Spring IPA - Abita Brewing Co.

MrHassellYaHurd

Louisiana

3.73/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thick lacing of dense foam caps this brew at a thickness of about two fingers, receding to a finger after a few minutes. Sticky head clings to the glass as the beer is sipped. The golden-copper brew has a slight chill haze, the only ding against its otherwise beautiful appearance.

The smell of this brew is fresh and citrusy--almost with a hint of sweet oranges in the hop aroma. There are floral notes, which smell as if they would be bitter to the taste. There is faint grassiness, and a prominent backbone of sweet bready malts. The hops come across as a little dull in the aroma. It could be because this 6 pack has sat for a while, or perhaps something else, but I'd prefer a more crisp hop presence in the nose.

The first flavor that comes through is a thick and sweet malt syrup, with some hints of grapefruit tang. There is a kind of pine resin bitter flavor, as well as a slightly toasty biscuit flavor. This brew is full-bodied, with a thick and smooth texture, medium carbonation prickliness.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 18:13:50 | More by MrHassellYaHurd

5thOhio

South Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Aroma is fresh, grassy with a slight hint of lemon. Pours a rich golden color with a bright white head that fades to a thin film of surface foam and scattered bubbles. Minimal lacing.

Hops jump out first, as they should in an IPA. Some malt backbone underneath. Unfortunately, I'm not getting the grassy/lemon flavor that I anticipated from the nose. Basically, just a strong nondescript bitterness.

Mouthfeel is assertively carbonated and medium thickness. About right for the style.

Overall, not a bad IPA, but the lack of any real flavor profile in the hops leaves it lacking to my taste. Probably better on tap, but I think there are other IPAs I prefer to spend my money on.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 23:09:38 | More by 5thOhio

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.71/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours lightly hazy dark golden yellow to copper in color with very light amounts of visible carbonation and some orange highlights. The beer has a two finger tall foamy light beige head that slowly reduces to a pillowy thick film covering the entire surface of the beer with a slightly thicker ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate to significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: There are light to moderate aromas of pale malts with just a hint of caramel sweetness underneath some moderate aromas of citrus/lemon/orange hops and just a touch of herbal hops.

T: Upfront there is a light to moderate flavor of pale malts with a touch of honey sweetness. On top of the malt flavors, there are moderate flavors of citrus/lemon/orange rind hops, floral hops, and just a hint of herbal hops. Light to moderate amounts of bitterness which fade pretty quickly.

M: On the lighter side of medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Slight amounts of dryness in the finish.

O: Overall this is a nice seasonal offering from Abita (probably one of the beers I enjoyed most from them in recent times) and certainly has a taste/smell that goes with spring. Even though the beer was well within code, it seemed like the hops were already fading a bit and had a touch too much bitterness (like old hops sometimes do).

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 19:00:23 | More by dbrauneis

bmwats

Louisiana

3.8/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a standard pint.

A: Golden hue. Pours a huge, cascading, frothy, head. Craters slowly, and unevenly, leaving dry, sticky residue behind as it does. Never fully settles. Continually rising effervescence. Very spotty dry lacing and some secondary thick beer ring lacing. Head renews with fury, with each new pour.

S: Hay, pine resin, basil, a little lemon citrus, and honey.

T: Piney and pea-nutty. Really crisp, hoppy bite. Lemon rind.

M: Something of a syrupy feel. Very crisp. Steely finish. Very dry and bitter.

D: Bitterness will dictate a more enjoyable experience with a slower pace.

Atmosphere is pretty good. Nice hue, great head, strong lacing. Nose is piney, resiny, with citrus and honey. Nutty pine resiny, with a really crisp, hoppy bite. Overall, this is a pretty good quaff.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 04:14:01 | More by bmwats

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A - Wah? Not a twist off? Very strange for this brewery. A nice clear bright orange yellow tint with a 1/2 of solid sticky foam. Moderate lacing.
S - Very piney, somewhat citrus like with a bit of gram cracker crust in the mix malt-ness.
T - I love it. Clean, crisp with a perfect balanced of malt and hops. Not herbal or overly bitter in any way. Just a straight forward simple tasty IPA.
M - Light to medium I am shocked this is over 5% seems session able.

