Who makes an IPA that is representative of the style?

[McCall St. Brewer]

I'm going to brew my first IPA this weekend. For some reason I have never really tried drinking an IPA and I'm curious to get an idea of what it should taste like. I bought a six-pack of Goose Island IPA (1. because that's what the store had and 2. because it came in brown non-twistoff bottles). It tasted pretty good to me and was very hoppy as I expected it should be. What are some of your favorite IPA's?

 

[Chairman Cheyco]

Tree Hophead from BC, Canada is tres yummy.
Lagunitas Maximus is mind-blowing, though it is an imperial IPA.
Snake Dog IPA by flying dog is also one of my faves.
$0.02

 

[sause]

You could also try Sprechers IPA and New Glarus IPA. Those should be able to be found at any respecable liquior store in Milwaukee.

 

[Hercules Rockefeller]

I agree with cheyco, Maximus from Lagunitas is excellent, also Hercules double IPA from great divide (I don't know if that is available outside of Colo.) and Stone brewing's IPA (can't remember the name) are both excellent IPA's, but I don't know if I'd say that they are representative of the style in general, more like IPA taken to the extreme (I beleive each are 90+ IBU's). but more to the point of your question, I like bridgeport IPA as less extreme IPA. It's still hoppy, but more balanced and much more easy drinking.

 

[Brewsmith]

Bridgeport IPA is a favorite of mine. Very citrusy, grapefruit. Stone IPA is a great example of the style. I just tried Alesmith IPA last weekend, and it was very good also. Anderson Valley's Hop 'Ottin IPA is a good example, as well as Flying Dog IPA. The double IPA's are different animals altogether. They are more hoppy, but are higher in gravity and tend to be sweeter.

 

[SwAMi75]

There are actually two classifications of IPA....the original "English" style, and the "American" style.

Read up on the history of them yourself, but generally the English style is strong, malty, and bitter, with some hop flavor/nose.

The American style is more of a hop delivery vehicle. Some of them do feature a maltier backbone and strive for some balance, but most tend to showcase American hops over any other characteristic.

Stone is a good example of a straight up American IPA that's hoppy as hell. A widely available US made IPA that leans more toward the "English" side of the scale is Shipyard Fuggles IPA.

So, it's hard to say what an IPA "should" taste like. Check out the BJCP guidelines (available online) for some pointers. I personally like the American styles that have a lot of hop aroma, but there are tons of them out there to try.

 

[joe s. sausage]

mmditter, isn't there a lot of beer ion milwaukee?

Look up the new glarus brewery, it's a little ride, but check them out to see what styles they have flowing. also, i think there is a brewery on the lower east side by the summerfest grounds.

 

[RichBrewer]

http://www.bjcp.org/styles04/Category14.html
Take a look here.
Dude directed me here with a question I had. Thanks again Dude!

 

[tnlandsailor]

I'm very partial to American IPA's. Definitely my favorite style. It's easier to find American IPA's than English IPA's, but they are both available. Click below for the actual BJCP guidelines:

http://www.bjcp.org/styles04/Category14.html#style14B

Commercial examples from the above site are:

American IPA: Stone IPA, Victory Hop Devil, Anderson Valley Hop Ottin', Anchor Liberty Ale, Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, Three Floyds Alpha King, Harpoon IPA, Bell's Two-Hearted Ale, Avery IPA, Founder's Centennial IPA, Mendocino White Hawk Select IPA.

Of these, the Bell's Two Hearted Ale is my favorite. Since they brew it in neighboring Michigan, you should be able to get in Wisconsin. The Stone is good also, but I think the Bell's is the best of the bunch. Of course Avery is excellent as well.

English IPA: Freeminer Trafalgar IPA, Hampshire Pride of Romsey IPA, Burton Bridge Empire IPA, Samuel Smith's India Ale, Fuller's IPA, King & Barnes IPA, Brooklyn East India Pale Ale, Shipyard Fuggles IPA, Goose Island IPA

I'd like to add to this list Sierra Nevada IPA. It is brand new for 2006 and not available everywhere, but it is quite good and definitely of the English IPA variety. As you can see, the Goose Island you bought is an English IPA example.

When brewing the IPA styles, the quality of your hops is going to be EXTREMELY important because they are heavily featured in both sub-categories. I found this out the hard way. Do not take short cuts with hop quality. It's worth the extra buck or two to get quality hops. This does not mean you have to use whole hops. I use pellets exclusively. After experimenting with several vendors, Williams Brewing is the best source for pellet hops that I've found.

Good luck with your recipe!

Prosit!

 

[Ize]

Your own personal tastes will probably end up dictating your fave. Last Saturday was a 3 IPA day for me. Had the Wolavers, Shipyard and Summit. And for me personally, the Wolavers came out on top. A good blend with the right amount of bite. It's definitely a favorite style of mine, but I guess I'm still looking for that "perfect" IPA to my taste!

Happy hunting for yours! (That's another thing that makes this hobby great! Research! )


Ize

 

[Igorstien]

I don't know if you can get it there, but for a mass brewery, I really enjoy Alexander Keith's IPA. It comes out of Halifax, Nova Scotia.

IGOR

 

[cweston]

Not sure how widely distributed it is, but I think Bells Two Hearted is an excellent American IPA. Not quite as over-the-top hop profile as some American IPAs.

 

[Lost]

I'm not a huge fan of super bitter beers but I've tried a few in hopes of finding one that's really good.

So far the best I've had is probably Dogfish Head's 60 minute IPA.. I'm really surprised Dogfish Head wasn't one of the first beers/breweries mentioned (maybe I missed it). It's got a really great aroma fresh off the tap.. smells and tastes just the way the wort smells right after a hop addition! Their website lists it at 60 IBUs. I haven't had the 90 minute IPA from Dogfish Head but I've seen a couple brewers around here give it good reviews..

Harpoon IPA is a very close second, it's very bitter and hoppy and yet not harsh.

Probably the worst I've had was Anchor's Liberty Ale - not really harsh but it did have some sort of off taste.. almost medicinal. Hopefully I got a bad batch or something but it was so terrible I just can't bring myself to buy another sixer to find out...

Anyhow, my tastes are probably very different from yours.. so try a few beers to get a feel for the style and see what you like.