It's certainly a great thing that IPA as a category has become so colorfully varied, becoming a sub-category umbrella that covers essentially any heavily hopped ale. New England IPA, hazy IPA and the more modern segment of American IPA have taken the style even further than it was when earlier, more bitter IPA's propelled craft beer as a whole into the national spotlight.
But man, do we still absolutely love those classic, West Coast, bitter hop bomb IPA's. And clearly, so do some of the best brewers as they are still out there brewing these tight and clean yet robust ales with sizeable doses of front end bittering hops alongside hefty dry-hopping for aroma. And so do a lot of you, as evidenced by the continued production and sale of these brews. Check out our favorite, truly West Coast IPA's in the store right now.
Stone Ruination
One of the very first double IPA's to ever be packaged and distributed, revived and redone multiple times over the span of two decades, and demanded again again by fans, Ruination is back again, this time in its original form. This is the blueprint for West Coast double IPA. An economical maltiness, crushing bitterness, and a massive aroma of zested citrus and split pine. The clean finish and crazy drinkability are what'll get you.
Sierra Nevada Torpedo
You might be thinking, "Wait, Jake, that old thing? That's been in every grocery store for decades." Exactly. It's hard to call this thing a relic because of how revelatory it was when it first came around, but it was also so many people's introduction to this once-novel style. The malt backbone is rich, but tight and well attenuated, and the bitterness is insistent and thorough. Clementine and a touch of spruce. This one is simply irreplaceable.
Rogue Dead Guy IPA
No, it's not the same Dead Guy that's been around forever. That one is a Maibock, and it is also delightful. But this is a brand new creation from the classic Oregon brewery, not that they are strangers to IPA. Many modern takes on West Coast IPA veer a bit sweeter, or a bit heavier, or a bit less bitter than the classics, and that's ok. But Rogue took the spirit of West Coast IPA to heart with this one, absolutely nailing the firm yet dry malt and blast of citrus and earthy pine. This beer could have and would have taken over the world alongside the other two, 20 years ago.
NEW STUFF!
HOPS
- Good People: Snake Handler - Legendary double IPA
- Good People: Hazy Snake Handler - Legendary double IPA, but make it hazier
- Wild Leap: Side Bae - Hazy Double IPA with Idaho 7 Cryo
- Singin' River: Tiger Chainsaw Arms - "Abbey Tripel-American Belgian Style IPA"
DARK
- Westbrook: Doppelbock - Traditional German style doppelbock
- Westbrook: Confection Confliction - Imperial stout with toasted marshmallow and Oreo cookies
- Monday Night: Tears of my Enemies - Bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout with coffee, cacao nibs and vanilla
SOUR
- SoPro: Dogs Manipulating Time - Sour ale with hibiscus, pineapple and lime
- SoPro: Planet Tripper - Paloma-style sour ale
- Urban Artifact: Peaches and Cream - Nitro fruit tart with peaches and spices
- Urban Artifact: Kaleidoscope - Midwest fruit tart with pineapple, orange and guava
- Urban Artifact: Pickle - Twelve pack of pickle sour
