Abita Wrought Iron IPA – A First Sampling

I was excited to find a sample of a new brew waiting for me when I hit home tonight.  I big thank you to Abita for not only giving me a reason to have a beer on a Monday night, but also an early chance to sample their new Wrought Iron IPA.

For those unfamiliar, Wrought Iron IPA is a new year-round release coming to the Abita Flagship Series of beers.  In it’s name and recipe, Abita created this beer to honor and reflect the “resiliency of Louisiana.”  The packaging features imagery from the famous wrought iron balconies and gates in New Orleans, and I really think the bottles and 6-pack carriers (and swag) look great.

Wrought Iron IPA uses a unique blend of Equinox, Apollo and Mosaic hops and it is brewed with pale malt.  Abita calls this a “distinctly Louisiana IPA,” but after you taste it you’ll also call it a really nice IPA.

The color is on the darker side of what I’d call golden and the beer pours really pretty with a creamy off-white head.  The aroma is loaded with pink-grapefruit up front with some biscuit malty aroma at the end.  The flavors are citrusy and slightly floral with a really well balanced and soft mouthfeel.  The beer ends slightly dry and not overly bitter which surprised me given the 6.9% ABV and 80 IBU.

This is a really nice IPA and a beer that I think will become very popular in the Abita markets.  It’s not what I’d call a west-coast style IPA, but it leans a little more in that direction that a British-style malty IPA.

Abita Wrought Iron IPA was release in Louisiana markets last week and it will be rolling out to their other markets in the next few weeks.  Be sure to get your hands on this beer and let me know what you think.  If you’re a lover of all-things-IPA like me, I suspect this one will be come a resilient regular in your refrigerator.