Worst. IPA. Ever.

[brrman]

I was really disappointed in Sierra Nevada's Boomerang... Tasted like dirty socks. They used some Australian hops if I recall.

 

[smizak]

Nah, mosaic hops are awesome dude!!!

Victory Hop Ranch.

got a 4 pack yesterday and totally disappointed. its not the bright citrusy amazing that i thought it would be or as described on the bottle. Something is just off

Because it has Mosaic in it.

 

[Minky]

There are some Breweries that think that they are in some kind of Hops-Arms- Race. Anyone can put more stuff in but making it good is more of an art.

You are correct, sir!!

There seems to be a mind-set among some IPA drinkers too that reminds me of those guys (we all know at least one) who pretend that there is no food that's too hot for them. They order the 5-Alarm Habanero wings and scarf them down while proclaiming, through their tears, that they really aren't that hot.

So, there is a market among that sort for beers with names like Tongue Splitter or Hopslam which, by the way, may be excellent beers. I've never tried them because the name screams out to me "unbalanced". Maybe I will try them one day, but in the meantime, give me a Bell's Two Hearted or a Great Lakes Commodore Perry.

Let the flames begin!

 

[DGibb]

Let the flames begin!

Flames? Nah, I admit, I used to be one of the extreme ones, whether it was lupilin or capsaicin. Maybe I've gotten weak with the years, but I prefer to say that like a good Scotch, I've mellowed with age.

Absolutely nothing wrong with the over-the-top examples, as long as you understand that you are getting the extreme limit of hops, chiles, et cetera.

While I still enjoy IIPAs, Two Hearted or All Day IPA are my go-to brews.

I have had some disappointing examples at breweries that just didn't have any character. I think the one example that sticks out was the Fort Street brewery in Lincoln Park, MI. It wasn't a bad beer, per se, but it just didn't give me any hop character. Bear in mind this was a year and a half ago, and it looks like their lineup has changed since then (maybe it wasn't just me?). Their Build Your Own Bloody Marys were killer, though.

 

[BuffaloJohn]

My vote for worst ever is Shipwreck, I mean Shipyard. I really can't stomach any of their beer.

 

[BeerFst]

Because it has Mosaic in it.

hahaha, I actually like mosaic, i like that its somewhat distinct. I got the same weird flavor in SN Estate, and no mosaic in that. I think they work amazing in a pale ale.

I've heard it could be the fresh hops, but I loved Great Divide Wet Hop, and Blue point's wet hopped hoptical illusion, so I dont think its that....Something is just wrong

 

[Minky]

While I still enjoy IIPAs, Two Hearted or All Day IPA are my go-to brews.

What a coincidence! Those are the two beers I have in my fridge right now. I'm still a little hot-n-cold on the All-Day, but I like that it's on the dry side. It's a real citrus punch, isn't it? I don't know why they call it All-Day, though. I tried that and it didn't work out well for me!

Seriously though, I usually steer clear of the "imperials". I tend to drink them like a session beer, and that doesn't work either!

 

[kingmatt]

Not sure if it's THE worst IPA I've had (because I've had A LOT of IPAs) but Sixty-One by DFH is turrible...grape must in in an IPA GTFOH

 

[rodwha]

Big Sky's IPA. Way too grapefruity to me.

I've also had a British IPA that I didn't care for, but I don't recall what it was anymore.

Now it is Hopadillo. Nasty stuff! Don't care much for anything other than their black IPA.

 

[beskone]

Not sure if it's THE worst IPA I've had (because I've had A LOT of IPAs) but Sixty-One by DFH is turrible...grape must in in an IPA GTFOH

Funny, a local brewery here makes a Grape Ape IPA with grape must. But this one is delicious!

 

[oceanic_brew]

People had me way too pumped up to try a goose island IPA that once I did I was sadly let down. It wasn't the worse but there's a brewery here in Halifax called Unfiltered that I would consider the best I've ever tried and nothing can compare to those beers for me.

After those beers it's hard to be non-biased when trying some of decent ones around here.

I find some bands like that. I listen for a while but when I go back to the greats it's just like "yeahhh here we go!!"

 

[Wiscohio_brewer]

I had a double IPA at The Great Dane in Wausau, WI. It was just bitter. No hop flavor or aroma, just bitter. I was severely disappointed because some of their other beers are great, specifically Crop Circle Wheat. I honestly don't remember what the worst IPA I had was. I think I repress bad beers.

 

[uwmgdman]

This is an easy one for me. Florida Beer Swamp Ape Double IPA. Saw it when visiting family in Flordia about a year ago. Thought oh a local dIPA this has to be at least decent. It was &$&-ing terrible. Sickly sweet, not bitter not hoppy, a bit fusel. My BIL and I dumped it and I don't dump beers, well except for that one time with a pizza beer but that's off topic.

 

[bransona]

A local, Brother's Craft Brewing, makes just awful IPA's that are incredibly popular. Simcoe out the ass. Tastes like kitty whiz to me.

 

[filthyastronaut]

I recently had a bottle of Odell Tree Shaker, a double IPA with peaches, and it fell incredibly flat to me. Was within it's BB date and I am in the same city, so maybe a bad batch. Their Myrcenary Double IPA is quite well-regarded and I also found it to be underwhelming. All of this is surprising considering their flagship IPA is absolutely incredible, and they have wonderful hoppy beers like St. Lupulin, Runoff Red IPA, Perle White IPA, and their recent rye IPA.

