Tag Archives: American IPA

Avery duganA Double IPA

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avery-duganA

duganA is an American Double (or Imperial) IPA released annually in September by the Avery Brewing Company of Boulder, Colorado. It’s in the more traditional style of American IPAs without the heavy pine of the west-coast IPAs. The nose is super citrusy, with lots of grapefruit and lemon. The middle has some lemon rind, some spiciness, and is quite buttery, which lends well to Avery’s food pairing suggestion, which is to match this ale with creamy, cheesy dishes. The finish has a bit of vanilla, more butter, and is quite dry. The body is medium to heavy and the ABV is a reasonable 8.5%. This is a good effort by Avery and overall it’s quite decent, but there’s too much butter in here for me.

I give it a 3.5 out of 5.

Green Flash Green Bullet

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If I’ve been noticeably absent this past couple of weeks, it’s because I’ve been moving. Which is a huge pain in the rump, I might add. However, things are settling down and this is the first review from the new house, so enjoy. Green Bullet is a winter seasonal Triple IPA from Green Flash Brewing in San Diego. It’s a super hoppy IPA in the West Coast style that Green Flash does so well, with extra helpings of body and alcohol. There is pine and lemon in the nose, pine and grapefruit in the middle, and pine and just a hint of sweet orange in the finish. The 10.1% ABV and the additional dosage of hops means that this is a beer that should keep well if you want to pick up a few extra while it’s in stock (through December 2013.) This is a West Coast IPA at heart, with nothing particular unusual in the flavors, but the imperial nature really does make it a nice winter treat when a thinner beer just won’t do. It’s a nice, simple idea, well executed, and a fine treat.

I give it a 4.6 out of 5.

New Belgium Ranger IPA

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Ranger IPA is New Belgium Brewing’s year-round IPA offering. It’s a fairly classic interpretation of the American IPA, floral and hoppy. The nose is predominantly floral with a hint of lemon. The middle and finish have grapefruit notes and a slight, slight undercurrent of pine. It’s light in color, and fairly light in body, and really nice rendition of an American IPA.

I give it a 4.0 out of 5.

NoDa Hop Drop ‘n Roll

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Hop Drop ‘n Roll is an American IPA from the NoDa Brewing Company, right here in Charlotte, North Carolina. Hop Drop ‘n Roll is actually the beer that got NoDa started, way back in 2011. (I believe, anyway. I couldn’t find a definitive date.) The nose is remarkably heavy with pine. It’s strong enough to bring up scent memories of my childhood in the evergreen forests of the Pacific Northwest. The body is remarkably heavy for a non-Imperial style, and it offers massive flavor, leading with more pine and orange. As you move towards the finish, the texture changes to butter and the first sweet notes come into play with some sugary citrus. There’s a tiny hint of alcohol right at the end, which befits this 7.2% ABV brew. This is definitely a hop-forward concoction, and a masterful one at that. This is a fantastic example of an IPA.

I give it a 4.5 out of 5.

Dogfish Head 75 Minute IPA

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75 Minute IPA is an occasionally brewed mixture of Dogfish Head’s famous 60 Minute and 90 Minute IPAs, with some maple syrup thrown in for uniqueness, and bottle conditioned. The head is creamy and hangs around for quite a long time. The nose is deliciously Dogfish Head IPA, with notes of pine and orange. The middle is silky smooth on the tongue and very well balanced between a piney hop bite and the sugary sweet maple syrup. The finish is smooth and mellow, with orange the predominant flavor. This is a really outstanding beer that will likely appeal to both IPA fans, and to those who don’t appreciate the bitterness of a standard IPA. Really, really nice.

I give it a 4.7 out of 5.

Natty Greene’s Freedom American IPA

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natty-greenes-freedom-american-ipa

This would have been a great beer to review for the 4th of July, but since I’ve missed that and don’t care to wait until next year, Labor Day weekend is going to have to do. Freedom American IPA is another product from Natty Greene’s Brewing Company of Greensboro, North Carolina. I was surprised by how light it looks in the glass, and it reminds me more of an unfiltered wheat ale than an IPA. There’s no mistaking the flavors though, and there are no “special” ingredients here. Just water, barley, hops, and yeast. The nose has grapefruit, grasses, and a bit of pine. The middle is predominantly lemon, and it has a fairly heavy body. This IPA isn’t overpowered by hops, and the sugars from the malts come through in the finish, turning the citrusy hop notes to orange. This is a a really solid example of the traditional American IPA style, and I fine choice for an IPA fan.

I give it a 4.3 out of 5.

Hoppyum IPA

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hoppyum-ipa

Hoppyum is an American IPA from the Foothills Brewing Company of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It has a big, meringue like head and the nose is predominantly scents of grapefruit. There’s thick pine pitch and more grapefruit in the middle of this medium to heavy weight brew which has that body despite a relatively low alcohol content of 6.2% ABV. The middle starts bitter and fades to sweet with lots of orange and sugar, and then the finish is dry with citrus rind giving a bit of bitterness back at the end. This is a really well done American IPA, and well worth a try.

I give it a 4.5 out of 5.

Goose Island India Pale Ale

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goose-island-ipa

The Goose Island Beer Company lost their craft brewers cred when they sold out to Anheuser-Busch a few years ago, but as far as I can tell, it hasn’t affected their beer and that’s all I care about. This is a classic American IPA with hoppy, sawdust scented nose. The body is medium weight, which is a pleasant surprise for a fairly low alcohol beer (only 5.9% ABV) and the middle has a lot of sweet orange, with some bitter rind undertones. There’s some roasty malt in the finish, which is the only place you really get much bitterness, and it’s quite nice. Any feelings about the new owners aside, this is a really well done IPA, and I enjoy it immensely.

I give it a 4.3 out of 5.