It’s been a warm October folks, well, at least the first week has. The upside is that I’m out on my patio on a fine October Sunday and it’s a pleasant evening to be having a few beers in the open air. That’s something you can’t always do here in the summer months; it’s just too oppressively hot. We take such days as they come, and I’m celebrating this one with a can of New Heights IPA.
New Heights began its story in Nashville in 2014 with California transplants Jeff and Tracey Fountain. This is my first beer from New Heights despite the fact I travel to Nashville a few times a year. When I do, I’m always on the lookout for beer, and on this trip I scored a 4-pack of pint cans of New Heights IPA.
Here’s what the brewery says about their namesake IPA:
Subtle malt complexity gives way to the heart of this beer—the hops. Piney and resinous with notes of grapefruit, our flagship IPA showcases our hop forward approach and creates a balanced bitterness that hop-heads will love.
You had me at piney, resinous and grapefruit.
New Heights IPA has an alcohol content of 6.9% by volume with 101 IBUs (a lot!). I lost my receipt and don’t recall what I paid for my 4-pack, but Total Wine sells them for $10.49. Not yet in Georgia, though. My cans say "STILL IN THE CART" on the bottom and are stamped as canned on 08/16/18. I drank the one I'm musing over on 10/7/2018.
New Heights IPA pours to a bright orange amber color with a thick creamy head and a robust grapefruit rind and resin nose. A thick layer of Brussels lace forms on the sides of my glass and descends with the liquid to the bottom of the glass. Taking a sip, the malt is lighter than a classic American IPA might offer, with just a hint of caramel, but the resiny pine and juicy citric grapefruit notes really explode across the palate, leading into a long, dry and quite bitter herbal finish.
More malt and this would be perfect, but hey I’m crazy like that. As it is, it’s tasty indeed. Come to Georgia, New Heights. We’d love to have you here.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled, canned
(D)=Draft