Overall I have enjoyed most of Abita beers and this one is a great spring IPA. Maybe I could even get a case for under 30 bucks and that would be awesome.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 05:09:13 | More by DrDemento456

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Good ipa here. Fairly firm hop tones that don't get obnoxious, but stay consistent and noticeable. Pine and citrus seem there in fairly equal portions. Kind of a grassy thing in the mix as well, I want to say. Carbonation is slightly full. This is a really pleasant ipa. I could go for a lot of these and wouldn't have an issue making this a regular beer; if I were the type to drink the same beer often. Suggested.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 21:48:10 | More by RblWthACoz

WesWes

New York

3.86/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

The beer pours a hazy gold color with a thick frothy white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is great! It has a light, pale malt scent along with a very refreshing citrus hop nose. The taste is decent. It has a hop forward flavor that's incredibly bitter up front and finishes with a residual hop feel. The malt base is pretty basic. It's basically pale malts with little else. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a medium bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a good seasonal offering with excellent hop character. There is something in the finish that doesn't sit well with me, but I'd have another one of these.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 00:10:10 | More by WesWes

patpbr

Ohio

3.91/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A - Poured into a pint glass it appeared a hazy orange with a two finger head
S - Aroma is hoppy, citrus and pine
T - Taste like the smell is hops up front. Citrus, pine then a hint of lemon. Spice and a balance of sweetness as well. Its lacking the over the top hops.
M- Mouth is on the lighter side. The pleasant bitter finish is the best part.
O - Its smooth and easy to drink for the hop heavy west Coast style IPA comparison. For the price I payed it would be worth buying again. The first one by Abita I recommend.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 23:44:46 | More by patpbr

ryan1788a5

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

A: Dull brassy golden with a very slight haze. Two fingers of pillowy, creamy white head retain extremely well. A thick blanket of lacing coats the glass. A very good-looking beer.

S: Big whiff of freshly cut grass. Mango and honeydew melon. White grapefruit. Lemonhead candy. Shortbread and dough.

T: Bitter, pithy white grapefruit up front. High level of bitterness stays even throughout. Lemon rind. Mango and tangerine. Pine resin. Cut grass. Spicy and oily. Lemonhead candy. Malt base is drier than the nose indicate. Shortbread and biscuit. Bone dry finish leaves a grassy, oily, and herbal hop bitterness gripping the tongue.

M: Medium body. Somewhat creamy. Moderate scrubbing carbonation. Not bad, but it feels like it's missing something.

O: With that smell and taste of grass clippings, it certainly is reminiscent of spring. Pretty easy to drink, attractive hop taste and bitterness. It's a decent enough IPA, but it seems to be getting lost in the shuffle, both on the shelf and within Abita's own lineup. It isn't getting much exposure; at least not around these parts. Strawberry lager overshadows it.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 04:33:38 | More by ryan1788a5

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.89/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a dark golden color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of citrus, hops. Taste is the same, lots of hops, citrus, some pine, refreshing and easy drinking. Feels full bodied in the mouth and overall this is a solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 00:56:31 | More by tone77

jwc215

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Best by 08/15/2013:

Pours golden with a frothy white head that stays. Lacing sticks.

The smell is hop-forward - citric and resiny.

The taste is of citrus/grapefruit and pine/resin. It is rounded out with a caramel kiss of sweetness. Dry bitterness is in the finish.

Creamy and smooth body, with the alcohol well-hidden.

A well-rounded, basic American IPA. A nice example of the style!
A nice, refreshing IPA.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 16:03:34 | More by jwc215

CHickman

New York

3.98/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Poured a very hazy orange gold color with a huge 2 finger foamy off white head that was full of bubbles if all sizes, and it dissipated very slowly leaving excellent foamy lacing coating the sides and rings as it went down. The foamy layer on top stuck around for a few minutes and really lingered a long time.

Smells of fresh piney hops, pine needles, spruce tips, herbs, floral hops, grapefruit, fresh cut grass, hops spices which are muted, and biscuit and bready notes in the finish. This beer smells like a spring breeze and was very inviting to inhale.

Tastes of fresh piney hops, pine cone, spruce tips, herbs, floral hops, dry tea leaf, grapefruit, orange peel shavings, lemon zest, fresh cut grass, hops spices like coriander and light pepper, biscuit, caramel, lightly toasted grains or malt and bready notes like wheat bread. This is bitter, but the malt backbone balances out the citrus zip and makes it quite smooth and sessionable.

Mouthfeel is zesty and bitter, with a light body, high, fizzy carbonation and a puckering bitter citrus finish that trails off with piney herbal notes and malt backbone balance. Considering the high bitterness, it goes down a lot smoother than expected.

