IPAs

IPA (India Pale Ale)  are one of my favorite type of beers.     Before I go into the list of my favorite IPAs,
there is some history that you should know about.

IPA is a beefed-up version of pale ale, made using more hops and with a higher alcohol content. Created in England, the name is a result of its popularity with British troops stationed in India in the 19th century, when the subcontinent was still a British colon and these beers were necessary to make the long            journey from England to India.

 

 

BEERS

Alchemist Heady Topper
Evil Twin Better Half
Grey Sail Captains Daughter|
Six Point Resin
Ithaca Flower Power
Stone Ruination
Cigar City JaiAlai
Lagunitas Hop Stoopid
Dogfishhead 120 IPA
Dogfishhead 90 IPA
Dogfishhead 60 IPA
Founders All Day
Founders Centennial
Green Flash Palate Wrecker
Grey Sail GreatKetch
Stony Creek Crankenstein
New England Brewing Co  SeaHag
Elysian Space Dust IPA
Grey Sail Little Sister

 

 

 

I’ve included my original reviews directly from my Beer Advocate Account
(BA:  x.xx ) along with my rating

Alchemist Heady Topper     My all time favorite IPA, but it is really a DIPA (Double IPA).

( BA:  5.00)  Once I opened the can, the room came alive with citrus, grapefruit, banana and so many other perfect hoppy aromas. It was grassy and so alive. It was at a point that I was more than satisfied with the bouquet, I need not take it any further. The first sip (from a glass) was fullness in my mouth of hops, cream, grapefruit and lots of smooth body. The after taste was just as pleasant. From that point on, I drank it from the can. I was really surprised at just how smooth it was considering the IBU count (120)

 

Evil Twin Better Half   A steal, not all that well known

(BA: 4.81)  I had given two of my co-workers each a can of Better Half. Both of them LOVED it. I went back and purchased 4 more 4 packs. Then I tried it again, this time in a glass.
That beautiful orange hue with resin, pine tar , grapefruit and orange noise was so very present.
The first taste again so very big and full, crisp, but not too crisp, malty, but not too malty, hoppy, but yes hoppy.
The aftertaste was even better than the start. This beer is slowly moving up on my best list

 

Grey Sail Captains Daughter  I first had this about 6 years ago.  I purchased it on a whim.   I can not tell you how many cases I drank of that in the beginning.  Now it is so difficult to get in CT.

(BA: 5.00 ) Totally surprised and so very enjoyable…..
Love it.
Nice crisp good amount of pine, resin and grapefruit.
Aftertaste was even more enjoyable than the start. I’ve tasted this beer a number of times and each time it gets better and better. Right from the time the can is opened, the aroma and bouquet of a super IPA comes through.
That resin, grapefruit, citrus aroma is unmistakable. A true sign of an IPA. Then the taste… Crisp, light, dry and hoppy. Since an enjoyable taste. The aftertaste was even better than the start.
The bitterness from the hops is noticeable right from the start. But it did not overpower the beer. There was enough malt here to keep the bitterness from being over the top.
There was also a distinct taste of salt. Which tome added so much to the beer.

 

SixPoint Resin   I always loved the cans of Resin beers.  Tall and thin, hard to believe they held 12 oz.

(BA: 4.75) Pours a beautiful golden apple color. Nice head, not over powering. The 102 IBU sure comes through at the first sniff of the aroma. Hops were strong and upfront, but was balanced so well.  The first taste filled my mouth with a outstanding crisp dry and full taste, full of citrus, grapefruit and pine.  The finish was just as nice as the start. And to me that is what makes any beverage stand out. Cant wait for my second snip and then the second can and then on.  One thing that really excited me about this beer is that is was so crisp. I would have expected a Double IPA to be somewhat softer, duller, etc.. But this was excitement from the first pull of the key ring

 

