Hey there, Jekyll Brewing of Alpharetta, Georgia. I have a bone to pick with you. A few weeks ago, I was off in search of a six-pack of Jekyll Hop Dang Diggity Southern IPA, a beer I very much enjoy. I wanted to share a few bottles with friends from out of state, and so as I found myself at Bullocks in Woodstock beer shopping, I went to grab a six-pack. Then I got the sticker shock: $10.99 for a six-pack, steep for a local brew.

No problem, thought I, I’ll just head to the corner packy near my home, where I had seen the beer for $8.99 two weeks before. When I got there, though, I was surprised to see Hop Dang Diggity was up to $10.99 there as well. Grudgingly, I forked over the $11 and change including the governor’s share and brought the beer home.

I was very disappointed in Jekyll over this. Come on guys, a 22% increase? I want to support local brewers, but this does not make it easy. Granted, the brewer has to eat as well, and if it had gone up to $9.99 I wouldn’t have minded so much. Things got worse, though when I hit Total Wine a week later: $11.99 for Hop Dang Diggity! To be fair, they did have Jekyll 'Merican Amber (new beer) and Jekyll Cooter Brown for $9.99. I did see mixed pack cases at Costco for $34.99, too, but that seems high for a case lot (almost $9 a six).

And again to be fair to Jekyll, they are not the only ones overcharging. My beloved Jailhouse also debuted in six-packs for $10.99. I can't blame them for charging what the market will bear, but I also hope they don't blame me for buying a lower priced alternative.

Anyway, on to Jekyll Cooter Brown, the beer I’m drinking tonight. I won’t complain about the price on this one, since it’s in the range of what I call fair ($8.99 to $9.99 these days). Jekyll’s inspiration for the name of the beer is amusing and worth recounting here:

Cooter Brown was a family man who lived on the mason-dixon line during the civil war.  He decided to stay inebriated for the entire war so that he would not need to pick a side. We salute his peaceful manner by naming our brew in his honor.

Jekyll Cooter Brown has an alcohol content of 6% by volume and 46 IBUs.

Jekyll Cooter Brown pours to a dark mahogany color with a thick creamy head and seductive, alluring nose of sweet dark molasses and brown sugar. Taking a sip I get more of the flavors the nose promised, especially the brown sugar and some caramel to boot. Those flavors work wonderfully together, and the body of this beer is just right-not too thick, not at all thin. The hops show up in the finish, they’re grassy more than anything else and they balance off the sweet dark malt flavors nicely and linger a while on the tongue with a gentle bitterness after you sip.

This, my friends, is a wonderful beer that balances dark sweet malt flavors off brilliantly with just the right amount of hops. Yes, I’ve spent a good portion of this review ranting about prices, and they are going up at an alarming rate these days in the industry as a whole. That’s not, however, an indictment on this beer, which is worth every penny of the asking price. It’s a beer I will buy again, and again, and again. Try it, and see if you don’t agree with me.  

Update 1/11/2018: Jekyll beers are featured as Beer of the Month at Taco Mac this January. I enjoyed a brimming mug of the delightfully dark malty, hoppy teat for $6. Free logo glass included.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft



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