Founders All Day IPA and Lagunitas’ DayTime IPA are a step above this as far as session IPA’s go, but this is not too far behind and a very tasty beer that was extremely easy to drink. I recommend trying this beer, and it paired perfectly with jambalaya the other night – the hops and bitter notes tamed some of the heat and added a great compliment to the meal.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 03:48:26 | More by CHickman

rangerred

Tennessee

3.91/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured out of a growler into a pint glass.

Pours a slightly hazy medium copper with a one finger white head. Really impressive head retention and lacing, especially for a growler pour.

The aroma is a little different than many other American IPA's I have had. There is much more emphasis on pine rather than citrus with a little bit of a sweet, almost bubblegum-like aroma. A little citrus makes its way in but it is way behind the pine.

The flavor is much like the aroma. Lots of pine with a little bit of bubblegum perhaps from the yeast. Some very light mango and coconut comes through giving this kind of a light and springtime flavor. Mouthfeel is nice and light with a farily dry finish.

Overall, a nice beer from Abita and a great spring seasonal. Even though the alcohol level is a bit too high to consider this beer sessionable, it is very easy drinking and would be easy to have several of in a sitting.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 03:09:42 | More by rangerred

Omnium

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Bottle > Alpine Spring glass
A - Pours a mostly clear yellow, nice thick one finger head, good lacing.
S - Great smell, lots of fresh cut grass, some lemon, a little pine, smells very fresh.
T - Crisp and bitter hops, nice lemony citrus hop profile a little touch of wheat. Tastes really fresh and light.
M - Well carbonated, doesnt leave a whole lot of that good freshness on your palate, but is still refreshing.
O - This is probably the best beer Abita brews. Excellent sessionable single IPA that fits the season just right, and is definitely refreshing with real crisp flavors. I'd also like to point out that this DID come out during spring. Too many breweries get caught up with releasing seasonals half a season early. Props Abita.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 00:47:06 | More by Omnium

Goosehunter75

Missouri

3.83/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

A - Pours a clear honey color with a very good looing 1 finger white head with good retention

S - Big pine and grapefruit aromas upfront. Slightly grassy on the finish. Very nice smelly beer

T - Mainly pine notes on the front and a little citris/grapefuit. It has a good bitterness on the finish that lingers for some time. Very little in any malt tastes present

M - I would call this a light to light medium bodied beer. Probably lighter than your average IPA. Lots of bubbles present.

O - A very easy drinking IPA/ I enjoyed the hops they used in the beer. Only thing I would say is I would like a little more malt taste to be present to balance the beer a little more. Over all a very good beer that I can see myself enjoying several of!

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 20:58:49 | More by Goosehunter75

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Tangerine brew. Lip of foam. Gf poured it in a goblet?

Citrus and pine hops. More of the pine. Sweet crackery malts. Some grapefruit and orange. A bit bright.

Spanky bright. Orange and pine and oyster crackers. Bitter as hell. Leafy hops come out with strength and fade into vegetal notes in the finish.

Brushy carbonation. A little overdone. Thin-bodied. Washes out easily.

A mediocre IPA. Has its moments... hoppiness, bitterness, and reserved maltiness.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 00:32:35 | More by thecheapies

yemenmocha

Arizona

3.85/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pours a slightly hazy honey color with contrasting white head that doesn't remain thick for long. Nose very fresh & floral with some honeysuckle and dried grass aromas in there. Surprisng little malty pop right at first sip with more of that hint of honey, but the hops take over quickly and aggressively thereafter. Plenty of herbal, grassy, earthy hop flavors. Seems more drinkable than most IPA's - too bad that was intentionally removed as a criterion for evaluating beers.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 01:06:52 | More by yemenmocha

Halcyondays

California

3.88/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle,

A: Pours a translucent goldenrod with small white head, some light spotty lace, very good head retention.

S: Wildflowers/honeysuckle, sweet orange peel, spring meadow.

T: Almost an orange blossom honey flavour upfront with some grassy notes, melds with a nice clean malt attack to make a very pleasant beverage. Not over the top with hops, everything's in balance.

M: Very easy going, loungy, soft carbonation, crisp.

O: This is not an in-your-face West Coast attack. Just a pleasant tasty beer for spring and it works well.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 05:32:23 | More by Halcyondays

barczar

Kentucky

3.63/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a slightly hazy golden copper with a frothy one inch ivory head that slowly dissipates, leaving thick lacing.

Tangerines, apricots, grapefruit, and dank resin form the initial aroma. Fresh cut grass and hay mingle with slightly bready malt.

