IPA - A Test of Will

A couple weeks ago I was visiting a friend who, of course being the great host he is, offered me a beer. He listed off a few of what he had on hand and included in that is what he simply referred to as Stone Pale Ale. Now, I’ve had Stone’s Pale Ale a few times before and really liked it. However, what he ended up handing me was Stone’s Ruination IPA. Not typically liking IPAs, I still said what the heck and cracked open the bottle. I really should’ve read the fun beer description they have for it beforehand so I knew what I was really getting myself into. All I could think was, wow, so this is what it’d be like to chew on a mouthful of hops.

I’m all about experimenting with beer and trying new things and challenging myself to find the positive elements in things I don’t like. A lot of domestic craft brewers have been experimenting with this type of beer and obviously there is a market for it, so what is it I have been missing out on? In the spirit of this IPA revolution and with this recent experience, I decided to sit down and do a mini tasting of various strength IPAs. Known for their hoppy bitterness, I figured this would challenge my balanced beer loving nature.

I figured I'd get a range of IPAs which represent the best of the bunch and from brewers that I know. First off, I selected Sam Adams' Latitude 48 IPA to try out primarily and since I figured this would be the most tame out of the bunch, which it does come in at around 50 IBUs from what I could research. Next up I picked a local Hangar 24 Columbus IPA, which comes in at 77 IBUs. Stepping up a bit I went for Dogfish Head's 90 Minute Imperial IPA, supposedly one of the best beers around and coming in at 90 IBUs. Lastly, I picked up Green Flash's Imperial IPA, which comes in at a whopping 101 IBUs. Let's get it on!


The Lineup (and yes, it was before noon as the clock reads, but I had already done my chores for the day, so I earned it)

The Sam Adams poured a much more red color than the standard IPA copper. It had a nice fizzy carbonation with a floraly, piney bitterness up front with a slight caramel sweetness that finishes smooth. Overall, not bad, but it seems like it holds its punches a bit with a fairly mild flavor.

Hangar 24's entry had a nice hazy copper color to it with a nice sweet aroma with a floral hoppiness. The flavor was fairly one note with a citrusy, grassy bitterness throughout with a slight malty background. I've got to be proud of my local contender for putting it out there, since I'd definitely rank this one above Sammy.

I had read a lot of good things about Dogfish Head's 90 Minute IPA, so my expectations were fairly high coming into this. Oh man, this did not disappoint. It pours a nearly pristinely clear copper and had a nice sweet aroma with slight floral notes of hops and a bit of yeast. The taste is extremely well balanced for what is considered an Imperial IPA, with just a quick hit of bitterness up front and mellowing into a caramely, malty sweet finish.

Last up the Green Flash I had also read a few things about since it seems to be in every recent popular brew pub in LA. This one did disappoint quite a bit with its overwhelming bitter salad greens taste. I applaud the effort considering the IBU rating, but this one just doesn't seem to fit into the everyday world of beer, at least from my vantage point. I could possibly see it standing up to a super spicy, smokey bbq, but other than that, this beer is just over the top for me.

In the end, I did find a nice IPA in Dogfish Head's 90 Minute that I'd easily choose when at a bar or restaurant, but it's going to be difficult for me to meander down the IPA path again with any other newcomer.