Ithaca Flower Power IPA 

  I picked up a six point first because I love trying different IPAs , second because it was from New York and third, I just loved the name Flower Power.   Sort of brought be me back to the 60’s and 70’s.
(BA:  4.63) Wow, that is my initial impression. The pour was a light golden tone with a small head that disappeared rather quickly.  But I didnt have to bring the glass to my nose to realize that this was going to be a good hoppy beer.
Nothing disappointment me with this beer. I love my stouts this time of year, but I always love a good hoppy IPA.  The typical grassy, citrus grapefruit aroma and taste came through full, rich, noticeable, but still very easy.  The taste was even better than the aroma. The first sip was nice, the second sip better, then third even better and better. This was an easy beer to drink, but each sip let you know you were drinking a quality brew….   One thing I noticed with this IPA more so than many others, timing is so important.  Even 3 months after canning, the crispness was slowly disappearing from this IPA.  After 6 months, it was just an average beer!

 

Ruination  This was my very first Stone beer.    That was over 8 years ago and I still love almost everything Stone puts out.  I used to be a big fan of their
Enjoy by Day series, but after the first year I found many of them to be somewhat disappointing.

 (BA: 4.69)    Probably , oh well, I cant even remember how many Ruinations I have had over the years. But what I can say is that after tasting so many craft beers in the past 3 or 4 years, this one from Stone still is near the top.  Perfectly balanced, the ABV, the IBU, the Malt, everything. Crisp but full, chug gable yet slow sipped.  Without a doubt my favorite beer from Stone  Oh, another great one from STONE. I read more about this ALE before I tasted it. My expectations were so high.  I popped the cap. Immediately, my senses were filled with HOP, HOPS and MORE HOPS. I loved IT.
I poured it into a tulip wine glass. The aroma and bouquets were even stronger now. I put my nose into the glass and I was in HOP heaven.
The ALE was brilliant and clear, with a small head, but a strong head. I detected some tropical fruits. Maybe some pineapple, and also some citrus like a New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs Marlborough grapefruit full wines.
Then the taste and it all began. Almost like bells going off in my head, ringing in a new year. The bitterness from the hops and yeast were so in your face, but at the same time not slapping you around.
STONE says, once you have had Ruination, you are ruined! Well, to me, now that I’ve had it, I’m somewhat addicted to it. Its not for everyone. People that say that like hoppy beer, ok, there are many others to build up to. This one, just like better wines, you have to get your palate ready for it.
I am a happy Ruination Camper!

 

Cigar City Jai Alai  First time 

I tried this was in 2015 while vacationing in Siesta Key, Sarasota, Florida.  Boy was I every happy and surprised!   My biggest disappointment is that I can not find this one up here in the Danbury, CT area. Have to do a bit more searching.
(BA:  4.54)  First time trying this beer, I was totally happy. It had that ever so appealing grapefruit, resin pine aroma.  The taste did not disappoint, Right from the copper Amber color with a good lasting dirty white head, I enjoyed this. The first sip was bold and crisp. This is one of the beer types I call chuggable. The second and third sips satisfied,until I just “downed” the rest. Not as much of a dry finish.

 

Lagunitas Hop Stoopid  My very first hoppy IPA.   I really didnt know what to expect, but I enjoyed it so much, that I am a fanatic about IPAs today.
(BA:  4.59)   I love a hoppy IPA.  Once opening the bottle, I immediately could smell the Hops. This was a crisp, clean beer with a strong but balanced bitterness from the Hops. It poured light and golden with a small head. The first sip was what I would expect from a highly hopped beer. The bitterness was the first to hit my tongue, but the fullness of the beer made it quite enjoyable. As with most IPAs with their IBU’s over 70, the after taste stays for a good while.  Next time I have this, I want to compare it to some of the high IBU IPAs that I have tried.

