Terrapin Brewing of Athens, Georgia is now canning my friends. They started this recently with the release of their RecreationALE, a “session” beer meant to be enjoyed in the great outdoors. Last March, though I received an alert from the brewery via newsletter that a second year-round offering, Terrapin Hi-5 IPA would soon be available, and in cans to boot.
It wasn’t until a few weeks ago, though, that I happened by my local Total Wine and spied a large display of Terrapin Hi-5 IPA stacked to the rafters in compact little boxes of 6 cans each. Better yet, the price was right at just $7.99 each. I didn’t see any 12-packs, but those should be coming too at perhaps even a better price.
Terrapin Hi-5 IPA is labeled on the can as a “California style India Pale Ale”, whatever that is. Actually, it’s what folks call West Coast IPA these days, which is really what I call San Diego IPA. We’ve had West Coast IPA for decades folks, but what passes for it today is usually big on hops that suggest tropical fruit notes and have less malt. That’s true with Terrapin Hi-5 IPA, a beer of 5.9% alcohol by volume.
Terrapin says about the beer:
Like a memorable adventure along U.S. Route 101, “Hi-5″ California Style IPA leads you down a road of pure adrenaline and beauty. Capturing the majestic flavor of citrusy hops that roll off your tongue like a white cap on an ocean wave, this scenic wonder will keep you in awe, sip after sip.
Ingredients from the website:
Hops: Zythos, Centennial, Amarillo, Simcoe, Citra
Malts: 2-row Pale, CaraMalt, Cara Pilsner
Terrapin Hi-5 IPA pours to a bright orange color with a thick, prodigious head formation and a slightly resiny, very tropical fruity nose. Taking a sip, the beer has some light chewy malt up front, I emphasize light as IPAs go, but it’s caramelly and satisfying enough to get the job done. As the beer progresses, the hoppy fruitiness kicks in, definitely pineapple like with some passion fruit, perhaps citrusy lemon and resin all thrown in. At the last, there’s a wonderful bitterness that lingers long and dry on the tongue and makes this really moreish.
What a beautiful beer this is. As a rule, I like a little more malt in my IPAs (I still have Terrapin Hopsecutioner IPA for that), but I will say that this one has enough to satisfy my malt cravings yet is still loaded with hops. It’s truly delicious, a beautiful beer indeed and you just can’t argue with the very reasonable price.
We have a winner!
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
(D)=Draft