 

[tmendick]

Tree shaker's quality has gone down significantly in the past 18 months IMO. It used to have a really good fruit punch with enough hops to keep it in the IPA territory

 

[MaryB]

NB Ranger... remember the bitter beer face commercials? Yeah the stuff was like drinking fresh skunk pee... tried 2 bottles, gave the other 4 away and they got dumped by everyone who tasted it...

 

[filthyastronaut]

Tree shaker's quality has gone down significantly in the past 18 months IMO. It used to have a really good fruit punch with enough hops to keep it in the IPA territory

Good to know I'm not alone.


As for Ranger, it really shouldn't taste like skunk pee. Unless you're just being colorful, sounds like a lightstruck bottle. I think Ranger gets an unfair rep with some, as it's harshly bitter from the Chinook but has a unique hop profile that dares to be different. It's supposed to be resinous and piney, first and foremost, and it has some grapefruit and a light caramel malt background to compliment it. I love it, personally. It's particularly great for the Colorado wilderness.

 

[stratslinger]

The worst I've ever had was, surprisingly a bad bottle of Green Flash West Coast. It was the first time I'd ever tried it (thank goodness I had the wherewithal to try it again and realize I just had a bad bottle). But that one seriously taste like I opened a packet of CTZ and just licked the inside of the packet - WAYYYY too much hop bitterness and a weird metallic twinge going on.

 

[MFWINZLOW]

The most horrific that I have recently had is from Three Daughters Brewing - Bimini Twist IPA - smells like Pinesol and the taste is so sweet that it is sickening when combined with whatever hop (maybe mowed grass from the side of the highway) they decided was a good idea to use. I never condemn beer to the drain. I powered through one can (I know...I'm a champ) and then subjected a few co-workes to the horror that is Bimini Twist. :rockin:

They refused to speak to me for a week.

Rates a 76 on BA - should be a 6.

To the OP other point about SN Torpedo...nope.
I really like it and am having a few right now - along with a few SN 2016 Beer Camp Tropical IPAs - good stuff! Buuuuurp!

 

[Wooden]

1. Sam Adams Grapefruit IPA
- thought it was gonna be, you know, something late hopped with lots of C' hops like citra/Amarillo (because really, that would not be THAT hard!).

Nope! Shoulda read the label and trusted my intuition that said Sam Adams would put some combination of stupid artificial flavoring and grapefruit juice in it... Ugh... Bought several 6 mo. ago and still have 3 left. Should pour these down the drain so I have 3 more bottles....

2. Squatters DIPA.
Wayyyyy too much hotness in it, all you could taste is the alcohol. I bought it because I thought it would be kind of like a cheaper/newer brewery type Bells Hopslam-type beer, and well, you get what you pay for. Not nuff malt balancing it out and not nuff flavor. Had to mix them with other beers. Still have a couple sitting around.

3. Blue Moon Belgian IPA
-IMO not much belgian or IPA in this one... But I do get some cat-piss aftertaste from one of the hops. Not hop forward enough, not belgian enough.... Gahhh... Very gimmicky, what do you expect from any blue moon that is anything other than the original Blue Moon.

 

[Queequeg]

There is only one contender for this.

Green King IPA

IPA not once

 

[BreezyBrew]

Pretty much any IPA from Smaltz Brewing. I've had 4 or 5 different knew over the years, and all absolutely horrid. Sickly sweet and no hops. Could pour on pancakes.

 

[whovous]

There is only one contender for this.

Green King IPA

IPA not once

+1. A monumentally bad beer in every respect. I've no idea why they label it an IPA. I'm not sure they should even call it beer!

 

[dyqik]

there is only one contender for this.

Green king ipa

ipa not once

+1

 

[dyqik]

There is only one contender for this.

Green King IPA

IPA not once

+2 (app double posted when I tried to edit, but it's worth repeating...)

Particularly when served on a fake hand pump in the King's College bar. We used to refer to it as Cam water.

 

[Paul_Aris]

I'm not a big fan of belgian IPAs or session IPAs. I couple of sessions I really like though are Founders All Day and Lagunitas Day Time IPA. Usually I reserve these for the times where I know I will be drinking for extended period of time like a party or a concert. Otherwise I like a bit of an IPA with more mouthfeel or a double.

 

[jschein]

+2 (app double posted when I tried to edit, but it's worth repeating...)

Particularly when served on a fake hand pump in the King's College bar. We used to refer to it as Cam water.

Beer Boys?

 

[Queequeg]

I think until you have tasted green king IPA you are in no position to claim an IPA is bad. To even call it an IPA is a joke

 

[jimmerz]

I pretty much only drink DIPA/IIPA's. As for the torpedo, I'm not a huge fan but I don't mind it. My friend has a big party every year and the beer selection is limited, he usually has torpedo as the only craft beer so I end up drinking that. Last year he had Hop Hunter, much better. He is a big SN fan.

I've had a lot of bad IPA's but most were "drinkable". I HATED DFH120. And most recently bought a 6pk of Guinness Nitro IPA, that was horrible! I gave those all away.

As for my favorites. Fat heads super juicy hop juju and lagunitas Waldo.