some damn good IPA's out there

[chatton18]

Reading this on a friday afternoon is rough... Think i'm going to have to make a stop by the store on the way home and make some room in the fridge tonight.

B/C it hasn't been mentioned and its one of my favorites, try the Captain Lawrence Imperial IPA if you ever get a chance. Mostly in the NYC area but its a damn fine double IPA.

Also going to throw the 120 Min into the mix, although its almost more like a liquour than beer at 15-20% ABV depending upon which batch you get - one bottle will get you feeling pretty good real quick

[SchralphMacchio]

surprised this thread hasn't devolved into a west coast vs east coast IPA debate yet.

I'll throw some chips in the fire ... I can enjoy some east coast stuff, like DFH Barton Baton or Harpoon Leviathan Imperial, but for the most part east coast IPAs just don't tickle my loins like the stuff coming out of NorCal or San Diego. It seems like every east coast IPA I've ever had was like a beermaker's demonstration of "hey, look how well I can balance malts, since I don't get a big variety of fresh, complex hops here!"





tell me why I'm wrong east coasters so I can make an excuse to buy more beers for validation/invalidation!

[Mustonen]

Short's Huma Lupa Licious is a good one I didn't see mentioned here....really bright. Heavy Seas Loose Cannon, too - balanced and easy, great hot Sunday afternoon beer.

Otherwise I'm all about the hopslam, double trouble, two hearted... I don't get a lot of opportunities to try some of the smaller east or west coast brews.

[Ted Striker]

I've really been enjoying the Harmon Pt Defiance IPA lately.

[BigJay]

surprised this thread hasn't devolved into a west coast vs east coast IPA debate yet.

I'll throw some chips in the fire ... I can enjoy some east coast stuff, like DFH Barton Baton or Harpoon Leviathan Imperial, but for the most part east coast IPAs just don't tickle my loins like the stuff coming out of NorCal or San Diego. It seems like every east coast IPA I've ever had was like a beermaker's demonstration of "hey, look how well I can balance malts, since I don't get a big variety of fresh, complex hops here!"





tell me why I'm wrong east coasters so I can make an excuse to buy more beers for validation/invalidation!

A lot of the hop flavor drops out during warm transportation across the country and also warm storage. I will only buy West Coast IPAs that are in the cooler around here. That said I don't really care for DFH 60 minute but Harpoon Leviathan at the brewery is fantastic. I had a Pliny that had gone through some huge temperature swings across the country and there was little to no hop aroma or flavor--I'm assuming it's a lot different when it is fresh considering the amount of hops in the recipe. And we can get all the cascade, simcoe, chinook, citra, amarillo, and centennial that the west coast guys can so that's not an excuse! I would agree that most of the DIPAs around here are not on the same hoppiness as a lot of the west cost IPAs.

[SchralphMacchio]

yeah, the freshness makes a huge difference.

Pliny out of a just-tapped, arrived that day, keg is pretty insane. Even two days later changes the flavor a lot.

Deschutes has a lot of stuff in their tasting rooms that doesn't get shipped to CA, and it's leagues above the Mirror Pond and Inversion we get here, even though we're only 12 hours by car! That said, if awesome IPA can make it from Hawaii to CA (I'm talking Maui Brew Co) then it can make it transcontinent as well, but I'm guessing the distributors generally don't take the extra step with thermal management etc.

[Hugh Conway]

Pliny out of a just-tapped, arrived that day, keg is pretty insane. Even two days later changes the flavor a lot.

Yup. Applies to most any hoppy beer. FWIW I've had crappy Pliny (and Blind Pig) from Toronado; not surprisingly the best of both has been at the Russian River Brewery. Pliny from the tap convinced a not at all fond of beer ex that beer is a wonderful thing. A good beer store or bar that preserves the quality of their stock is key.

Wasn't that impressed with the Sauvin hops in the Anchor Humming but they were quite good in the Widmer DIPA

[BigJay]

yeah, the freshness makes a huge difference.

Pliny out of a just-tapped, arrived that day, keg is pretty insane. Even two days later changes the flavor a lot.

Deschutes has a lot of stuff in their tasting rooms that doesn't get shipped to CA, and it's leagues above the Mirror Pond and Inversion we get here, even though we're only 12 hours by car! That said, if awesome IPA can make it from Hawaii to CA (I'm talking Maui Brew Co) then it can make it transcontinent as well, but I'm guessing the distributors generally don't take the extra step with thermal management etc.

Yeah Sierra Nevada is the only company besides BMC that ship all their product cold across the country (to my knowledge). The chemical reactions in beer occur exponentially faster (I think it is 10x every 10*C) so having cold storage is key. Don't ever buy Sierra Nevada beer warm it is just doing it an injustice as it has been cold since bottling.