Flavor is far more earthy and dry than expected. Citrus notes are fairly blurred and muted by the dank, resinous, minerally hop character. Flavoring hops end a bit short. Grapefruit becomes a little more prevalent as it warms, along with a chewy malt character, but the balance is decidedly earthy and bitter.

Body is moderate, with moderate carbonation. There's a hint of astringency.

Wish the more nuanced aroma hops were more pronounced in the flavor to add character before the earthy, resiny hops stopped the party. Gets better as it warms, though.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 02:54:14 | More by barczar

UCLABrewN84

California

3.91/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Best by 7/19/13.

Pours a hazy light orange with a foamy beige head that settles to a partial film on top of the beer. Foamy swaths of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, citrus zest, and some spicy hop aromas. Taste is much the same with grapefruit juice and citrus zest flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is tasty and really easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 03:42:54 | More by UCLABrewN84

acevenom

Louisiana

4.1/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a glass mug. The beer pours clear orange golden with a thick white head and lots of visible tiny bubbles. The head dissipates slowly, leaving some lacing on the side of the glass. The beer smells malty with some citrus and pine hop aromas. It's not as pungent as many West Coast IPAs, but still the hops shine well. The flavor is sweet and malty with some of those citrus and piney hops. There is some back end hop bitterness. It's certainly tasty. The body is medium with moderate carbonation. The finish is slightly dry and there's a nice aftertaste from the hops. This drinks surprisingly well. This is a very good beer. This is much better than Jockamo, but doesn't quite measure up to NOLA Hopitoulas (an IPA available in Louisiana). Still, this is a solid effort from Abita.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 21:34:29 | More by acevenom

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

4.5/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Abita Spring IPA has a very thick, frothy, off-white head, and a semi-clear, orange-golden appearance, with some haze, a few brown yeast specks, and a good amount of splotchy lacing left around the glass. The aroma is of sweet, grapefruit citrus and some pine oil, and the flavor is similar with lots of sugary sweetness and white bread. Mouthfeel is medium, soft, and slick, and Abita Spring IPA finishes dry, refreshing, and highly drinkable. Overall, this is a very tasty and enjoyable beer, and I hope beer fans can find it!

RJT

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 14:41:51 | More by RonaldTheriot

Megahertz

Missouri

3.8/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

12 oz into a New Belgium globe. Best before 7/7/13.

A - Hazy golden with a spritzy off-white head. Good lacing.

S - Very citrusy in the classic American IPA sense. They state on the label they use Amarillo and Centennial. I believe them! Very nice and surprisingly aggressive.

T - Subtle initial malt sweetness quickly transitions into a citrus salad hop flavor with a mild peppery spice in the back. Bitter but very clean and dry.

M - Medium body, medium to high carbonation.

O - A surprisingly authentic American IPA. Tough to beat at $7.99 / 6pk!

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 22:47:44 | More by Megahertz

Badger72

Louisiana

3.51/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass

Appearance: Amber in color, a little cloudy

Smell: A slight hint of hops with a sort of bitter smell

Taste: Again you can taste a hint of hops with a bitter after taste common to an IPA, but actually really smooth taste

Mouthfeel: Very smooth with the taste lingering but overall it is very refreshing

Overall: I am not a big fan of any beer from Abita, however, I was very surprised by their Spring IPA and find it is much better than their Jockamo. It is a very good beer, but not a good IPA if that makes sense. It is very smooth and doesn't leave your mouth dry like some of the stronger or better IPA's, but it almost tastes like a water downed IPA. I would definitely buy another 6 pack though and it would be a great beer to drink on a hot day or when watching some football. Oh, and $7.49 for a 6 pack is a heck of a deal for a good craft beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 23:47:05 | More by Badger72

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 3.75

A-Pours clean and clear. The body is a sunny orange. Thin head leaves some lanky lacing. Looks like Spring!

S-Light but gratifying. Slightly herbal with the hops or even a lick of green onion. Light pine and grass. Softer notes of citrus of course but they are not very intense. A subtle honeyed malt mixed with gooey dough.

T-More citrusy here. The green onion note is present too which I enjoy. That sweet, doughy malt rings aloud in the middle and it finishes with a respectable and delectable flare of fresh, green grass. Pretty neat.

M-Very drinkable. Bitterness is rather soft and it feels like a 4% brew. Tingly carbonation.

O/D-Much better than I was expecting it to be. Unique hop profile, nothing intense but drinkable all the way. Pretty happy with this one. Much better than Jockamo.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 02:48:14 | More by VelvetExtract