While on a trip to Ohio, I needed to stop off and pick up some beer to bring to a friend's house. A quick search led me to Meijer's, a midwest chain of stores where you could pick up dress pants, a vacuum cleaner, and lunchmeat in one trip. And, much to my surprise, they have a pretty good craft beer (and wine) selection.
It was while I was perusing the local beers that I noticed a young gent nearby restocking the Coors Light. After a few minutes of watching me inspect several bottles of beer, he put down the silver box, and said, "Nah - that one's not very good." He then walked over, and handed me a bottle of Short's Huma Lupa Licious IPA. "This one's to die for."
Named for the hop blossom, Humulus lupulus, this IPA is built around some strong hop flavor - but keep reading.
It pours a dark, hazy gold color with good carbonation and a strong, fruity aroma. And at 7.7% abv, the alcohol content is on par with most IPAs.
The taste is really complex, with a slight bit of pine and citrus flavors (mostly grapefruit and orange). The key to making this work is the mix of malts, which gives a sweet flavor to balance out the strong hops. It's hoppy, but not overly bitter despite its high 96 IBU bitterness rating.
As it turned out, the guy had great taste. This was a very drinkable beer that is one I would recommend to any fan of pale ales & IPAs. It's delicious, but I honestly think you really need to like hops to enjoy this one.
Unfortunately, this is the only beer I've had from Short's, but it's great enough that I'll be on the lookout for others the next time I'm in the midwest. And you should, too.
Are you a fan of Short's? Tell us your favorite in the comments below - we'd love to know what you thought.
Cheers!
Christian & Eric
