IPA Beer Fans

[old medic]

My favorite IPA is Raging Bitch by Flying Dog. .

Married one... but still love the beer... She was the one that found it ....
Currently sipping on a WeyerBacher Blithering Idiot Barleywine.

 

[Souschef]

I live in Ventura, CA and am very lucky. Within a 10 minute drive from home, there are 2 Brewpubs.
One is Topa Topa, named after a local mountain, their Chief's Peak IPA is my favorite.
The other is Transmission, all their beers have automotive names. My favorite is Dyna IPA
A few weeks ago, I met with CZhike84 from ER at Transmission, and we spent a fun filled 3 hours chatting.

 

[Midpack]

The popularity of IPAs meant that about every commercial release had to have "IPA" in the name. So now we have distinct styles that really are so far away from the original style that generalizing across all current styles that contain the three letters makes little sense.

+1. Asking for an IPA recommendation is almost meaningless today, the styles vary so widely you could love one IPA and absolutely hate another. The differences are so vast now, unlike the days when most IPAs in the US were the bitter very hoppy west coast style. West coast IPAs taste like grass clippings to me (so I'd imagine). But I like the hazy/juicy IPAs.

 

[Car-Guy]

I'm just not into such things... Tried a few IPA's, a few wine's and I have never found any I like. If I'm going to drink alcohol, it's going to be a Corona Lite. I would drink Tiger beer if I could get it here in the US. End of story.

 

[Happyras]

I have to add that I am more of a non-hazy IPA drinker. And our kids are getting more into hazy but anytime anyone has a Pliney. It is like a worship beer. Today while sitting in 90° weather on the deck with my kids and moms, etc. I had an Alsan, a Laurelwood IPA, and something new a Laurelwood dry hopped lager.

Being relatively close to Bend Oregon, I do like boneyard hop venom, and Crux brewing makes a pretty good IPA. We have many micro breweries around our area here in Redmond Washington so I belong now to a group called the Stienklinckers. It’s a group of old farts like me who like beer and we get together every second Tuesday of the month at a different brewery to share a pint or two.

If anyone is local to the Seattle area and wants to join us, private messaged me.

 

[MC Rider]

I don't care for the extra hoppy tasting stuff. I tend to pick things from the ever changing mix at Grocery Outlet.

New Belgium has some real nice stuff, not all IPA. The Voodoo Rangers are good, trending towards strong. Arrogant Bastard good and trends to strong as well.

Found these in the Grocery Outlet a while ago. Which is quite good imho, and better than the AC DC branded stuff.

 

[Souschef]

Here are 2 I enjoyed in New Mexico. I apologize for the photos, but they were cans I had to flatten.
Read the Happy Camper text at the bottom

 

[donheff]

I never knew where the name came from until I got a dose of the history in a novel recently. During the Raj, the Brits brewed up a high alcohol content beer that would last the voyage to India without deteriorating. The result was India Pale Ale. The soldiers loved it.

 

[Stormy Kromer]

My favorite IPA is Raging Bitch by Flying Dog. It’s a Belgian style IPA, and a bit boozy. A nice bitter IPA with a burger and some fries are a match made in heaven for me.

I didn't know Flying Dog was still around. Can't get it where I live.

I have to say that they had the most thoughtful names for their different beer varieties.

 

[sengsational]

Not that they don't make good beer for a decent price, but Elysian, Wicked Weed and Goose Island are all megacorp brews. Yes, your Hawaiian Kona is brewed in New Hampshire, LOL! So, just a PSA...if you want to support smaller enterprises, and I "get it" if you don't care, but if you do, you need to work around the marketing deception.

You can look-up breweries here: https://www.craftbeer.com/breweries/find-a-us-brewery

I home brewed with this guy before he "went pro". Early-on, this brewery had lots of hops in pretty much every recipe, but has been nailing some traditional styles as well as doing the juicy, hazy, NE, WC versions of IPA.

 

[Jimmie]

IPAs and I have always had a love-hate relationship. For everyone one I liked, there was a dozen or so I didn't like. Having retired from a global brewer, I had the opportunity to try many during my work travels. My current favorite is Bodhizafa from Georgetown Brewing in Seattle. Fortunately, it's pretty easy to find here as it's very popular. I agree IPAs have the best names.

 

[Chuckanut]

I have liked very few of the IPA beers I have tried. I’ve cut my alcohol consumption so I don’t want to waste my beer ration on something I probably won’t care for. To each his or her own.

 

[georgemoe]

Lot's of good references. Love the Founders "All Day" and pick it up from time to time. Don't drink IPA's like I used to but still enjoy some of the locals. Harpoon and Worcester's Wormtown "Be Hoppy" are faves. Also really like my local Wachusett Brewery just up the road a piece. I do try to stick to lower alcohol which is why I generally have some Coors Lights on hand especially during the summer.

 

[old medic]

You can look-up breweries here: https://www.craftbeer.com/breweries/find-a-us-brewery .

Living near Asheville I knew we had many breweries around, and have visited quite a few.... BUT DANG!!!!!!!
That map shows 105 breweries within an hour from the house, and know of 4 others not listed...

