Great Heights Blue Tile IPA Inside the loop, Garden Oaks – Oak Forest IPA ABV: 6.6% IBUs: ? Packaging: Draft, 4 pack 16 ounce cans
It’s one of the more unique expressions of Mosaic hops I’ve ever come across, and the artwork has absolutely stolen my heart. It’s inspired by the blue and white street tiles that line historic Houston streets.
A local preservation and documentation site Blue Tile Project says this about the Houston landmarks, “Houston is a historical city, rich with artifacts from the past that line our city’s streets. It is documented that the blue tile street signs first appeared on the streets of Houston in the early 1920s. A young city at that time, these blue tile street signs are the original street markers of the first paved streets of Houston.
Although Houston has grown into the 4th largest city in the U.S. with population growth and new building constructions, the blue tile street signs have miraculously survived.”
My wife and I had some extra time in between errands while we were inside the loop last week. I knew they had cans of this leftover, so I knew exaccctly where we were going to spend the newfound time.
Speaking of the art that stole my heart, the Great Heights Blue Tile IPA label is all shiny metallic, and it features a due chilling on the lawn of a bungalow-style Heights home. He’s relaxing on an outdoor chaise as his dog brings the frisbee, and it’s anchored by the blue tile typography at the bottom. The super simplistic line-art style of many of Great Heights cans has always appealed to me, but this nod pandering local reference really pandered to me.
It’s not just pretty on the outside! This can of Great Heights Blue Tile IPA pours a slightly hazy straw yellow color with a finger or more of off-white, dense, foamy head. It’s picture perfect how it laces with each sip.
As soon as the can empties into my glass, my kitchen is filled with delicate hop aromas. Notes like blueberries, stone fruit, lemon rinds, pine, and an overall floral-ness fill my nose like a candle that I never want to burn out.
Every single sip of Great Heights Blue Tile IPA is better than the last. Waves of subtly sweet orange marmalade kick it off. The finish is somewhat dry with the subtle blueberries, pine, and even a hint of black peppercorns. It’s a rollercoaster. Man, I miss Astroworld. But I digress. The mouthfeel leaves me wanting a little more carbonation, but overall, it’s smooth and medium bodied.
The soon to be legendary Great Heights Blue Tile IPA is pretty easy to compare to the already legendary Lone Pint Yellow Rose IPA. There are dozens of mosaic IPAs that don’t get that comparison. Yellow Rose is one of the Texas GOATs, so it’s quite a compliment. However, side by side, the two have some stark differences. Particularly the body and mouthfeel, but also the differences in bitterness and the peppercorn notes on the finish make Blue Tile a bit unique and memorable.
I’ve seen it on tap at a handful of spots in town including a few of the very best: The Backyard Grill in Cypress, Hughies in the Heights, and Flying Saucer. Any time I’m in the area, I stop in for some cans. Since this beer pairs so stinking perfectly with our signature skyline/blue tile glass, I’ve wanted to write this review for years. However, I usually crush all the cans before I can take some decent pics and take notes. I’ve been beating myself up about that every time I stop in, but now I can rest easy. Hah!
Great Heights Blue Tile IPA
My Overall Rating
4
Great Heights Blue Tile IPA
Overall, I love how unique Great Heights Blue Tile IPA is. There are so many different ways to express hops within the broad style of IPA, and some are really forgettable. This one strikes a cord through taste and aroma, and it just resonates and resonates through the artwork. I love this beer.
Baa Baa Pink Fluffy Ewenicorns Hazy IPA Baa Baa Pink Fluffy Ewenicorns pours like a perfectly brewed hazy. The bright yellow color is perfectly opaque without looking…
Anthony's a Houston native, a Creative Strategist at https://ledgeloungers.com/, an adjunct instructor of Visual Communication at Lone Star College, and a UH Coog that loves good beer almost as much as he does his city. Anthony lives to help others and that's found a home helping some of the coolest breweries on earth with creative and marketing projects that can be seen on our Portfolio page. Fueled by hoppy lagers, sessionable IPAs, and gangster rap, he's ticked his way through H-Town, rocking the most unusual Nikes he can find. When he's not writing for us, he's with his family or very patiently rooting for the Rockets.
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