I didn't need any beer, that was for sure. When, though, did that stop me from buying beer? Like, never. I was at Aldi you see, picking up sone corned beef hash and especially there for the liverwurst. I love liverwurst, you see, but I was also buying it for my poor dog Heidi. Heidi stepped on something in the yard, or her paw was bitten, and she had a sore on it. We took her to the vet and they gave her antibiotics and pain relievers (they said it looked infected).
Anyway, important pet owner tip here, there is nothing better in my experience for giving dogs pills than liverwurst. My dogs have loved it, and it is easy to wrap around your pills and hide them from the dog. My dog never spits out her pills when they're wrapped in liverwurst.
You know where this is going, though, while I was there I of course looked at the beer section, and saw six-packs of Great Pines American IPA, brewed for Aldi by ABW in Virginia Beach, Virginia, AKA New Realm. The name suggested a piney resiny classic American IPA/West Coast IPA, so of course I was intrigued enough to buy a six-pack. I so love those beers after all.
Not much information out there about this beer. Aldi has a page about it, but they have taken it down. The label and the carton call it an "India Pale Ale with natural flavors", but do not say what those natural flavors are. To my mind, it is likely grapefruit. The only other possibility I can think of after enjoying the beer is spruce, but that is more expensive, and to me unlikely in a budget beer from Aldi.
Other than that, I can tell you the beer has an alcohol content of 6% by volume and my cans are marked as PKGD 02/25/26.
Oh, and as for the liverwurst? Aldi was out, so I had to go to Ingles. Where I bought, of course, more beer.
About ABW Brewing
ABW is a contract brewing operation out of Virginia Beach, Virginia at the New Realm brewery there. They produce many beers for the Aldi supermarket chain.
Tasting Notes
Great Pines American IPA pours to a pale golden orange color with a thick rocky white head and a nose of robust citrus and hints of resin. Taking a sip, the beer is medium in body with a light caramel maltiness. It pops with citrusy hops (lemony, grapefruit rind), and towards the finish becomes piney resiny, earthy herbal and very bitter at the last.
Value & Verdict
I paid $8.79 for my six-pack, which is indeed a bargain these days.
Great Pines American IPA reminds me of Bell's Two Hearted Ale I think, though it is not quite as infused with hop aroma as that beer is. It's close though, and for under $9 a six-pack it is a beer I would love to see on Aldi store shelves again. Four stars on its own merits, and I will tack on another quarter star for the bargain basement price.