 

Dogfishhead 120 IPA To me, the top  of the line in terms of DogFishHead IPAs.  In many ways, this IPA was not like your typical IPA/Beer.  It was more like a Port or fortified wine.   Very powerful and potent, abv around 18%.  I purchased 12 back in 2010 and have one, once a year to see how they are aging and developing.  Each year they are getting better and better
(BA 4.02) To start with I am a big fan of Dogfish Head brews. I have tasted some of their more unique beers, some which I loved, some which I didnt like at all. This 120. First time I had it was about 2 years ago. I remember back then that it was ‘over the top’ for me. Too much, the bitter hops really didnt come across. But instead, all I picked up was the alcohol.  Now, I tasted it again and came away with the same conclusion.  We make it a deal that at the end of the night, when the store closes up, we taste one or two brews. Lately, I’ve been working with this young fellow (Joe) who has recently gotten into the premium crafted beers. I select the beer, we taste them and he always enjoys them. He may say that this one has too much or, that it wasnt until the second sip, etc….

 

Dogfishhead 90 IPA  Now this is one fine beer.  It is full bodied, good amount of hoppy flavor , but not that strong resin/grapefruit approach.
 (BA: 4.5)  Just popped the cap and I was in hop heaven. Slight golden color with a new creamy head.. The taste was even better than I thought. It filled my entire mouth and the finish was even better than the start. Cant say I detected any fruits, malt or other characteristics… To me is was HOP HOP HOP
(2nd tasting)
As I have tasted more and more IPA type beers, I’ve come to realize what I like, what I am looking for and what I do not like. After tasting many beers in the > 100 IBU , I feel this one is more balanced than when I first tasted it.
The hops are there, no question about it, but the aroma is more grapefruit and citrus I also picked up pleasant barley aroma.   the taste was so smooth. Hops, Barley came across very balanced with citrus overtones. Each sip was “rich’ and full. Nothing holding back with the taste on this one.  I do get a bit of full roundness that I experienced with their 120 brow. There was a common ground of flavors here.  Made me think about all my wine tasting experiences. With Italaian wines, there is always an ‘earthy’ aroma and taste. With French wines, its the slight mineral flavor from the slate and soils, and the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc that are rich in taste with a full grapefruit taste.
Dogfish Head beers, specifically their IPA types, all have a distinct aroma, feel and flavor the I am beginning to feel I could detect without seeing the bottle.

 

Dogfishhead 60 IPA Ah, the easiest of the minute IPAs  by DogFish.  This is the beer on a hot summer afternoon, when you want something real good but not a lot of it.
(BA:  4.3)   Havent had this one in quite some time.. After opening, I realized how much I did miss it. I love hops and this one has it but not overloaded.
It pours a nice golden tone with little head. But from the glass you can smell the hops. It had a perfect balance between bitterness and hoppines.
This has been and will probably continue to be my summer beer.

 

 

 

Founders All Day  Talking about something to drink a lot of on a hot summer day, fall day, or just about any day!   This IPA has everything you want in a super IPA, just without the high abv (4.7%)
(BA: 3.96)   Another Founders!  I’ve read about this one and was waiting to taste it. Poured a clean crisp yellowish type typical American lager. At 50IBU, I wasnt expected much in terms of hop and bitterness.. But at the first smell, I was amazed just how hoppy this bouquet was. Your typical grassy, grapefruity, citrus nose. I thought I was about to dive into a 100IBU Beer.
Then the first taste!. AGAIN! WOW for a 50IBU beer, this had plenty of HOPS without a lot of the bitterness. This beer drank so easily and so enjoyable. I could have this one over and over.. It could easily be my spring and summer beer.   The only slight fault I had, was that the finish left me somewhat hanging. This beer started slowly, that went on full charge, then as I was finishing, it started to finish just right and WHAM, my legs were taken under me. The beer just dropped off. The citrus which should finish nicely, just left me with an unsettled citrus flavor.

