Review: Big Cypress IPA by GrassLands Brewery

GrassLands Brewing Company is a new craft brewery 'in planning' out of Tallahassee, Florida. In the past we've had the opportunity to review GrassLands' Le Roi Rouge Imperial Red, Black Rose Immortal Imperial Stout, and King Oliver’s Hard Cider.

Owner Gabe Grass now sends us a bottle from the first batch of one of GrassLands eventual year-round offerings: the Big Cypress IPA.

Gabe describes Big Cypress IPA as a combination of the hop forward west coast IPA style with the malt balance and floral range of the east coast IPA style. Here's what he's going for:

A smack-you-in-the-face IPA with tons of aroma and hop flavor that gets somewhat balanced by back-end malt sweetness... a unique and compelling IPA that can be be enjoyed throughout the year...

For those keeping score at home, Big Cypress IPA checks in at 7.5% ABV and 70 IBUs with generous additions of American citrus hops. This batch was brewed in June, bottled in July, and reviewed on October 14.

The girlfriend joined me for the review, and once again, we'll be using the Beer Advocate Ratings System.

Big Cypress IPA by GrassLands Brewery

Appearance: Pours a golden caramel with a large head (2 fingers) that dissipated quickly. A little cloudy with medium carbonation.
3.0

Smell: A sweet citrus aroma. Subtle, but inviting.
3.5

Taste: Good hoppiness, sweet citrus and floral notes. Long, crisp finish.
4.0

Mouth Feel: Light to medium body, well carbonated. Very smooth.
4.0

Overall: Gabe stated he was going for "hop flavor that gets somewhat balanced by back-end malt sweetness" and we feel he succeeded. That balance makes Big Cypress IPA an easy drinking IPA that we could definitely see drinking year-round.
4.0

Final Score: 3.85

Comments: We didn't find that Big Cypress IPA quite had the "smack-you-in-the-face" quality that Gabe was going for. Cranking the aroma and flavor up while keeping the balance would certainly result in an even better score.

You can follow GrassLands' progress on their website, Twitter, and Facebook. If you'd like the chance to review one of GrassLands selections, be sure to check out the GrassHoppers Review Club.

New Venue: O'Riley's Irish Pub Opens Downtown

O'Riley's Irish Pub recently opened in downtown Pensacola giving local craft beer lovers yet another venue to visit when out on the town.

Located just down from World of Beer, O'Riley's aims to be an "authentic Irish Pub with the traditional old world Irish Pub feel". Along with a decent craft beer list (including several selections from Pensacola Bay Brewery), the pub offers mixed drinks and other Irish staples such as Irish Coffee.

O'Riley's is two stories, with a beautiful bar bathed in green light. There's plenty of pool tables, a dart board, juke box, 10 HDTVs, and even a photo booth. No food is cooked on site, but outside food is allowed, and in the future they may have others cater at certain times. Popcorn with cajun seasoning is provided for a snack.

Of course, if you call yourself an authentic Irish Pub, you need to pour a Guinness correctly. Sadly, on both occasions we bought a Guinness at O'Riley's, they failed to do so. But that's a minor complaint in the big picture.

O'Riley's is a beautiful (non-smoking) addition to downtown Pensacola. We've added O'Riley's to our Pensacola Beer Location page. Make sure you visit when you get a chance.