Most of my suggestions are already taken, but I’ll add Victory Brewing’s Hop Devil and Terrapin Brewery’s Hopsecutioner.
When someone I know from PA is coming to NJ i try to have them pick me up some brew that’s not available here in NJ. If it’s an IPA I want it’s Bells Two Hearted Ale. One of the best IPAs I’ve ever had and I’ve had a lot.
That’s probably the best one I’ve ever had (even though it’s more in the category of a Double IPA). Pliny the Younger and Pliny the Elder are also fantastic and available in PA but not NJ (the Younger only being available on tap).
I’ll second Bell’s Two Hearted Ale.
Shorts Huma-Lupa-Licious is also very good, if you can find it where you are.
Also, as mentioned above, Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale is very good, and should be coming available soon.
ETA: Don’t know if any of those are cheaper than what you already have, though. You’ll just have to ask for a raise.
Dale’s is a damn fine beer. As was mentioned upthread, most everything by Oskar Blues is very good. However, an IPA is kind of expensive to brew. It requires quite a bit of hops, and a decent amount of malt to make most recipes. Dale’s isn’t really an expensive example. Compare it to Arrogant Bastard Oaked from Stone (around $60/case :eek:)
I am also Seconding Hopsecutioner. I can’t get it in TX, but my brother brought some from GA. Very good beer. You might be able to get it in PA. Two that are inexpensive and delicious, but probably difficult to get in PA are Rahr’s Stormcloud IPA (plenty of malt to balance out the hops) and Real Ale’s Lost Gold IPA (just a hell of a lot of hops).
When price isn’t an issue in your beer selection, I feel Samuel Smith’s India Ale is the best version of the style. It’s not as heavy on the hops as the American style tends to be. I personally feel it’s more balanced in flavor, though.
(And now I’m gonna have one of my home brewed Dark Belgian Ales: thick and sweet, with odd flavors from the Belgian yeast and 10% abv :D)
Are you me?
Seconding Dogfish. Treat yourself to a 120-minute if you can.
On the lighter side I like Red Hook Long Hammer.
I much prefer the 60 Minute to the 90 and 120. It has the wonderful floral hops that I love so much without the macho alcohol content that knocks me on my ass.
My favorite IPA is Bell’s Two Hearted. An absolutely perfect and stunning IPA, and quite surprising to me that a Midwest beer could tower over the West Coast IPAs. But Bell’s is a really special brewery (my favorite), and if anyone could pull it off, it’s them.
Also, if you want an APA that’s edging on the IPA side of the spectrum, Three Floyd’s Alpha King. Yet another great Midwest beer. This is the beer Sierra Nevada wishes it could be.
ETA: I was going to add, the Dogfish Head 90 is also worth trying, but it is an Imperial IPA, and is much heavier and alcoholic than a regular IPA (we’re at 9% for the 90-minute IPA). The 120 minute clocks in at 18% ABV (!!!). They’re both worthwhile IIPAs, but a bit heavy as a day-to-day drinker.
Right. The 120 is definitely more the type of thing you’d break out during the holidays and pour everyone a couple fingers of, but it is damned good.
It’s been years since I’ve had the 120, but from what I recall it was one-dimensional and cloying. Once upon a time the 90 minute was bottle conditioned and had a much nicer mouth feel than the thin bodied 90 minute of today. Dogfish Head got caught up in selling as much as they could and branching out to all areas possible and sacrificing quality for quantity. Brewers like Larry Bell are still doing it right.
Don’t know if you can get it that side of the pond but Marston’s Old Empire IPA is a corker. It also has a degree of history behind it (seeing as the whole point of IPA was to hop the bugger to high heaven to keep it fresh on the journey out to the far reaches of the empire)
I chill it pretty thoroughly as it is beefy enough to withstand it.
Incidentally, though it has it’s roots over here I reckon that the IPA style of beer is one that the USA carries off really well. I’m seldom disappointed when trying something new over there.
I’m a big fan of San Diego IPAs. Stone is the one you’d be most likely to find outside of the county, but the best is Ballast Point Sculpin.
Also great:
Ballast Point Big Eye
AleSmith IPA
Pizza Port Wipeout IPA
Green Flash West Coast IPA
Goose Island IPA from Chicago is very good.
They sold out to Anheuser-Busch, so I don’t buy their beer anymore. AB has anti-craft beer practices, like their distribution stranglehold, that I don’t want to support.
Alexander Keith’s is my favorite IPA. It’s a macro-brew, but it is imported (for you), so that’s a start!
I’m not big on hoppy beers, but Full Sail IPA is a pretty good one, if you get it out east. Made in Oregon and employee-owned. They do an excellent job on most of their products.
Liberty Ale is fantastic. Very hoppy.
I did not know that! Also interesting it’s not apparent on their website. The Goose Island brews appear ubiquitous in Chicago; I had a 312 at Lou Malnati’s last trip not realizing it was GI until I got the bottle. Not a big selection at the South Loop location, so I’ll have to ask for the list again next time.
Michigan Brewing Company’s High Seas IPA is also good. My wife just brought a six-pack home, so I’m drinking one right now.
ETA: Aaahhh!
I picked up a growler of the Racer 5 this afternoon and tried it. Goes down real good.