Aphelion A Double IPA

Review Date 2/11/2024  By John Staradumsky

  Style: Double IPA   Brewery: 6 Bridges   Country: USA   State: Georgia   $ Per OZ: $.24 (B), $.39 (D)   ABV: 8%

It’s a tap takeover! A tap takeover here at Guruofbrew.com! That’s right folks, this is the second of what will be three (count ‘em!) consecutive reviews of beers from 6 Bridges Brewing in John’s Creek, Georgia (My Creek!). Now, you may think I should have six reviews, one for each bridge, but I haven’t taken notes on six of their beers yet, so you get three. Three is half of six, so there you go.

Anyway, this all started because I went to Taco Mac on a Monday night. The right Monday night to enjoy a few beers from 6 Bridges. It had been a long and busy weekend that I had spent working. Working so hard, in fact, that I was too tired to enjoy a beer. So, starting work again early on Monday morning, I logged off in compensating early fashion, and arrived at Taco Mac just after 4PM.

Mondays, of course, are a great day to have a beer at Taco mac because you earn double credits if you are a Brewniversity member. I started off, you see, with a delicious doppelbock from a Florida brewery, and while I was drinking it, I learned that 6 Bridges was featured in a tap takeover tonight! Oh Happy Day! That started at 5PM, and on a Monday you get QUADRUPLE credits for tap takeover beers you haven’t had at Taco Mac before!

Now, I’m not sure how you have a tap takeover at a Taco Mac with over 100 taps, but hey, I wasn’t complaining. When 5 O’clock rolled around, I ordered up, of course, a 6 Bridges Beer: Aphelion A Double IPA. Since it was tap takeover night, a brewery rep was on site, and he must have heard me and the guy next to me order his beers, because he came over to chat.

Actually, before we chatted he plunked down a 6 Bridges logo glass next to me with a sticker in it. Score! I did not have one yet, so I was pretty excited about that. We got to chatting then about 6 Bridges beers and I mentioned how much I lenjoy their Oktoberfest beer, Feirabend. He seemed impressed I knew the name, and when I mentioned 6 Bridges was on my agenda for my annual birthday pub crawl, he handed me a coupon for my first beer on the house. Yay!

6 Bridges has little to say about Aphelion A on their website, but Untappd quotes them as follows:

Aphelion is our new non-hazy DIPA series with Sci-Fi inspiration like our Perihelion sister series.

Our opening chapter starts with Aphelion A, which is "cali-style" DIPA, this differentiates from a West Coast by being lightly malted with a dry finish and firm base bitterness. Aphelion then gets a New England/hazy-inspired dry hop schedule at ~4.5lbs/BBL for the fruit/juice-like character! Expect bitter citrus peel and papaya-like flavors and aroma from the hop treatment.

Look out for Aphelion B dropping late March!

6 Bridges Aphelion A Double IPA has an alcohol content of 8% by volume and I paid $8.94 for my 23-ounce mug at Taco Mac. That seemed like a reasonable price for draft. Total Wine claims to have it at their Alpharetta store but at a whopping $16.99 for 6 12-ounce cans. I don’t think I would pay that price for it.

My mug of 6 Bridges Aphelion A Double IPA arrived a brialliant golden color with a moderate head of foam and a citrus and tropical fruity nose. Taking a sip, the beer is crisp and light malty, refreshing with grapefruit pith and peel and a hint of pine and tropical fruit. A dry bitter finish and warming alcohol round the beer out nicely.

Definitely a rebuy beer for me, on tap if not in cans at the $17 price. Perhaps it is more reasonable at the brewery. If it is, I will buy some there next month.

Glad I tried it?  T

Would I rebuy it??