Lot 3 IPA turns out as lucky brew for Evo

SALISBURY – The third time was the charm for the beer that has ultimately become Evolution Craft Brewing Co.’s No. 1 seller.

Five months into the brewery’s existence, co-owner Tom Knorr said the India Pale Ale was gaining momentum, and it was time for Evo to join the bandwagon.

“We wanted to make sure it was one we would go to production with,” he said. “We knew it was going to end up in bottles. So we wanted to make sure we were really happy with it.”

Knorr knew the beer would feature hops that came from the Pacific Northwest, giving the beer a citrus flavor profile. After the first attempt of making the beer though, Knorr and brewmaster Geoff DeBisschop said they wanted the beer to be more balanced.

“A lot of IPAs today, you’ll find to be more palate crushers — ‘Bitter bombs’, as they say,” Knorr said. “So we actually wanted to give it a little bit more of a malty backbone.”

That’s what they did for the second try, but it still wasn’t to their liking. They tried one more time, and the third lot — or Lot No. 3 — became what is now Evo’s flagship beer.

In all, the beer has about 10 different hops in it, Knorr said, including citra, cascades and Amarillo, giving the beer citrus notes, as frequently seen in the West Coast-style IPA, and pine notes, as more often seen in East Coast IPAs.

“We felt like we nailed it,” he said. “It’s got a little bit of a balance to it. IPAs aren’t necessarily balanced, per se, but this one does have a little bit of a balance to it.”

At first pour the beer will provide big citrus-y grapefruit pine aromatics off the head of the beer, Knorr said. When tasting the beer, the drinker should expect some bitterness up front with citrus and pine notes, followed by a little bit of sweetness on the backside to help balance it out.

“People like IPAs because they’re explosive in your mouth,” he said. “They have in-your-face hops. The aromatics are awesome coming off the head of the beer. Americans like aggressive things and this beer just has lots of flavor and that’s what people are looking for.”

Pour Brew Corner reporter Jon Bleiweis an email at jbleiweis@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JonBleiweis.

BY THE OUNCES

When to get it: Year-round

Where to get it: At the brewery, in stores

How to get it: Six packs, draft and growlers

ABV: 6.8 percent

IBU: 65

Food pairings: Indian food, jerk, Cajun, burgers, spicy seafood

BREWERY BASICS

Where: 201 E. Vine St., Salisbury

When: Public House hours: 11:30 a.m.-12 a.m. Sundays to Wednesdays, 11:30-a.m.-12:30 a.m. Thursdays through Saturdays. Tasting Room hours: 3-8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 12-8 p.m. Fridays through Sundays

Call: 443-260-2337

Web: EvolutionCraftBrewing.com

On Twitter: @evolutionbeer