Carolina IPA

Brewed by Carolina Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Holly Springs, North Carolina USA

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

Pours a clear hazelnut with a nice off white head. Huge grapefruit aroma o’ hops. This is one of the better IPA’s I’ve had because it is perfectly balanced and not overly bitter. A creamy mouthfeel of roasty malt and a bit of hoppy pine. Finish is smooth with the slightest lingering of citric bitterness.

Bottle courtesy of emacgee. Thanks man!
Pours a dark hazy amber with a light offwhite head. Smell is fresh, bright malt, and citrusy, fruity hops. Taste is really nice and fruity with citrusy sweet hops. Very drinkable and a good semi-rich body with nice refreshing carbonation. Nice crisp bitterness. This is a very underrated IPA, I think, and a classic example of what I want in the style. Thanks again for this one!

Pours copper with big hopcit and fruit aroma. Tastes hoppy, with a resiny palate and a fruity finish. Decent complexity. Nice.

UPDATED: SEP 7, 2004 Bottle. Golden color with creamy white head. Aroma is grapefruit and straw which are both due to hops, but I would almost swear that I noticed some malt in there. Flavor is similar to aroma--mostly hops with a little malt thrown in. I would like a bit more of a malt balance. Overall, a solid beer.

12oz Bottle Bottled 4/23/08 This was an extra in a recent trade with beavers, thanks a lot Mike! Carolina’s IPA pours amber, a little darker then the usual IPA. The body is clear with a minimal amount of carbonation rising slowly to the surface. A fingers worth of creamy white head formed on the pour and left some chunk lace on it’s settling to a cap. The hops are the first thing to pop showing citric qualities. Orange and lightly sweetened grapefruit are the first two that come to mind along with a squeeze of lemon. There’s an earthiness I pick up here and there but isn’t constantly present. The earthiness goes away as this beer warms up. The maltiness seems to be on the caramel side but is in back letting the hops do their thing. Flavor follows the aroma stride for stride. Sweet orange peel and lightly sweetened grapefruit show up after the caramel sweet start and lead through the finish. A touch of lemon flashes through occasionally adding to the citric hoppy touch. This is a good IPA. I’m really digging the mouthfeel of this beer. Medium body with a good silkiness but a noticeable carbonation that massages the tongue nicely. Leaves a growing bitterness behind. This is an IPA I would have no problem drinking a few at a time. The lower abv (compared to others of the style) and silky mouthfeel keep this beer flowing freely. This is a very solid IPA from Carolina Brewing. Good hop characteristics along with a muted maltiness and high drinkability make for an enjoyable beer. I would buy this often if available in my area. 6/4/08

12oz bottle. Pours amber with a thin, whispy white head. Smells nice and balanced with some citrus hopa and some sweet metallic malts. Tastes about the same, the hops are very tasty, grassy with some citrus and the malts taste sweet and metallic. Medium body, crisp carbonation.

Pours a transparent copper amber with a nicely-lacing wispy white head. Aroma of sweet caramel and lightly toasted malt with a decent amount of grapefruity hops. Starts with nice sweetness and an earthy grapefruity hop balance toward a slightly grainy finish. A pretty good and balanced IPA.

bonus brew in a trade with jonathan.pours a clear orange with a nice white head.nice pine hop aroma.the mouthfeel was light and crisp.this is a nice refreshing summer ipa.