My, my, my Beautiful Sunday! This is my, my, my beautiful day! That's what I had blaring over my Bose Soundlink Max speakers one fine Sunday afternoon. That song by Daniel Boone was a perfect accompaniment to my glass of Highland Lower Falls IPA, a session IPA and a delightful first beer of the night out on the patio.
For me, beer and music have always gone hand in hand, way back to the early 1980s. My history with Bose goes back to 1984, when I bought my pair of 901 direct reflecting speakers which I still have to this day. The beauty of the Soundlink Max portable Bluetooth speakers is that you can pair them for stereo, and for me, that is a must. They offer crisp, clear high notes and deep booming bass, have excellent battery life, and though they are not cheap at $299 each (one sale), they are worth every penny.
Anyway, you are likely here to read about the beer, not speakers, so as Monty Python might say, get on with it! I have started seeing session IPAs again, not sure if they are in for a big revival, but I recently drank Highland Lower Falls IPA and Dogfish head 30 Minute IPA. While not my favorite style, they certainly have their time and place in my beer drinking world.
Ingredients from the website:
Hops Centennial and Mosaic
Grist 2 Row, malted wheat, flaked oats
Highland Lower Falls IPA has an alcohol content of 3.5% by volume and as they said above, just 95 calories. The beer has 25 IBUs and my can is stamped THIRST FOR GOOD FILLED ON 09/11/25.
About Highland Brewing Company
Our story began in 1994 when Oscar Wong, a Chinese-Jamaican immigrant and retired engineer, introduced Asheville to Highland's first beer using refurbished dairy equipment in the basement of Barley's Taproom.
Tasting Notes
Highland Lower Falls IPA pours to a hazy orange yellow color with a thick fluffy white head and a nose of bright citrusy grapefruit and tropical pineapple. Taking a sip, the beer is light to medium in body, about right for the style. It pops with the Grapefruit then the juicy pineapple, then finishes dry with a long lingering bitterness.
Value & Verdict
I paid $2 for a single can in a mix-a-six at Ingles Supermarket in Murphy, North Carolina. It was selling for $9.99 a six-pack at the time, and Total Wine sells it for $10.99 a six-pack here in Georgia. A tasty example of the style, a proper session beer at 4% or under, but no sacrificing on flavor here. I would certainly drink it again.
