Uinta Brewing Company - Hop Nosh IPA

This bold IPA from Uinta pours a medium amber color that's quite hazy, topped with a large crop of khaki foam. The aroma on this brew intrigued us right away with big notes of lime backed by lemon, passion fruit, touches of melon, earth, and hints of berry. Those lime impressions—a calling card of the Australian Galaxy hops—aren't shy on the palate either, as they grip one's taste buds immediately, bolstered by secondary notes of melon and earth. Look for the malt profile to come across robustly, delivering plenty of caramel and some light toast to underpin the vibrant hops. There's a note of residual sweetness here too, necessary to provide support for the bite from the very firm hop bitterness and a bit of fruity spice from the somewhat elevated alcohol content. We could drink this all day by itself (although at 7.3% that would probably not be the best idea), but eventually one must eat. For pairing options, we'd go with something with some fattiness to stand up to this IPA's bitterness, such as sweet chile & lime pork belly, carne asada tacos, or spicy garlic & lime baked salmon. Cheers!

When founder Will Hamill established Uinta (“you-in-tah”) in 1993, he succeeded in merging his love of brewing and his passion for the outdoors. Originally from Maine, Will enjoyed a lifestyle very much like many other Utahans when he arrived in the state, including kayaking, skiing, and biking. But, something was missing – the great craft beer that he had enjoyed in his native state. To satisfy his own cravings, Will took to home brewing and quickly became consumed. After years of perfecting recipes, he was producing beers that not only satisfied him, but also impressed his friends. At that point he enrolled at UC Davis to study brewing and develop his knowledge of the industry.

When Will began Uinta, it was at a very modest facility – a small, converted auto mechanic’s garage. From these humble beginnings, Uinta began brewing and distributing beer to local pubs and restaurants, and three years later demand had escalated enough to install a bottling line. By 2001, the brewery had outgrown its original location, so a 26,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility was built with energy efficiency as a prime goal. Not only was the new brewery outfitted with the best in brewing technology, it was built to be completely wind-powered. Yep, the brewery is 100% powered by Mother Nature herself, becoming the first business in Utah to achieve that milestone. But, their commitment to the environment doesn’t end there; they established a recycling location for brown glass, installed solar panels, donate their used grain to local ranchers to use as feed, purchase recycled paper, and use natural lighting in the brewery as well as energy-efficient electric lighting. Great job guys, we’ll raise a glass to that! To learn more about Uinta Brewing Company and scheduled tours, call 801-467-0909 or visit www.uintabrewing.com.