Brewing Report: Abita Brewery, Abita Springs, LA

We were first turned on to the Abita Brewery when we sampled their raspberry wheat purple haze at the Epcot food and wine festival. This Louisiana brewery turns out some mighty fine brews.

Purple Haze - The purple haze is fruity but still full of beer flavor. It is fantastic on tap so do yourself a favor and pour it in a glass. This is one of my top ten favorite beers.

Jockamo IPA – This IPA has a nice roasted malt aroma. It is midly hoppy. It has more of a traditional IPA kick - not as smooth as the Fire Rock IPA reviewed previously. The aftertaste also strengthens as the beer warms up.

Restoration Pale Ale - Fruity aroma, snappy taste, with a fruity finish. It has the bitterness you would expect from traditional pale ale. Jockamo is smoother, but less traditional.

The Wheat - This is not traditional wheat. Finishes slightly bitter. Otherwise, nothing to write home about. Definitely not the best of Abita.

The Amber - They call it a "Munich style" lager. It has good malt flavor with a slight bite of hops. Probably my second favorite after the Purple Haze. A solid lager choice.

All beers benefit from a pour out of the bottle.


*This is the fifth installment of a multi-week series on beer where I will be reviewing regional beers from across the country Special thanks this week to Glenn Sparks for his help in tasting. Enjoy!