The definitive West Coast IPA is Lagunitas IPA. If you enjoy a hoppy flavor then venture towards the Hop Stupid or the Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’. Sierra Nevada is the Iceberg lettuce of Pale Ales - unchallenging and accessible with nothing terribly wrong about it, but not a whole lot going on.
Stone the heretic!!!
Preferably with Stone Brewing’s Oaked Arrogant Bastard.
Full Sail is made in Oregon, but available nationwide. Dechutes products are found west of the Mississippi.
I’m not sure what Bell’s distribution is but their Two Hearted Ale is about as good as it gets.
I agree. That’s my favorite.
I know this doesn’t fit the criteria because it is not sold nationwide (indeed, it is hard to find outside a narrow bit of the west coast), but if you ever see Pliny the Elder (Russian River Brewing) don’t think twice: Get it! It is the elixir of the gods. You’ll weep when the bottle is empty.
Vinnie is God.
Bell’s Two Hearted is great, so is Dale’s Pale Ale (Oskar Blues Brewing)
IPAs in southern California have gotten silly. They are being hopped to the point of undrinkability. I lay the blame the stone brewing company.
Sierra Nevada’s seasonal IPA, Celebration Ale, will be hitting stores very soon. THAT, my good sirs and goodly ladies, is the definitive IPA in the nation. Everyone who loves beer should at least grab a sixer.
… because it’s an American Pale Ale, not a US style India Pale Ale. It’s neither hoppy enough nor high gravity enough to be an actual IPA, like say… Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale, which IS an IPA, and from Sierra Nevada no less.
Here’s the Beer Judge specs with examples:
SNPA is an American Pale Ale, and not an IPA. Anything else is just flat-out, indisputably wrong- even Sierra Nevada doesn’t call it that and produces other beers they call IPAs- Celebration and Torpedo come to mind.
Lots of beers have the same sort of hoppy/gravity gradient that distinguishes them from similar beers. For example, a Munich Helles, a Dortmunder Export, and a German Pilsner are all more or less the same thing, but each has more hop, and slightly higher gravity than the last. Same thing in England with Bitter, Special Bitter, ESB and IPA, and in Scotland with the 60/-, 70/- and 80/- ales.
As a public service, I’d like to UN-recommend a couple of IPAs: Trestles IPA by Left Coast Brewery and 680 IPA by Schubros Brewery.
I drink IPAs all the time and I’m always on the lookout for something new. I just saw these today at my local BevMo and picked some up. I couldn’t finish half a bottle of either one. I don’t have a refined enough palate to describe what was wrong taste-wise, but they both had wayyyy too much carbonation. Blech!
Indeed.
All good, but Minnesota’s Summit Extra Pale Ale is my go to brew.
I have a ticket to the 20th Annual Quivey’s Grove Beer Fest this weekend. It’s a craft brew fest with mostly midwestern brewers, but with some others sprinkled in. A list of the brewers is here: http://www.quiveysgrove.com/beerfest/beerfest2013beers.htm
I’m more into APAs than IPAs, but after I’ve trashed my palate with enough hops, I do drink full IPAs. Right now I’m planning to get some Lagunitas Pale Ale and maybe their IPA. I know I want to try New Glarus Moon Man No Coast Pale Ale from tap if it’s available. Other than that, do any of you have any recommendations based on who is going to be there?