WEST POINT – Chattabrewchee Southern Brewhouse won second place for best overall Indian Pale Ale (IPA) this past weekend in the Best of Georgia Beer 2018 Reader’s Choice Awards hosted by the Beer Guys Radio craft beer podcast.

Chattabrewchee’s Crow Hop IPA was the nominee, which lost only to a brewery in Athens — Creature Comforts Brewing Company and its Tropicalia IPA, which is a repeat winner.

Chattabrewchee Co-Owner Mike Denehy said that the best IPA category is basically judging the best beer in the state.

“That was pretty much the category for the second-best beer in Georgia,” he said Monday.

He wants people to know they have some of Georgia’s best beer in their own backyard. He said the IPAs are unquestionably the most competitive categories, but the brewery also has plenty more great selections at the brewery.

“We are not a one-trick pony,” he said. “This is an incredible venue in your backyard.”

He said the only beer rated higher than the Crow Hop is three hours away.

Denehy said the Crow Hop is so special because it is a hybrid between a west coast and an east coast blend. West coast beers are traditionally piney and with a bitterness factor, while east coast styles tend to focus on flavor and aroma.

The Crow Hop features both styles with heavy citrus notes, but also the back-of-the-mouth bitterness. It also has an almost see-through, orange-like color with a citrusy fruit smell. The beer comes with higher alcohol by volume at 7.3 percent.

Chattabrewchee was also nominated as a top 10 best overall brewery but did not make the top three. Creature Comforts Brewing Company took home first in that award as well.