And the Valley Drinks: Parish Envie

The Lafayette area's Parish Brewing is still keeping their offers small, but they don't skip on the quality with Canebreak and South Coast Amber. One of their regulars, that I've tried several times but never really had the chance to write up, is their pale ale, Envie:

Parish Envie is brewed with loads of citrusy American hops to create an assertive, yet balanced American Pale Ale. We've used sweet caramel malts to mesh harmoniously with a dominant hop taste and aroma. Take a sip, embrace the hops, and repeat.

This is on the hoppier side of pale ales, close to an IPA, but it's still light enough that if you're somebody that has been a bit scared of hoppier beers, it makes for a good introduction. Plus at 5.5 percent alcohol by volume, with a really light texture, it's a strong session beer you can definitely tailgate with before a baseball game.

Review

Very vibrant yellow color, and while the bouquet is really hoppy, you won't taste it right away -- which goes back to what I said about this being a good starter IPA. But the first taste is a little malty, almost like Canebreak, and then it kind of escalates and flows over the hops briefly. You taste them, and there's a hint of a spicy, kind of piney texture, but never so overpowering to leave you with that bitter aftertaste. Very well-balanced and drinkable. 4 out of 5 stars.