Friday, January 16, 2009

Current IPA Count- 140

I've been keeping track, but I can't post full reviews of each, just my own blips on which IPAs recieved "Yays," or "Nays."


Pliny the Younger (Russian River)-awesome beer, it's very complex yet crisp and easy to go down, but you'll only want to sip it to make it last longer.

Hop 15 (Port Brewing)-very awesome layered hoppy flavors, moderate alcohol traces, good APV


Stone IPA- there are better IPAs, but then again there are not. great bouquet. great consistent taste and always welcome strong APV without tasting sour.

ACME IPA (North Coast Brewing)- good session IPA, not too strong, but not subtle...this is what you dirnk when you wake up in the morning with some toast and jam

Indica IPA (Lost Coast Brewing)- not too big a fan of this one. lost coast is awesome, but they use unconventional hop choices for this beer- even for california style IPA. it's okay. i prefer sunny delight and this is minute maid- nothing wrong with it, just not my preference.

Green Flash Imperial IPA- one of the best double IPAs- strong APV and good flavor, pretty robust.

Deschutes Inversion IPA-good session IPA

Bison Organic IPA-decently priced session 22oz IPA

Avery IPA-awesome citrusy IPA, one of the best regular IPAs

Maharaja Imperial IPA (Avery)-super awesome, top five IPAs, good APV

Sleighor Reaper Ale Double IPA- decent daily drinker, good price for a double-4 dollars

Medocino White Hawk IPA- eh, not tasty enough....

Pyramid Thunderhead IPA-weaksauce

Widmer Borken Halo IPA-weaksauce

Red Hook Longhammer IPA-weaksauce

Snake Dog IPA (Flying Dog)-it's alright, but i wouldn't take it to the moon with me

Hop Ottin' IPA (Anderson Valley)- dog piss...it's so highly recommended, but it's not that great

Hop Devil (Victory Brewing)-good, but in a different context, it's deeper like a cognac almost....

Hop Rod Rye (Bear Republic Brewing)- it's a good companion for sandwiches

Racer 5 IPA (Bear Republic Brewing)- always a good choice, crisp hoppy flavor

Sierra Nevada IPA- more tradional, severe alcohol trace with moderate APV

Alesmith IPA-very tasty, but has an almost menthalating alcohol footprint

Big Daddy IPA (Speakeasy)- very good basic IPA, pretty complex for a small beer

Double Daddy Double IPA (Speakeasy)- builds on basic IPA and blossoms nicely in the mouth

Full Sail IPA-eh, it sucks, even for a traditonal IPA

Wipeout IPA (Port Brewing)- ports IPAs are always good, but you can only drink one 22 oz. -you want to drink multiple port beers despite this- for some reason they just are consistently drinkable brews...

Nectar Ales IPA (Humboldt)- good session IPA california/tradional hybrid

Union Jack IPA (Firestone)- fucking aweseom IPA it's my plan B, next to Stone IPA- i recommend it highly

Rubicon IPA- decent session IPA

IPA (Blue Frog Brewing), eh...jumbled flavor, tastes like soda, not very balanced...

Hoptown IPA- session IPA...pretty good

Stone Ruination- do i have to tell you?

Sierra Nevada Celebration- good seasonal, this should be their year round offering...

Steelhead Double IPA (Mad River)- good session double....if that's possible

Ballast Point IPA- fuckin awesome. 7% very citrusy but also moderately malty simultaneously without being too brash like a rye IPA...good

Lagnitas IPA-pretty good. not as consistent as i'd like, but tastes good overall...

Coastal Fog IPA- great session IPA, very close in flavor to union jack...highly recommend it.....

Meantime IPA- expensive, but it gives you an idea of the basis for our modern socal IPAs...bitter without backup flavor, but good for it's raw nature...

Moylan's Hopsickle Triple Hoppy Ale- the name says enough...it's pretty good...close to Russian River...not as complex, but full throttle...

Moylan's IPA- english style...very good if you can get your hands on it...