I would assume that the holds of cargo ships maintain their temperature more consistently than a trailer bouncing down I-80. But I have no idea.

[White Chocolate]

surprised this thread hasn't devolved into a west coast vs east coast IPA debate yet.




tell me why I'm wrong east coasters so I can make an excuse to buy more beers for validation/invalidation!

Give some love for traditional beers man! British style vs. west coast style shouldn't be a competition imho.

Edit: just read my original post in this thread. Union Jack IPA is still one of the best, but I've had a lot of east coast and european beers since then, and have gained an appreciation for all of them.

[TheMessenger]

No one really likes IPA. IPA is intentionally brewed to taste like shit. The shittiest beer style ever. People who claim to like it are either gullible fools, or ironic hipster types. No one genuinely likes IPA

The emperor has no clothes.

[Hugh Conway]

So it appears that the next Widmer Rotator IPA is "Falconer's IPA" is very good, but not quite as good as the X-114. This is odd because the X-114 6er lists the 4 as (X-114, Teaser, Shaddock, Collaboration), the Falconer's lists them as (X-114, Falconer's, IPA #3, IPA #4)

oh well. Beers beer.

[Hugh Conway]

Drake's Aroma Coma and Descutes Confluence #2 are worth the IPA'ers purview.

[Viva]

Out here in CA's Central Valley, there's Dust Bowl IPA. Not a bad tasting beer, but a little weak on the alcohol content.

[Mustonen]

No one really likes IPA. IPA is intentionally brewed to taste like shit. The shittiest beer style ever. People who claim to like it are either gullible fools, or ironic hipster types. No one genuinely likes IPA

The emperor has no clothes.

It's an acquired taste, sure, but a good IPA is the only kind of beer I'll find myself actually craving on a sunny day.

[Tuckerman]

mmmmmmmmmmmmm.... Otter Creek Black IPA

Otter Creek: Alpine Black IPA
Though black IPAs have hit stormed beer stores this year (Deschutes' Hop in the Dark, Stone's Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale), I was smitten by this Vermont brewery's take. An addition of Citra hops gives the dark, caramel-tinged ale a beguiling tropical profile, with a bit of bitter citrus thrown in for fun.

Read more: http://www.slashfood.com/2010/12/28/...#ixzz1YV6uR43C

[uglymoney]

cant get it anywhere but at the brewery (or in growlers) but the Monkeying Around at Carver's in Durango is fantastic. Also, I just finished off my first Modus Hoperandi (from Ska) and goddamn that is a tasty beer.

Welcome to the Modus fan club! That stuff is great.

Currently finishing off my last $53 case of IIPA from New Glarus. Not the smoothest finish in the world but nice and hoppy and a couple of them knocks you on your ass! The New Glarus Moon Man pale ale has grown on me for an everyday drinker. It is hoppier than a lot of the weaker IPA's yet it has an incredibly smooth finish.

And to hell with the East Coast, West Coast Arguments. Flyover country and the rocky mountain west have some fine IPA's.

Had a Breck 471 last weekend in Glenwood Springs. Godamn and hell yes! Not as in your face at the New Glarus IIPA (which I love) but the finish is smooth as silk. We need to start a double IPA thread.

[Hugh Conway]

Flyover country and the rocky mountain west have some fine IPA's.

Name 'em.

[uglymoney]

Okay I'll mention a couple more that I like. Hopdinger from Oso, Wisconsin and Bitter Woman IPA from Tyranena Brewing both kill it. If you're in Colorado Springs stop into the Bristol for an Edge City.

I'm the first one to admit that Iowa has yet to produce an IPA that I like but I keep buying and they keep trying so I think it is a matter of time.

[SchralphMacchio]

Drake's Aroma Coma

hells to the m'fing yeah, I bumped this thread last month after drinking that thing! So good on all accounts, nose, appearance, mouthfeel, flavor, etc. Now that the brewery taproom in San Leandro is open again I think I'm going to drag myself down there via BART & bicycle on a weekend day and go through the entire tasting selection.


And I finally got to try the Widmer Nelson Imperial. Interesting flavor - the nose smelled a little like lavender and minty kind of wildflowers, and the finish had a smooth tangerine flavor lingering throughout. Malts added good smooth mouth feel throughout for easy drinking (no real bite at all), and the malts never got too syrupy as the thing warmed up.


