#090: NOLA Brewing » Hopitoulas (IPA)

First taste of New Orleans...

The Brewery: New Orleans Lager & Ale Brewing Company (New Orleans, LA)
The Brew:  Hopitoulas (IPA)
Availability: 16 oz. cans / draft
ABV: 6.0%
Rating: 8.6/10
Location: Borgne Restaurant

The Story? I found myself heading to New Orleans last week with purpose of a conference for my day job. It's pretty rare that I travel for work, much less to some place as cool as NOLA, so I aimed to steal some time away from my 13-15 hour days for a taste or two of local and regional brews.

I arrived in NOLA ahead of schedule, caught a shuttle earlier than the one planned and found myself with more than enough time to grab a meal with drink and still start the conference early.

Before heading south, I'd reviewed which breweries are available in Louisiana that aren't in NYS. The cleverly named New Orleans Lager & Ale Brewing Company (NOLA Brewing...!) was one of the standouts, for being supremely local and one of the highest quality brews in the city.

Less than a hour from touchdown, I found one in hand.

The Beer? Hopitoulas is designed for can pour. Great deep, hazy coloring and a bit of head, without foaming over when opened. This one found it's way into a large, chilled 16 oz goblet. It was also nice to see a slightly higher-end hotel restaurant bar have such a wide selection of craft cans. Some companies have steered away (this article from Cigar City). But, I digress.

Back to the beer. Sweet hops fill my mouth with a pleasantly growing bitterness and slightly nutty flavors peaking through. The hops are on the orange zest with mild tropical side of things. Backed by a smooth level of carbonation and bready, biscuit hops.

I was able to grab a four-pack of this to bring home, which I'm particularly stoked on as the glass was ICE cold and I'm wondering if it didn't hinder some of the more subtle notes of the beer. There was also the distraction of meeting up with some co-workers I only see a handful of times a year!

Overall, definitely one I looked for after this can and glad I found it. IPA fans take note when you're down south.