Lagunias Maximus- awesome 2.99 double IPA- LAGUNITAS IS CHANGING MY EXPECTATIONS

Shipyard- fuggles IPA- fuggles...are a good bittering hop, but it lacks complexity and bouquet...

Greenflash West Coast IPA- lots of sediment, but it keeps the dick hard

Butte Creek Organic IPA- don't remember too much, changed labels...

Samuel Smith IPA- weak, but tasty, not enough hop bouquet nor bitterness...session IPA..

Left Coast Hop Juice- hop infused vagina flavor- awesomely sour!

Mission Brewing IPA- benchmark quality

Stone Belgian Style IPA- i must give it time to grow on me, yeasty hoppiness....

BJs Owen's IPA-pretty tasty, i underestimated it at first, but it's good....grab a growler of one at your local BJs....

Maui Brewing Company Big Swell IPA- it was in a can and it was delicious. aftertaste of pineapple and tasty hop traces.

Anchor Brewing Liberty Ale-session IPA....easy going down but obvious foot print...rides the line between APA and IPA in a good way....

Anderson Valley 20th Anniversary Imperial IPA-maltiness clouds any hop flavor- drinkable, but too drinkable for an imperial IPA

Grand Teton Brewing Sweetgrass IPA-too sweet and malty- good session, but shouldn't be mistaken for a hoppy beer....

Santa Cruz Ale Works IPA-awesome find- 2.99........close to Stone IPA in Bouquet and flavor....awesome

Brasseirie D'Achouffe Double Belgian IPA Trippel- yeasty flavor overiddes hoppiness...but delicous . just the same...

Port Brewing- 2nd Anniversary Ale- awesome...the best eight bucks you can spend on a bomber of tasty, complex hop juice...get it- it's rare around here and obviously a seasonal...

Drakes IPA- awesome...i can see how it won at the gabf

Victory Hop Wallop- good sweet, hoppy seasonal, very effervescent

Urthel Hop IT- it was good, better than other beligan IPAs. heres the twist. it's a dutch beer in the belgian style that tries to copy IPAs, but it's good.

Bear Republic Racer 'X'- never seen this before, hasn't been bottles in five years, but is occasionally available for draft. not my favorite- racer 5 is better

Avery/Russian River Collaboration, not litigation IPA- kinda good, not what i expected from these two breweries. maybe their brewing styles were working against each other instead of being complementary

Coronado Brewing Islander IPA- pretty decent drinker...top ten easy...

Coronado Hoppy Beer Belgian IPA- the best Belgian IPA i've had...

Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing IPA- not good. organics almost never have enough hops

He'brew Lenny's RIPA- double IPA with too much rye malt to be able to define itself as bittersweet or an IPA. not good. too thick

Stone 11th Anniversary Ale- the best RYE IPA....hops shine straight through with malty accents- the way it should be

Piraat Ale- it's a good trippel, but i don't taste enough hops, maybe it's the variety, but it oculd just be that danm belgian yeast

Dogfishhead 90 mintue IPA- very smooth and refined, deep like brandy, but hoppy. this is a beer i would move to the east coast for

Full Sail Prodigal Sun IPA- i never cared much for this brewery, but this was in fact a decent offereing. the only thing i would change would be the crappy finish, but it's a decent drinker other than that.

Russian River IPA- very drinkable, just the right amount of citrus flavor and balanced with hops.

Oskar Blues Gordon- really good, but uber expensive. it's a hybrid of an amber an a double IPA....it's very malty and sweet, it's similar to a rye IPA but better

21st amendment brewery Brew Free or Die IPA- very well balanced, but still has hopped up edge. six pack of cans is 9 bucks- a steal compared to Maui breiwing big swell and oskar blues gordon

Belhaven Twisted Thistle IPA- classic english beer. like a bitter but without the creaminess malt flavor...good show....

Left Coast Brewing Torrey Pines IPA- delicious pine laced citrusy IPA with good hop balance and clean finish

Hitachino Classic Ale- creamy session IPA in a good japanese way- domo arogatu!!!

