Urban Chestnut STLIPA
No ratings yet — be the first to log it.
Tasting Notes
The aroma leads with citrus peel and pine resin, underscored by a light caramel malt backbone that keeps things grounded. On the palate, grapefruit and tropical fruit notes dominate before a firm, resinous bitterness takes hold mid-sip. The body is medium, with enough malt structure to balance the hop load without turning sweet. The finish is dry and lingering, with pine and a faint earthiness hanging around after the swallow.
About the Brewery
Urban Chestnut is a St. Louis brewery founded in 2011 by a pair of veteran brewers with backgrounds at Anheuser-Busch and German brewing institutions. They operate two distinct beer lines — Reverence, focused on traditional European styles, and Stammtisch, aimed at more approachable everyday beers — which gives their lineup an unusually wide range for a mid-sized regional brewery. They have a strong local following in St. Louis and have done notable work bringing German lager traditions to an American craft context.
Food Pairings
Burgers or grilled sausages work well here because the malt backbone holds up against fat and char while the bitterness cuts through grease. A sharp cheddar or aged gouda lets the citrus hop character contrast against the salt and funk of the cheese. Spicy dishes like Nashville hot chicken or jalapeño-forward tacos are a natural match, since the beer's bitterness meets heat without amplifying it the way sweetness can. Fish and chips also pair cleanly, the carbonation and hop dryness doing the work that a squeeze of lemon normally would.
Style Guide
American IPA is defined by assertive hop bitterness and aroma — typically citrus, pine, and tropical fruit — built on a moderate malt base that provides structure without dominance. The style grew out of the West Coast craft brewing movement in the 1980s and 90s, drawing inspiration from English IPAs but pushing bitterness and hop character significantly further. ABV generally runs between 6 and 7.5 percent, making this example right at the upper edge of the range. It differs from a Double IPA mainly in intensity and alcohol, and from the hazy New England IPA in its dry, clear, and more aggressively bitter character.