Beer Review: Highland Brewing Mandarina IPA

Photo: untappd.com

It’s been awhile since we’ve done a beer review here on The Sports Chief, so I decided to change that.  Highland Brewing is located in Asheville, North Carolina, and is fairly new, established in 1994.  I think I’ve only had one other beer from them, which was the Gaelic Ale.  It is a really good tasting beer and if you haven’t tried it, I would recommend it.  Even though it’s not close to summer yet, I’ve been into citrus IPAs lately.  To keep that trend going, I decided to pick up the Mandarina IPA from the local Lowe’s Foods.

First off, it is 5% alcohol/volume and has a 35 IBU count, low for IPAs.  On the can it reads, “Real oranges and citrusy hops blossom in this stunningly bright IPA.”  The taste I was looking for while I scanned the isle at Lowe’s Foods is exactly what this beer provided.  The citrus taste is perfect…not too overwhelming, but not too meager.  For those of you who don’t like too much of a “hoppyness” in your beer, this one is for you.  Even though it’s considered an IPA, there’s no bitterness to it.  It goes down very smooth and has light feel.  As I stated already, even though I bought it in February, this beer is perfect for summertime when you want something on the lighter side and when citrus tastes that much better.  Definitely keep this one in mind when you plan to sit by the lake or the beach this summer.  I highly recommend.

Rating: 4.25/5

Garett