Tap Handle #317: Arcadia Ales - IPA

This tap had been #2 on my wishlist for a long time before I finally obtained it. Arcadia discontinued them since they were prone to breaking...in fact several of the taps I've seen in the past had cracked handles or chips. They now use simpler wooden taps, so these figural sword and anvil taps have become extremely rare, and one in good condition may be even harder to find.

Arcadia Ales was founded in 1996 in Battle Creek, Michigan by entrepreneur Tim Suprise. Suprise established the brewery along with several other shareholders, and located it in an old building that was originally the first Chevrolet dealership in Battle Creek. TC's Wood-Fired Fare is the accompanying restaurant that was founded alongside the microbrewery. All beers are produced on the brewery's Peter Austin brewhouse, and open-fermented in the brewery's cellar, using a traditional English Ale yeast. Its products are distributed in Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Virginia, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maine, and New York. The company has begun construction of a new facility on Kalamazoo's downtown riverfront, representing a $5.4 million investment in developing a mixed-use facility that is to include a packaging microbrewery, company office space, riverfront pub/eatery, and a riverfront beer garden, and is scheduled for completion in 2014. The expansion will allow Arcadia to eventually produce up to 60,000 barrels per year, with another 1,500 to 2,000 barrels of beer brewed in experimental batches at the original Battle Creek location once the Kalamazoo location is operational.

Arcadia Ales IPA is dry-hopped with Columbus hops in their open fermenters, boasting a bright floral aroma and flavor reminiscent of pine and lemon peel. The pronounced hop bitterness is balanced by a medium-bodied caramel and biscuity malt character with a nutty finish. It showcases many subtle earthy bitter notes, rather than the resinous citrus-rind bite often featured in many American-style IPAs. Recommended food pairings are Indian cuisine, Cajun, Creole, aged bleu cheese, and grilled seafood or shellfish. It won a gold medal at the 1998 World Beer Championships. Weighted average on ratebeer.com is 3.17 out of 5.

Arcadia Ales Official Website