Diamond Bear Brewing Company - Presidential IPA

Presenting a medium amber hue in our glass and capped by a fluffy light beige head, this IPA offers up a good look as it delivers plenty of olfactory interest. Look for a luscious aroma with plenty of caramel malt merging with the hops to deliver notes of candied citrus, apricot preserves, citrus blossoms, earth, and a wisp of pine. The flavor largely follows suit, with the malty core offering a robust and flavorful caramelized structure as the hops conjure a bit of a fruit cocktail impression with vibrant citrus character amidst softer floral tones. We felt the overall flavor arc is quite protracted, wonderfully showcasing all three uses of hops: aroma, flavor, and bitterness. The finish is long-lasting and remains quite bitter with some residual fruity citrus notes and malt sweetness barely peeking through. For pairing options, we’d look to roasted pork loin with an apricot and orange glaze, or a burger topped with a fruity BBQ sauce. Cheers!

Built within what was once a Studebaker dealership, Diamond Bear Brewing Company (the name invokes a couple of Arkansas’ many historical nicknames: the Bear State and the Diamond State) became the first production brewery in Little Rock in more than 15 years when it opened in the fall of 2000. For a state that was not known for its craft beer culture, this small brewery became quite a treasure trove for lovers of good beer. With multiple gold medals from the World Beer Cup and Great American Beer Festival, Diamond Bear managed to put Arkansas on the craft beer map, ushering in the era of better beer that Arkansans can now enjoy today.

Arkansas has Germany and Russ Melton, the brewery’s founder, to thank for the beer oasis that is Diamond Bear. It was during Russ’ four year stint in the military in Germany that he picked up a taste for high-quality beer (a story we’ve seen repeated numerous times with other craft brewery founders). In 1999, Russ and his wife Sue, both Little Rock natives, developed the idea for a local microbrewery. With the help of seven other owners, Russ and Sue built the brewery and began production in September of 2000. Their mission statement: “To provide the people of Arkansas and the surrounding region with their own local brewery, which produces great, premium, all natural beer products, which reflect favorably on Arkansas and the surrounding region.” In 2013, the team moved production to a new, larger facility in North Little Rock, and opened an on-site restaurant, the Arkansas Ale House (now called the Diamond Bear Taproom & Pub), the very next year. The brewery currently produces about eight beers, four hard seltzers, and a root beer made with real cane sugar. To learn more about the brewery, visit them at diamondbear.com.