Every week, we take a look at a craft beer brewed in Florida. Follow #FloridaBeerFriday for more reviews of Sunshine State brews. Get out there and #DrinkLocal.
This week I'm taking a look at one of the core distributed offerings from Coppertail Brewing Company, its Free Dive IPA. I've previously highlighted Coppertail beers, including Night Swim porter and Wheat Stroke.
The Tampa-based brewery opened in 2014, fronted by area home brewer and "reformed attorney" Kent Bailey and professional brewer Casey Hughes, who previously worked for a decade at Flying Fish in New Jersey. In the few short
This IPA comes wrapped in the usual bizarre yet incredible artwork, set upon a black label. It's easy to spot a beer from Coppertail, so kudos to the design team. Produced to be "perfect for a day on the water," it clocks in at 5.9% alcohol by volume.
It pours a straw pale yellow color, with a mild amount of white foam that settles a bit but lingers. Aromas are strong and give an initial guess to the direction of flavor: grape, melon, watermelon, tangerine... it all comes bursting forth. Taking a sip, I'm surprised by the lighter and drier mouthfeel, pine bitterness, and toasty cracker-like flavors that emerge. I was expecting more malt sweetness based on the aroma, but it delivers itself as a beer influenced by its brethren out in California.
Free Dive IPA is available in 12-ounce bottles across our area. I picked up mine at Beer Trade Company in Delray Beach.
So what Florida-made brew are you drinking today? Tweet it out with the hashtag #FloridaBeerFriday.
Coppertail Brewing Co. is located at 2601 E. Second Ave., Tampa. Call 813-247-1500, or visit coppertailbrewing.com.
Doug Fairall is a
