Evolving Hare Columbus! Just what the world needed, another “session IPA”, and not just one but an entire series of them. OK, I’m being too hard on Red Hare brewing of Marietta, Georgia. I really love their beers, and I’ll admit that their latest entry in the “session IPA” category is a pretty good one. I’m not really crazy about the category (such beers are often lacking in the malt department), but this one features one of the classic 4C hops that I really love. Extra credit if you know which one.

You got it! Columbus. Columbus hops have been big since the 90s, when many American/West Coast IPAs used them (often in conjunction with Centennials, Cascades, and/or Chinooks). They’re a high alpha acid variety good for bittering, but can add resiny/piney notes as well. This is how I found them in Red Hare Evolving Hare Columbus IPA, and that makes the beer a bit different from many of the modern namby pamby fruit loop session IPAs.

Red Hare says this about the series:

Evolving Hare session IPA  features a rotating hop that changes with the season. Evolving Hare is super drinkable IPA with a 4.6% ABV and a featured hop that will roatate (sic) throughout the year.

And about this beer in particular:

Evolving Hare is a session IPA with a medium to light body, aggressive citrus and spice of COLUMBUS hops and rye are complimented by light tropical notes, balanced with a malty sweetness.

Red Hare Evolving Hare Columbus Session IPA has an alcohol content of 4.6% by volume with 58 IBUs. I paid $6 for a 20-ounce mug at Taco Mac.

That mug of Red Hare Evolving Hare Columbus Session IPA arrived a bright orange color with a medium head of loosely packed bubbles and beautiful resiny pine nose. Taking a sip, I got a soft sub-medium maltiness, big resiny pine tar and bitter grapefruit in the finish, and the beer becomes long and lingeringly dry bitter.

I love it, but then I do love Columbus hops. Maybe that’s what I like about this one which, judged against other “session IPAs”, comes up a real winner.

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