this: Columbus IPA is not sold in my area, for starters. I received the beer in a trade with beer legend Dave Coulter some months ago. One of the things that I noticed on the label is that the beer states in no uncertain terms: This special beer is not pasteurized, keep refrigerated until serving. So that’s exactly what I did.

Columbus IPA is a product of Columbus Brewing of Columbus, Ohio, a brewpub-brewery operation. Details on their IPA from their website:

IPA

An American IPA

Our IPA pours a slightly hazy, pale orange with a balanced malt flavor and finishes with a wonderful flavor and aroma only American hops can provide. This beer is served unfiltered to retain the bouquet from the hops. Brewed with Amarillo and Simcoe hops.

6.5% ABV 60 IBU 

I would have thought perhaps Columbus hops would be a natural for this one, but there you go. Anyway, let’s kick the tires on this one, shall we?

Columbus IPA pours to a bright orange color with a medium sized rocky head and vibrant citrusy hop nose. This beer is bottle conditioned; I pour the sediment into the bottle at the very last. Taking a sip reveals a real hop monster, some chewy caramel malt struggles to start things off but it’s quickly overwhelmed by citrusy grapefruit hop flavor, some resiny pine aroma and then at the last a truly massive long lingering dry bitterness that just does not want to quit. It seems to linger on the tongue forever, just as the pine does too. I think this might be one of the best straight up IPAs I’ve tasted in a long time.

I love beers like this that don’t try to go overboard, although I suppose one could say that the American IPA style is nothing if not a British IPA gone overboard, even by the standards of the original IPAs of the 19^th century. It’s definitely hop forward but keeps things balanced with just the right amount of malt. Balance may seem a strange descriptor for such a hoppy brew, but I think it’s there up front and in the way it transitions from malt to hop.

What can I say about Columbus IPA? Columbus IPA is not sold in my area, for starters. But if it were, I’d be all over it like a cheap suit.

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