Pliny the Elder double IPA by Russian River- delicious double IPA- quite possibly the best, so hoppy yet balanced, perfect hop choices and crisp aftertaste

Stone 10th Anniversary IPA- deliciously thick and complex with caramel, toffee and rye accents...too much almost

Hair of the Dog Blue Dot Double IPA- tastes like a san diego ipa, gloriously hopped up and full of IBUs, but tasty

St Peter's IPA- skunked, but still tasted smooth and mildly bitter, but not creamy like an esb

Burton India Empire Ale- this is where it all started- delicious lightly hopped pale, but with rocky taste (just like it's brother BASS)

Craftsman IPA- too creamy, but a good session

Craftsman Point 5 IPA- better, with more citrus peel accents

Big Sky IPA- delicious roasty malt flavors with awesome piercing bitterness shining through

Alaskan IPA- very bubbly, and soap sudsy type of head...but lacking in bitterness and complexity

Odell Brewing IPA- delicious tart bit right at the end...nice creamy head- decent balance with good bittering hop choice

Boulevard Double Wide IPA- great, no citrus here, more acidity but from an apple perspective- delightful

Alesmith Yulesmith- Christmas came early this year and it was delicious

Coronado Idiot IPA- signature coronado flavor...great

Port Brewing High Tide IPA (fresh hops)- warrior hops dominate this beer, but it is not super aromatic, but if you take a deep breath in while you sip the beer becomes so incredibly floral with tight accents of pine- goof fuckin' seasonal again PORT!!!

Lagunitas Sonoma Hop Stoopid- I don't think this beer has a lot of hops, but it rings in at 8.2% alcohol. It has a great balance of hops to malt and is hoppy in a very 'clean' sense. Tons of blackberry (believe it or not) with some citrus and light on the pine, but sharp on the malt tang. Good Show!!!!

Beer Valley Leafer Madness Double IPA- tastes too familiar to command such a high price- session double IPA

Moylan's Moylander Double IPA- pretty harsh, but good- very hoppy and effervescent

McEwan's IPA- Scottish style IPA- confusing at best- peat moss smoky, with little hop bite. Not sure what to think about this one

Deschutes Hop Trip Fresh Hop Ale- strange mossy flavor, not very citrusy or acidic....as with most wet hop beers...very interesting brew.

Karl Straus Stargazer IPA- pretty decent session IPA, not too hoppy though, but decent enough

Russian River Blind Pig- do i have to tell you how great and smooth yet hoppy this beer is?

Flying Dog Double Dog Pale Ale- very good, a little too malty, but balanced

Port Brewing IPA- basic IPA but surprisingly creamy AND hoppy in a way only Port can be.

Stone 7th Anniversary IPA- mildly beautiful IPA, almost of Russian River smoothness...very surprising beer, almost too subtle to be Stone

Marin Brewing White Knuckle Double IPA- really solid malt bas to it, with a nice stinging op bitterness...

Bad Elf IPA- not good...

Rogue Yellow Snow IPA- very conservative IPA- but good just the same

Stone Sublimely Self Righteous Ale- Black IPA, awesome hop/malt balance....drinks like levitation but hoppier.

DogfishHead 120 minute IPA- do I really have to tell you? Surprisingly sweet, hop monster that drinks like a single malt whiskey/bourbon.

Mikkeler Stateside IPA- Scandanavian meets West Coast- efficient, modest IPA.

Southern Tier Imperial IPA- reminds me of Moylands- and that's a good thing

DogfishHead 60 minute IPA- duh!!!

Ballast Point Sculpin Limited release- awesome fruitness, but less citrus and more hard fruit- arpicot, but also nectarine like acidity- just the right amount of hops. Drinks like an herbal tea.

Hangar 24 IPA- very different IPA, kinda inky and citrusy acidic, very good, but not bold...decent drinker

Sierra Nevada Torpego Extra IPA- finally, an IPA from sierra nevada that tastes good...i recommend drinking it closer to room temperature...