 

Founders Centennial  Now, this IPA is my staple IPA. Summer, Winter, Fall or Spring, doesnt matter if I want a good tasting IPA with lots of flavor and never dissapoints me, I go with the Centennial!
(BA:  4.41)   Centennial has become more ‘everyday’ beer, For me, it has all the necessary traits to make a super beer.  The color is so inviting! That nice orange glow, somewhat hazy light the morning sunshine with moisture in the air. The aroma still excites with a refreshing scent of orange, pineapple, and grapefruit. That pleasant and enjoyable aroma you get from a powerful hoppy beer. And all of that was not over done. The aroma was just right and now for the taste. It is soft, it is round, it fulls your mouth. There is nothing but per enjoyment with this beer. The first sip is so rewarding and every taste after that just gives you more and more pleasure. The final aftertaste leaves with that excellent dry pucker, realizing. that you just had a near perfect beer. Finally, the finish, perfectly balance between hops and malt. Neither one outdoing the other. And now the best part of any review, I WANT ANOTHER ONE!!

 

 

Green Flash Palate Wrecker  The name alone made me have to try this IPA.  I had heard so much about it from our salesman, so when we got our first shipment, you bet I picked up a 4 pack to try.  (BA:  4.52) This pours a nice golden amber hue with a full creamy white beige head. From a distance, you could mistake this brew to be one of many golden ales from the mass produced breweries.   But here is where that stops. All you need to be is within a few feet of the opened bottle and you can pick up the aroma of fresh strong hops. As I put my nose into the glass, the hops seemed to get stronger and stronger.   As with many high hopped brews, I could pick up scents of grapefruit along with other citrus. The initial taste was a bit over the top, at least at first. However, the mouthful and the finish was satisfying and lingering.   The second and third sips were the same, the initial taste on the tongue, went quickly to the top of the lounge without hitting some of the other sense spots.  The finish was perfect. I think the only thing that kept me from rating this even higher was that each sip was a bit much.  But the rest was as good as it gets for full hoppy beer
I looked at the Green Flash website and was amazed, no I guess not really to see that the IBU was over 149 for this one!

 

 

Grey Sail Great Ketch  (BA: 3.31)  Have to admit, I am a Captains Daughter fanatic, so I guess it wasnt really fair to rate this, because I keep thinking of the Captain!
The addition of Pilsner malt made this a bit more interesting, sort of funky. It didnt have that real typical grapefruit , pine tar resion aroma and taste, it was a bit of a different type of bitterness and dryness

 

 

 

Stony Creek Crankenstein  (BA: 388) Poured a slightly hazy orange, not a much as many other IPAs. This one is relatively low in IBU (50), but the overall nose was full of resin and grapefruit. The initial taste was not as bitter as other hoppier IPAs Hardly notice the >7% abv. The mouthful was one the fuller softer side and ended with that typical dry bitterness.
The second and third sips demonstrated a bigger and fuller overall taste.
Enjoyable, but not something I would see

 

 

 

 

New England Brewing Company:  SeaHag  (BA: 3.96)  I didnt know what to expect with this one. It was a beer that one of our customers recommended, so we brought it in.
I love an IPA, so why not, I never heard of this brewery before, but since we have been on a path to showcase local beers from Connecticut, we went for it

My initial impression, was that this beer poured, looked, smelled and tasted a lot like Hop S….
but to a lesser degree.

I enjoyed the bouquet of hops, the inevitable citrus and grapefruit taste. It was all there, and this one was very drinkable. Sometimes I talk about a beer being chuggable, this fits that category. I did enjoy this beer and am hoping to taste more from their brewery

 

 

Elysian Space Dust IPA  (BA 3.75)  A light burnt orange hue while poured. Very quick disappearing head
Not a lot of up front aromas. Initial taste was definitely IPA, pine resin, grapefruit and DRY

Grey Sail Brewery:  Little Sister (BA 4.5)

Ive loved Capt Daughter for years now. I just found Little Sister and I was pleasantly surprised. The initial aroma was almost like Capt Daughter. The color was a lot paler and the mouthful crispier. Great long aftertaste. Very happy I ran across this one.   Right now, this is becoming my favorite IPA.