'Bama Beers

I've been writing this blog thing for a few years now. As I said in one of my first posts, I do this almost exclusively for my own entertainment and enjoyment. Having said that, I'm quite pleased with all of the feedback and comments I've gotten regarding my writing. (It does make me wonder what kind of sheltered literary life you lead, if you find my scrawlings interesting.) For the first time ever now, I've been commissioned by someone to write a particular piece. My commission? Beer, of course. Since I have a fondness for IPAs and a love of writing, Steve wants me to rate a selection of those beers from Alabama. Sure, I think, why not?

I should begin with a description of my beer preferences I suppose. My taste in beer leans strongly toward IPAs, a type of beer first brewed way back when England was a world power with territories around the globe, long before air travel was invented. England would trade with its territories by sailing ship, and one of the provisions provided to the crews, in addition to food, was beer. On the longer voyages, such as those from England to India, beer would spoil, leaving a bunch of unhappy (unhoppy) sailors. The brewers found that adding more hops to the beer helped to preserve the brew so it would survive the long voyage. An unintentional added benefit was the delightful bitterness we associate with the beer we now call India Pale Ale. My personal favorite beer, the only one I've ever given a 5 star rating is Ska Brewing's Modus Hoperandi. Very hoppy, yet light enough to go down easily, Modus is the beer by which I judge all others.

If you read my comparison expecting some highbrow, fancy, connoisseur terms, you may as well stop now. There will be no mention of "floral notes," "pleasing aftertastes,"  "palate cleansing," "aggressive nose," "blurry nipple," (just checking to see if you are paying attention with that last one) etc. It is more likely that there will be mention of burps than any pretentious stuff. Dennis and I will rate these beers by how well we like them. Period. After all, we don't sit around swirling our beers in snifters, we drink and enjoy our brews. I enlisted Dennis because he and I tend to prefer similar beers, and because I thought it unwise to drink six IPAs in one evening.

We decided that we'd sample the beers in order of alcohol content, from lowest to highest. This was so we'd remain sober-ish through the testing. Alcohol content is listed below, along with IBU rating, a measure of bitterness/hoppiness. The beers sampled are as follow.

1) Battlefield from Avondale Brewing in Birmingham

6.8 abv, 62 ibu

2) Hop Bursted IPA from Blue Pants in Madison

6.9 abv, 75 ibu

3) IPA from Good People Brewing Company in Birmingham

7.2 abv, 68 ibu

4) Monkeynaut IPA from Straight to Ale in Huntsville

7.25 abv, 70 ibu

5) Freckle Belly IPA from Back Forty Beer Company in Gadsden

7.5 abv, 65 ibu

6) Causeway IPA from Fairhope Brewing in Fairhope

8.2 abv, 56 ibu

Each brew will be given a rating from one to five stars by each tester on the all-star panel, along with a brief description. Several of these were decent brews in the testers' opinions, as evidenced by the 4 or higher scores. All were drinkable, but some were not top-tier beers. Okay, enough chitchat, here are our thoughts on this Alabama IPA sampler, starting from lowest to highest scores:

#6: Causeway IPA from Fairhope Brewing

This high alcohol (8.2%) brew was a bit strong for my taste. Malty with a noticeable taste of alcohol and a less hoppy taste all contributed to the low 3.5 rating.

#5: Battlefield from Avondale Brewing

This had the lowest alcohol (6.8%) of the group, but also had the least flavor of the beers. Could definitely use additional hops.

#4: Good People IPA from Good People Brewing

This sample fell short of a 4 star rating. One tester said it was "light, with good hoppiness," while the other reviewer said it tasted too yeasty.

#3: Hop Bursted IPA from Blue Pants

This sample was rated 4.0 by both reviewers. It was noted as having a pleasing amount of hoppiness, but perhaps a bit too much maltiness, giving the drink a slight heaviness.

#2: Monkeynaut IPA from Straight to Ale brewing

While can or bottle design was not a part of the review, one has to love this beer's name and can design. The beer was quite good, receiving 4 or higher stars from both of our reviewers.

#1: Freckle Belly from Back Forty Beer Company

This delightful drink scored 4.5 from both reviewers, the highest rating from each. No points are awarded for imaginative names, but this one did tickle my fancy. (Yes, I have a fancy, and it occasionally gets tickled.) While this can't match my much-loved Modus, it is a very good beer. When in Alabama I highly recommend you check it out. One reviewer gave it a one word review, "Yummy!"

Conclusion: Freckle Belly came out on top, but I'd gladly drink any of the top three contenders. These brews are all proof that the south has more to offer than moonshine and rebel flags. The next time I venture that way, I'll order a Freckle Belly.