Appalachian Mountain Brewery Long Leaf IPA

Beer Name: Long Leaf IPA
Brewery: Appalachian Mountain Brewery (Boone, NC)
ABV: 7.1%
How sold: 4-packs of 16 oz. tallboy cans
Where bought: Bruisin' Ales (Asheville, NC)****
Price: $2.75 for single 16 oz. tallboy

****Bought this beer through their online store. Bruisin' Ales ships to Oregon, but no longer ships to Washington.

Date Purchased: September 8, 2015 (did not receive until October 10 due to shipping snafu)
Date Opened/Drank: October 12, 2015

When brewed? Year-round beer. One of their flagship beers.
IBUs: 74

Where distributed: AMB likely ships only within North Carolina, but Bruisin' Ales, a North Carolina liquor store, ships to other states.

What's on the Can: "Here's to the land of the long leaf pine, the summer land where the sun doth shine, where the weak grow strong and the strong grow great, here's to 'down home,' the Old North State! A smooth and crisp IPA using Columbus, Warrior, Chinook, and Centennial to give it a delicious citrus and piney aroma and flavor."

What's on the Website: "Taking its name from the toast of the Old North State, this amber IPA cheers with a white head, citrus aroma, and an intense, resins hop flavor that will linger on your palate."

REVIEW:

Appearance (5%): Poured a hazy golden/amber color into a pint glass. A few millimeters of frothy white head reduce to a light sudsy surface. Very little lacing on the glass. 4.25/5

Smell (25%): Just as advertised, a hoppy, citrus-pineapple, and piney experience. More balanced than a citrus-bomb West Coast IPA. 4.25/5

Taste (40%): Extremely balanced blend of citrus-pineapple, pine, and slight malt flavors. Very smooth with faint lingering bitterness. No alcohol detected in this 7.1% beer. 4.25/5

Mouthfeel (10%): Medium body, slightly malty, some carbonation. Drinks very easy for 7.1%. 4.25/5

Overall (20%): A solid IPA. I personally prefer that clean passion fruit or grapefruit-hop taste over a piney beer, but this is still very respectable in all aspects. I would definitely drink this again. Bonus points to AMB for their commitment to supporting local businesses and working with nonprofit organizations. They remind me of Ex Novo Brewing, an actual nonprofit brewery in Portland. 4.25/5

Final Weighted Rating: 4.25/5