I also forced myself to try Ranger IPA on tap at a local pub, and I STILL don't like that IPA. I don't think the keg was old - I've just never liked the Ranger and think it's overrated. Nose is interesting, as the hops have a sticky smell of mountain chamise (reminds me of the smell of Sierra bushwhacking through chamise to get to some spring skiing lines) and a good bite to start, but the bottom totally falls out of the beer as it flattens out into a barley flavor and weak finish.

After the disappointing Ranger, I recovered with a personal classic in Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye. Elegant floral nose, bitter rye perfectly balancing the body of hops and all the other goodness, and keeps getting better as it warms up (actually it's no good when too cold because none of the aromatics are released yet).

[SchralphMacchio]

uglymoney, keep trying with flyover country ... I think Bell's Two Hearted is decent - I mean freaking bitter as all hell - but it still lacks the citrus, plant resin, and fragrance of west coast styles. I'd like to try more.

But I'll give you Rocky Mountain territory, if for nothing other than Avery. I'm still dreaming of the DuganA I tried at the DIPA festival in Hayward CA in February, and Maharajah is a perennial favorite of everyone's.

[Mustonen]

uglymoney, keep trying with flyover country ...

They've been mentioned in this thread, but Bell's Hopslam, Bell's Oracle, Founder's Centennial, and Short's Huma Lupa Licious are all pretty tasty. I've always been disappointed with Wisconsin and Ohio beers, but Michigan has some damned tasty brews.

[haydukelives]

Look for Ohio to move up a bit as the state has lifted high alc restrictions. If I am in a new place and dont know the brews, picking one over 8% rarely fails.
There is a tiny home brew supply that produces small quantities of IPA and others in Cincinnati called Listermans. some are excellent,some are weird

[Name Redacted]

Got the chance to try a bunch of new IPA's last week on a trip to Maine. I love traveling somewhere that I've never been and trying as many new beers as possible. Even got to try a few that I've had before but never had on draft such as DFH 60, 90, 120 and Victory Hop Wallop.

We stopped at a little brewery in Belfast named Marsh Warf brewing. I love the small brewery style, I think they said that they brew about 250 bbls a year. Anyway, they had a few IPA and IIPA's available and I ended up taking a "Tiger Cat" IPA growler to our campsite to consume. Great IPA. Definitely had some citrusy notes on top of a earthy grassy base, but the spice stood out the most. Great malt base to balance it out.

We also made a trip to the Atlantic brewery near Bar Harbor, Gritty's and Sebago in Portland, and NOVARE RES Beer bar in Portland. Good selections from all but my favorite was Sebago's "Local Harvest" which was brewed with exclusively local hops. Didn't find out if it was also a fresh hop or not though.

On a side note, if you like beer, and are ever in Portland Maine, GO TO NOVARE RES BEER BAR. They have 35 taps and over 500 bottles to choose from. Mostly stuff that I have never even heard of. They also have many cask conditioned beers as well. Seriously, this place is like Falling Rock on Steroids.


Looking forward to Fresh Hop season! It's harvest time, so go to a brewery who has a fresh hop seasonal and TRY IT.

[schuss]

Got the chance to try a bunch of new IPA's last week on a trip to Maine. I love traveling somewhere that I've never been and trying as many new beers as possible. Even got to try a few that I've had before but never had on draft such as DFH 60, 90, 120 and Victory Hop Wallop.

We stopped at a little brewery in Belfast named Marsh Warf brewing. I love the small brewery style, I think they said that they brew about 250 bbls a year. Anyway, they had a few IPA and IIPA's available and I ended up taking a "Tiger Cat" IPA growler to our campsite to consume. Great IPA. Definitely had some citrusy notes on top of a earthy grassy base, but the spice stood out the most. Great malt base to balance it out.

We also made a trip to the Atlantic brewery near Bar Harbor, Gritty's and Sebago in Portland, and Nuevo Res Beer bar in Portland. Good selections from all but my favorite was Sebago's "Local Harvest" which was brewed with exclusively local hops. Didn't find out if it was also a fresh hop or not though.

On a side note, if you like beer, and are ever in Portland Maine, GO TO NUEVO RES BEER BAR. They have 35 taps and over 500 bottles to choose from. Mostly stuff that I have never even heard of. They also have many cask conditioned beers as well. Seriously, this place is like Falling Rock on Steroids.


Looking forward to Fresh Hop season! It's harvest time, so go to a brewery who has a fresh hop seasonal and TRY IT.

It's called Novare Res, and yes, it's awesome. Just moved to SF, so enjoying the easy access to bear republic and all sort of west coast goodies.

[Name Redacted]

It's called Novare Res, and yes, it's awesome. Just moved to SF, so enjoying the easy access to bear republic and all sort of west coast goodies.

Fixed it, I thought that might be wrong. Either way. Their food selection is unique and awesome too.