M-43 N.E. I.P.A.

Review Date 1/19/2019 By John Staradumsky

  Style: India Pale Ale   Brewery: Old Nation   Country: USA   State: Michigan   $ Per OZ: $.28 (B), $.53 (D)   ABV: 6.8%

Welcome to Georgia, Old Nation Brewing of Williamston, Michigan! I’m always happy to meet a new brewery, though I wish this meeting had gone a little better than it did. To be sure, your M-43 N.E. IPA was tasty indeed, a solid example of the New England IPA style, and hedonistically incredibly pleasing. I had it on tap at Taco Mac, a great way to be introduced to a new brewery.

Hopping on over to your website, I see the following on this beer:

The First release in Old Nation’s “New Orthodox” IPA series, M-43 is designed to accentuate the deep and complex character from the combination of Calypso, Simcoe, Citra and Amarillo hops. Citrus and Tropical notes of Pineapple, Mango and Grapefruit come through in the huge, yet surprisingly delicate aroma. The flavor backs these aromas with a soft, pillowy mouthfeel. Hop bitterness is not particularly intense, which leads to a very drinkable, New England IPA even non-IPA fans love. The Haze is not from yeast, but rather from an interplay of lipids from the malted oat and oils and acids which naturally occur in the hand selected Dry hops. This beer is a perfect interplay between top grade malt and hops, MI water and brewing technique which cannot be faked.

So true! You just can’t fake great beer, and you certainly didn’t here. This beauty has an alcohol content of 6.8% by volume with 65 IBUs. I paid $9.66 for a 23-ounce mug at Taco Mac, and it sells for $17.99 a 4-pack of pint cans at Total Wine.

My mug of Old Nation M43 N.E. IPA arrived a hazy orange color with a thick cap of rocky foam and pineapple and grapefruit in the nose. Taking a sip, I got a medium maltiness with smooth pasty oats, orange and grapefruit citrus in that order, pineapple, and a tart lightly bitter finish with a hint of herbal mint.

Lovely beer, I really enjoyed it. Sadly, though, it’s not a beer I would buy again. Oh sure, I’ll try more beers from Old Nation, but the simple truth is that as good as this beer is, New England IPAs are a dime a dozen these days. Everybody makes one or ten. There are plenty out there just as good for a lot less money than this one commands, and this one commands a lot. Too much in fact.