Rogue XS Imperial IPA- i was very impressed with this crisp and bitter IPA, yellow snow didn't really do it for me, but this beer made up for it, quite nicely.

Bell's Hopslam- very sweet IPA, nice session, but not all that great for severe hop heads.

Three Floyds Dreadnaught IPA- this beer is best after it's warmed up a little and had a decent amount of orange zest. delicious.

Eel River IPA (organic)- sucks, pisswater flowing downstream.

Marin brewing IPA- not too bad, i underestimated marin brewing, but this has a green apple acidity to it. good job

Pike Brewing IPA- subtle session IPA...wouldn't care if i ever saw it again...

Avery Ale to the Chief- Avery put half New World IPA and half Maharaja in a bottle.

Karl Strauss Tower 10 IPA- way better than stargazer IPA. Very floral, but minimal bitterness...nice introductory IPA...and decent session beer.

BrewDog Hardcore IPA- best Scottish IPA. super subtle and floral with lemony zest.

Big Bear Mountain Brewing IPA- orange spiked IPA about 45 IBUs, but nicely crisp

Roots Organic Woody IPA- horrible syrupy malt flavor. didn't come close to being nice.

Lagunitas Underciver Investigation Shut down ale- I think this was supposed to be a "mild," but it is a damn fine double IPA at about 72-75 IBUs...awesome beer...

Lagunitas Kill Ugly Radio- lagunitas is easily the best consistent IPA maker on this coast.

Bootlegger's Rustic Rye IPA- Not a fan of Rye IPA- but this so nicely balanced with crisp bitterness...almost an impossible job. good beer

Alesmith Yulesmith (summer edition)- always a great ester filled hop bomb.

Lagunitas We're only in it for the money- each IPA lagunitas makes is slightly different yet always consistent in good taste.

Sam Adams Double IPA- homebrew contest winner that is chucked full of syrupy hop oiliness that is delightful

San Diego Hopnotic- hoppy, nicely bodied, citrus foamy hop bomb.

Port Brewing Trigger Hoppy- The best belgian style IPA.

Port Brewing Third Anniversary- 2nd anniversary was good. this one was smoother in texture and moderately thick.

Alpine Hoptical Illusion- weak session IPA- I thought Alpine would have something spectacular.but this isn't it.

Deschutes Red Chair IPA- sweet session. great bouquet and easy drinking.

Lagunitas Correction Ale 2009- beautiful mildy crisp ale.

ABita Jockamo IPA- horrible

Dogfishead Apri-hop- not big on fruit beers, but apricots and IPA go incredibly well together.

Ballast Point Dorado double IPA- tinges of rye hide in a hooped up brew that is incredibly sturdy and consistent throughout.

Allagash Hugh Malone- the best belgian style IPA- retains crispness without excessive sweetness, and a touch of bitterness. well played.

Deschutes Mirror Mirror- triple IPA/ Barleywine- based on the famous mirror pond pale that i love so much-brandy alcohol and earthy bitterness.

Mendocino Blue Heron- similar to an english bitter....but closer to a mild...

2 comments:

K said...

I found Union Jack kinda disappointing, it seemed almost malty, which is a bit odd for an IPA. Maybe I'm missin' something here.

As for the rest, yow -- I thought I'd sampled quite a few IPAs, but I clearly have some serious drinking to do!

tibbi said...

union jack is malty, but when considering original english IPAs, being malty is not out of line.

what makes a good IPA is hoppiness and bitterness, but decent malt balance is nice once in a while. there are so many varieties of malts and hops and not all combinations work. i think union jack is the best beer firestone makes.

and remember

IPAs
English IPAs
American IPAs
West Coast IPAs
Rye IPAs
Black IPAs


---these are all different, but one thing remains the same- emphasis or bitterness!!!

K- you and Meg should come to Stone Brewing with us and get your IPA wings....