unsystematic

13 Nov 2009

Top tens: India Pale Ale’s (IPA)

These are my top ten favorite IPAs.

10. Weyerbacher Double Simcoe IPA
Weyerbacher might sound foreign, but it’s brewed in the heart of Pennsylvania. And while the bottle labels and website don’t leave much to be desired as far as design goes, the beers more than make up for it, especially the Double Simcoe IPA. This beer has an incredibly strong hoppiness that is crisp and clean and almost piney. With 9% ABV this is far from a session beer, but definitely one you should put on your list to try.

9. Terrapin Rye Squared
Terrapin Brewery here in Athens, Georgia is only seven years old, but old enough to become a regional favorite. In the first year of brewing their Rye Pale Ale received the gold medal and has since become their number one seller. Every year in February Terrapin releases the Rye Squared, which is double the hops and double the malts of the Rye Pale Ale. This hard-hitting and very hoppy brew is a testament to the breweries quest for quality. At 9.5% ABV the Terrapin Rye Square is “one and done”.

8. Bell’s HopSlam
Bell’s Brewery is in Galesburg, Michigan, but I first tried it quite a ways away in Orlando, Florida. Having never heard of Bell’s Brewery I was eager to try this 10% ABV beer noted for it’s extreme hoppiness and surprisingly low taste of alcohol. The first taste of this beer takes over your mouth, bathing your entire tongue in liquid hop glory. This beer is best enjoyed slow, taking in the complex characteristics of honey (sweet) and hops (bitter).

7. Fort Collins Rocky Mountain IPA
From Colorado comes the Rocky Mountain IPA with it’s almost overpowering hoppiness. While not an exciting beer as the hops overpower the flavor by far, I included this one in my top tens simply because of the sheer amount of hoppiness, which I love.

6. Stone IPA
Stone Brewing Co. is based in Escondido, California and produces two beers that landed within my top ten. The Stone IPA has a slightly above average hoppiness with a hint of citrusy lemon. It’s light, crisp, and flavorful and has a very nice balance of sweet malts and bitter hops. It makes a good session beer.

5. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Sierra Nevada is considered one of the oldest craft breweries in America. Founded in 1980 they’ve since increased volume and are one of the few national distributers of craft beers. The Pale Ale is a classic. It’s crisp and refreshing with a clean, piney taste and not too much hoppiness. It’s great for summer days and makes a great session beer.

4. Victory HopDevil
I first heard about Victory when I moved here to Athens, Georgia. Eager to try the new plethora of beers at local bars I was in search of new beers to enjoy. The HopDevil ranks well with both flavor and hoppiness and at 6.7% ABV will let you enjoy a few of them. With spicy undertones with a somewhat sweet finish, this beer has become one of my local favorites.

3. Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA
Onto the scene again comes Sierra Nevada with their Torpedo Extra IPA and it’s bold, assertive hop character balanced with piney, crisp and refreshing flavor and medium body. While a year-round beer I sometimes have a hard time finding it on the shelves. Whether this is because it’s such a great beer and just sells out, or because it’s limited in this area I don’t know. But it’s a very welcome treat when I do find it. Excellent beer!

2. Dogfish Head 90 minute IPA
Dogfish Head is Delaware isn’t afraid to try something new, exciting, bold and sometimes dangerous. Going beyond traditional ingredients Dogfish Head includes berries, fruits, and other ingredients that bring life and a unique flavor to many of Dogfish Head’s brews. However, the one beer that tops all others for me is the 90 minute IPA. The term 90 minute refers to how long the hops are introduced into the boil, in this case for 90 minutes. The result is a bold hop character that is balanced by a sweet maltiness that’s a ltitle sweeter than other IPAs. At 9% ABV and with a full and somewhat heavy body, this heavy hitter is no session beer.

1. Stone Ruination IPA
The boys down in Escondito, California sure know how to brew. The bottle describes Ruination as “a liquid poem to the glory of the hop” and nothing could be truer. Smelling of citrusy lemons and aromatic flowers and with an incredibly balanced piney/bitter/sweet pallate, and with a bold, bitter hop character followed by a strong, sweet maltiness, this beer ranks in at my number one favorite IPA. And with only 7.7% ABV you can enjoy more than one.

Cheers!

Edit: An online friend created her very own list of top-tens. So, that’s 20 top IPAs for you to try :)