Gateway IPA recommendations

[ViciousFishes]

I need your help. I consider myself an equal opportunity imbiber. That is, when there's a malt & hop 'balance' in a brew. I love a pale, a bitter, Amber, porter, brown, stout, saison, steam, pils... As long as it's balanced with a good malt mouthfeel.

IPA? Not so much. When I see IBUs above 50, you'll find me running in the other direction. I wanna love them. I've read people describe them as juicy, piney, and resiny. It sounds so good!

I was just thinking that maybe I need a 'gateway' IPA. Maybe something that was brewed with a relatively modest bittering addition and more of the hops in the late boil and after...

How do I build an appreciation for this juggernaut style that's taking over taps and shelf space? Can you recommend notable IPAs that can start me down the path? I'm in the Raleigh, NC area, if region makes any difference.

Thanks!

 

[BrianGee]

Bell's Two Hearted got me started.

 

[atom]

60 minute is kinda malty for an ipa

 

[Brettomomyces]

Have you had Dale's Pale Ale before? It's much closer to an IPA than a pale ale really and has more malt and caramel to back up the hops, You should be able to get some pretty fresh from their NC brewery. Their blue dream IPA is really tasty too, and not really super bitter.

 

[sputnam]

i thought i was drinking a cactus the first time i tried a dale's, way back when i didn't like ipa's...still haven't had one since just to see....but anyway, I TRIPLE DOG DARE YOU TO TRY a Westbrook IPA (green can) and NOT like. Go ahead - I dare ya.

 

[Bosh]

My wife and a lot of her friends like Indica IPA by Lost Coast. It apparently has 57 IBUs but tastes more citrus than bitter. Good IPA for people who don't like IPAs and an all around pretty tasty beer.

 

[Psylocide]

Green Bullet

 

[Brettomomyces]

i thought i was drinking a cactus the first time i tried a dale's, way back when i didn't like ipa's...still haven't had one since just to see....but anyway, I TRIPLE DOG DARE YOU TO TRY a Westbrook IPA (green can) and NOT like. Go ahead - I dare ya.

That's how I felt when I had my first SNPA when I was like 17

 

[303Dan]

I'm trying to think of beers you could possibly get where you live that I know well enough to recommend. Does Deschutes distribute near you? Deschutes Fresh Squeezed might fit the bill. Loads of hop flavor and aroma but in a really approachable way.

I just had Hop Drop and Roll this Fall while I was out in Charleston for a wedding. That's a great beer and made near you, but probably not the best choice for a "gateway" IPA.

Try Fresh Squeezed if you can get it.

 

[madscientist451]

Founders all day IPA 4.7% ABV 42 IBU

 

[303Dan]

i thought i was drinking a cactus the first time i tried a dale's, way back when i didn't like ipa's...still haven't had one since just to see....but anyway, I TRIPLE DOG DARE YOU TO TRY a Westbrook IPA (green can) and NOT like. Go ahead - I dare ya.

Ha! I still feel that way whenever I drink a Dale's. Everybody has their beers they just can't stand even if they're in a style they like. Dale's is that beer for me.

 

[kmjloki]

I like torpedo by Sierra Nevada. It was my first. Its profile maybe a little hoppy to be considered. But it does have the flavors described by OP. Kina pineapple, citrus, pine.

I would ask what temps do you drink beer at? Not saying it would make the beer less hoppy but i know i like to drink beer @ room temp or slightly cool in the summer. Beer to me seems to become balanced in the 60*F range.

 

[Brettomomyces]

Most of the Sam Adam's IPAs are pretty "tame" also

 

[hifidelity]

I used a few black IPAs (and I can't remember which ones now) as a gateway to the IPA end of the flavor spectrum.

 

[Fezz]

Harpoon's take 5 session IPA is probably a great gateway IPA.

Also just as I started to like a couple IPAs. The Lagunitas brown shugga led to everything else. It's pretty bitter but once your pallet adjusts it's super sweet. It's like coffee. You didn't start out drinking espresso. First coffee you drank was the large extra light extra sweet dd ice coffee with whip cream.

Also it's very tough to find even in new England, but Lunch from Maine Brewing Company is really easy to drink.

 

[thunderwagn]

Odell's IPA is really nice and smooth. Not sure if it's available in your part of the country or not.

 

[Singletrack]

Take your time developing a taste for bitter beers. Far too soon, you will never again be able to experience that bracing bitterness we once knew and loved.

 

[HelpfulBoxer]

I was already starting to get into slightly more happy beers, then I tried a Jai Alai from cigar city.

Mind. Blown.

After that, I started trying all the IPAs I could find. I'm definitely more a fan of the East coast style I've found. More juicy flavor, less overwhelming bitter flavor.

 

[Spartan300man]

I like torpedo by Sierra Nevada. It was my first. Its profile maybe a little hoppy to be considered. But it does have the flavors described by OP. Kina pineapple, citrus, pine.

I just tried SN Torpedo and was a little surprised by it. It says it is an "Extra", so I thought perhaps a DIPA, or IIPA, but the abv is 7.2%. So it thought the Extra might refer to the hops or bitterness, but it was not over the top or even worthy of mentioning as 'extra'. So I am left thinking the word "Extra" should be taken off the label, and just call it an IPA. It was OK, a solid IPA. I guess they brought my expectations too high and then let me down. If they called it an IPA I would have been less grumpy about it.

For the OP, it might be worth consideration as your Gateway IPA.

 

[fleabagmatt]

Try Fresh Squeezed if you can get it.

This would be my suggestion as well.

My wife was a long time IPA hater, a sip of it would make her want to scrape her tongue. She actually came into them starting with IIPAs. I think 90 Minute IPA was the first time I recall her thinking it wasn't so bad. Fresh Squeezed is her go-to now if she's in the mood for an IPA.

 

[Fezz]

This would be my suggestion as well.

My wife was a long time IPA hater, a sip of it would make her want to scrape her tongue. She actually came into them starting with IIPAs. I think 90 Minute IPA was the first time I recall her thinking it wasn't so bad. Fresh Squeezed is her go-to now if she's in the mood for an IPA.

The India Brown Ale might be a good gateway to IPAs even though it's an IBA.

 

[ViciousFishes]

Thanks for all the recommendations. I'll be picking up as many of these as I can find. After picking up ingredients for Piranha Extra Special Biter yesterday (nod to Common Room ESB), stopped in at Carolina Brewing Company which is conveniently right around the corner. Their Wiggo! IPA was really great. I suspect I liked so much because of the dark malts they use and my love for Cascade generally. The Belgian IPA was really nice, too.

WIGGO! IPA
Wiggo is a malty, copper-colored IPA. We use lots of dark caramel malt to balance the aroma and flavor from the hops. We use Nugget and Cascade hops in the boil and this version has a heavy dose of Mosaic for dry hopping in the fermenter. Mosaic adds aroma and flavors of tropical fruit, citrus, berry, herbal, earthy and pine characteristics.
ABV 6.3% IBU 59

 

[IanCompetent]

Anchor Liberty Ale is a nice place to start. Very clean, lots of floral and grapefruit without being too bitter. Goose Island's Goose IPA is little hoppier but very easy to drink. Full Sail IPA is more English-styled without being too malty. A really nice, balanced, thirst-quenching beer.

Man, you Yanks have some really great IPA's available to you. I'm kind of jealous, honestly.

 

[Sailingeric]

Be careful with the gateway IPA's, next thing you know you are doing DIPA and then comes the triple IPA's and before long you are out on the street pan handling just so you can buy a hop pellet to suck on.