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As the craft beer scene in Nashville continues to grow, it’s not uncommon for new brands to come to town, seems like there are new beers coming every month. Recently the Just Beer Project launched in Nashville with their new Just IPA, which is being distributed by our friends at DET. You should start seeing it all about town. Craft Brewed on 8th had it on tap recently.
The Just Beer Project’s philosophy is simple… provide daily-drinkers for beer lovers. Sometimes you don’t want a 180 IBU Triple IPA. That’s where Just Beer fits the bill. Just Beer was founded by Alan Newman, who also founded and ran Magic Hat until 2011. Their bottle says the mission is “to deliver world-class craft beers, expertly brewed, without all the complication.” We think they’ve succeeded.
Recently Kendall & I tried the Just IPA and enjoyed it. As a session IPA, it comes in at 45 IBUs and 4.8% ABV. The beer pours clear, with a nice amber to copper color and a creamy head. There’s an aroma of citrus fruits and resinous hops that enhanced by dry hopping. The flavor is balanced between the malt and hops, but you know you’re drinking an American IPA as the American hops boost the flavor and add a slight bitterness. Still, it’s not too bitter to scare craft beer newbies. Just IPA has Chinook, Ahtanum, Citra & Cascade hops added in the boil kettle and Citra, Simcoe and Cascade hops in the fermenter to dry hop the beer.
There’s an idea in the beer community that more is better, but we don’t buy it. We don’t want to drink a barrel-aged imperial stout everyday. While we love Pliny the Elder, it’s not a daily-drinker. Beers like that are better as occasional treats. This is an easy drinking daily IPA, a nice gateway IPA, actually.
We all need session beers (beers below 5% abv, depending on who you ask). Also, there’s a lot of fizzy yellow beer drinkers who haven’t developed a palate for big beers. Of course we need (and love) double-IPA hop-bombs, but more importantly, we need easy-drinking sessionable IPAs to win converts to craft beer. Just IPA is that beer.