 

[hansome13]

When drinking space dust I like the taste of my 'burps'

 

[53anddone]

I've gotten to love the New England IPAs - maybe because I live here.

The best ones I have found are Tree House, Alchemist, and of course Hill Farmstead.

 

[pb4uski]

Our summer home is less than 30 minutes from Hill Farmstead, and Red Barn is even closer.

Heady Topper is an acquired taste for me and is a bit too hoppy for my taste other than occasionally. I prefer Lawson's Sip of Sunshine or Little Sip, good to me but not in your face hoppy like Heady Topper.

A funny story about Hill Farmstead though from 5 to 10 years ago. I have a neighbor who's an elderly gentleman and read an article in the newspaper about Hill Farmstead being oneb of the world's top breweries and decided to go up and check it out. He was in line to buy beer and found out he was in the growler line and of course didn't have a growler so he moved over to the other line for bottles and cans. He got to the register and bought a case and paid for it with his credit card, not really paying much attention because it was busy. On the way home, he suddenly realized that he paid like $125 for a case of beer! Then he got home popped one open and absolutely hated it! He knew that I like craft beer so he gave me a couple bottles. I popped one open and found it to be undrinkable. I have a friend who's also in a craft beer so when he visited me I had him try it and he couldn't drink it either. I forget which of their beers it was.

 

[Murph]

IPA

IPA is all I drink anymore. I like my ABV around 7%. When I’m in Northeast Ohio, Commodore Perry by Great Lakes Brewery is my #1. When I’m in TN it’s Voodoo Ranger, Sweetwater or Lagunitas, in that order. All of these are around $10/6-pack.

 

[DRC726]

I admit, I'm not a big fan of IPA's due to the hoppy bitterness. But when I do drink one, its usually Whaler's Rise which is a very popular IPA made here in RI. Give me a good lager like Sam Adams any day...

 

[MacsNMore]

….but anytime anyone has a Pliney. It is like a worship beer…..

+1 for Pliny the Elder, my consistent favorite along with Russian River’s other standard: Blind Pig.

I stay away from the mass-distributed IPA’s as many are not stored well before we have a chance to buy them. Freshness and refrigeration definitely matter.

There are soooo many high quality craft breweries to choose from; half the fun is tasting different brands and their unique take on the current styles. That being said, some of my favorite CA craft brewers lately are Monkish, North Park, McIlhenney, Pure Project, Fieldwork, Liquid Gravity, The Original 40, Alvarado Street and of course Russian River.

Another great resource for craft beer lovers and brand ratings is: untappd.com

Cheers!

 

[Involuntary Retiree]

My favorite IPA is the one available in the US stateside airport we land in after having been in Europe for a month or two. If it's available in an airport restaurant that serves Mexican- or Cajun-spiced food, that IPA tastes even better! That's the one thing I miss when we engage in extended travel, although I had a decent local "New England-style" IPA when we were in Poland. I very much appreciated the effort.


If I were smart enough to figure out how to post a pic, I would show you the Polish IPA that was actually pretty good.

 

[RobLJ]

Lagunitas is my go-to; it's a pretty dry IPA, although I like the hazies also like the Little Hazy and Elysian as well. I can get it for 15$ a 12 pack often, here in Reno.

There are a lot of craft IPAs here in Reno so I buy them also. The Brewer's Cab production facility a half mile from me on Sundays sells their beer for 7$ a sixpack, so my son and I support them a lot, but it wouldn't be available outside of Reno or Tahoe.

I will admit I just love a good cold beer, always have.

A family member got me on the IPA train a couple of years ago. At first I could not drink a IPA, had to darn near force one down. Fast forward to today and it's my goto beer by a long shot.

Best value, I really enjoy Serria Nevada's Hazy Little Thing and Big Little Thing, find them on sale often for around $14 a 12pack. If I were to pick between the two, think it would be the Hazy.

Elysian Space Dust is another tasty common one, had one of those for the first time recently. The name is just weird for some reason in my mind so never tried it, well been missing out, good beer.

Lots of local brews to choose from so that has been fun too.

Anyone have a good IPA they would like share thoughts about?

 

[Montclairbobbyb]

I've gotten to love the New England IPAs - maybe because I live here.

The best ones I have found are Tree House, Alchemist, and of course Hill Farmstead.

Yes! And I'd like to add one more to the already stellar list of VT brewers: Lawson's...

That said I think my favorite IPA experience was either enjoying a Hill Farmstead Edward at Three Penny Tap room in Montpelier VT, or a Pliny the Elder at Russian River Brewing in Santa Rosa CA.

It's simply an awesome time to be an IPA lover in the US.

 

[indiajust]

nice to see hill farmstead and alchemist mentioned. ratebeer still puts them at the top of the beer universe.

my understanding of a session beer was as an experiment or short run. It might not be offered regularly or ever again. braumeister prerogative, session.

I have been known to indulge in duck rabbit milk stout. for a special treat try youngs double chocolate stout with vanilla ice cream. oh my. fabulous with sunday brunch.

 

[braumeister]

I had a decent local "New England-style" IPA when we were in Poland. I very much appreciated the effort.

The Europeans have certainly caught on to the trend. Last time I was in Prague, several years ago, I was in a gastropub where they had seven beers and five of them were IPAs.