Favorite IPA

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IPA_33

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So as my screen name suggests, I like IPA's a little bit :) I have a top 3 but I can never pick an all out favorite. So I was wondering if we could talk about a few things in this thread.

First: List your top 3 IPA's that are not homebrews.

Second: In your area, what is your favorite microbrew?

My list:

1. Saranac IPA
2. Southern Tier IPA
3. Stone Ruination

There is a microbrew here in Buffalo, "Flying Bison", that makes a seasonal IPA but I think I would have to go with the Southern Tier as my favorite microbrew IPA. Saranac has been brewing and housing for Sam Adams so I cant consider them a microbrewery anymore.
 
McCall St. Brewer said:
1. Dogfish 60 min.

2. Goose Island

Dogfish is one I can't get into. Never heard of Goose Island, where's that from?
 
1. Dogfish Head 90 min
2. Thomas Hooker (Rhode Island)
3. Offshore IPA (Martha's Vineyard)
 
1. Mojo (Boulder)
2. Copperhead Pale Ale (It's actually an IPA from Freestate brewery in Lawrence KS)
3. Goose Island
 
Dogfish Head 90 minute (technically a IIPA?)
Stone Ruination IPA

Favorite brewery is New Belgium -- but I live too far away from CO. This was the brewery that got me into micro brews when my uncle brought some by. I also like their employee benefits and that they offset their CO2
 
IPA_33 said:
Dogfish is one I can't get into. Never heard of Goose Island, where's that from?
Chicago.
We don't get many IPAs over here, but I have recently discovered Goose island IPA which I found absolutely delicious - so much so that I HAD to go and brew an IPA straight away with oodles of cascade.
We do have a new Irish Pale Ale, called Galway Hooker, which is nowhere near as hoppy, but very tasty. It's brewed by a new start up brewery in the centre of the country - Roscommon. Can also get Sierra Nevada IPA but I'd class it as behind the other 2 mentioned already.
IPA.MMMMmmmm....
 
The only IPA I have really liked so far is the DFH 90 min. I did not really care for the 60 min. not sure why?
 
1. Bells 2-hearted
2. Great Divide Titan IPA
3. Avery IPA

My favorite local brewery is also my favorite brewery period. Jolly Pumpkin rocks.:rockin:
 
dannypo said:
1. Bells 2-hearted
2. Great Divide Titan IPA
3. Avery IPA

My favorite local brewery is also my favorite brewery period. Jolly Pumpkin rocks.:rockin:


What do you like from Jolly Pumpkin. I had one of their barrel aged stouts and thought it was beyond disgusting. I'm open to suggestions though...
 
Top 3 IPAs
Pliny the Elder (Russian River Brewing Co., Santa Rosa CA)
Boundary Bay IPA (Boundary Bay Brewing Co., Bellingham WA)
Whoop Pass IPA (Silver City Brewing Co., Silverdale WA)

Favorite Local Microbrewery
Boundary Bay Brewing Co., Bellingham WA
 
To me, the responses so far fall into three different categories...while I still have a lot more to taste ;) , my tops for each would be
1) "Stylistically correct" (for lack of a better term) IPAs - Bell's Two Hearted, Lagunitas Maximus
2) "How many hops can we stuff in here" IPAs - Stone Ruination
3) IIPA / Douple IPAs - DFH 90 (but my sampling here's been limited)
 
My IPA tastings have been limited. To date I have tried Descheutes Inversion IPA and Redhook IPA. Redhook is more a pale ale than an IPA, I personally like the Inversion IPA. IPA's used to be my least favorite style, but they have been big on my favorites list lately. Also, Sierra Nevada Barleywine which I guess isn't technically an IPA but doesn't skimp in the hops department.
 
Lagunitas and Stone are great. I like Appelachian Brewing's Hoppy Trails IPA. Pick a third? Would be tough with many great ones out there. So I'll just name some that people haven't mentioned?

Nugget Nectar by Troegs? Brooklyn East India Pale Ale? Redhook IPA?

I kept this to bottled selections also. Ottos Pub in State College makes a great DIPA, but they don't distribute via bottles.
 
Stone IPA and Bridgeport IPA are my top 2. I'd have to do a side-by-side-by-side-by-side tasting of a few others that I like to round out the top three.
 
Maharaja
Ruination
DFH 90 min

For the record I don't even drink "traditional" IPA's anymore, they're just not hoppy or potent enough for my tastes...
 
I'm a big fan of the DFH 90 and Smuttynose. The 120 is a bit of a novelty I feel and isn't worth the price. I am a huge fan of Saranac (tour the brewery almost once a month and have talked with the owners a few times about brewing) but the IPA isn't that high on my list. I don't know how I haven't had the Imperial IPA yet but thats on my list to pick up
 
Bells 2 Hearted & Hopslam
DFH 60 (my pref over the 90 & 120)
Green Flash West Coast IPA
Stone IPA & Ruination
Troegs Nugget Nectar
Wyerbacher Double Simcoe
 
Bell's Hopslam
Stone Ruination
DFH 60 minute

Others that are pretty good: Goose Island (not hoppy enough, though), and the new New Glarus IPA (name escapes me right now).
 
^ Those right up there pretty much make up my list, with the addition of the regular Stone IPA when I'm in the mood for (very slightly) less hop wonderfulness.

Also, whatever IPA I made and have kicking around.
 
1. Whichever one I happen to be drinking..
2. Inversion IPA - Deschutes
3. Lagunitas IPA

Favorite microbrew IPA around is definitely Rubicon.
 
DFH 90 Minute got me started on my hunt for IPA's (research), but so far it's still my favorite.

Question: I haven't yet tried the 60 minute (but have ordered the ingredients for Yopper's recipe.) How does it compare to the 90 minute?
 
anoldur said:
DFH 90 Minute got me started on my hunt for IPA's (research), but so far it's still my favorite.

Question: I haven't yet tried the 60 minute (but have ordered the ingredients for Yopper's recipe.) How does it compare to the 90 minute?

The 60min, IMO, does a better job of blending the malt flavor with the hops flavor. With the 90, they were each too distinct. I liked the 90 min, just not as much as the 60.

I see a couple mention the Redhook IPA. I tried a sixer, and I wasn't real impressed. I certainly wouldn't consider it near the top 3.
 
Originally posted by McKBrew
IPA's used to be my least favorite style, but they have been big on my favorites list lately.

This is good news since you'll be back in the Northwest soon. Can't live here and not like IPAs. ;)
 
I'm from Chicago and I like a lot of Goose Island's brews. Matilda, Demolition, Honker's Ale, even their 312 Wheat, but their IPA is not something I usually pick up.

I just tried this one last weekend and thought it was damn good:
Loast Coast Indica IPA: nice hop character, a little citrusy sweet. I'll have to try it again to see where it ranks.

Top 3 IPAs:
1. Dogfish 90 (though 60 is right up there too)
2. Mojo
2. Two Brothers Heavy Handed IPA (a Chicago area brewery on the rise. They put Goose Island to shame as far as I'm concerned.)


I miss Bells. Can't get it in Illinois any more. I'm definitely buying some next time I hit WI to bring back.
 
Okay here are my top three. You have to try all of these
1. Alesmith IPA
2. Anderson Valley IPA
3. Stone
Runner Up: Bear Republick Hop Rod Rye

Try these and let us know!!!
 
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