We absolutely love lush, New England-style Hazy IPAs, and it’s great that there are so many to choose from. But there are many other IPAs on the hop spectrum that don’t go anywhere near “New England style” or “Hazy” territory.
For those looking to mix things up and explore all the tasty corners of the India Pale Ale, here are 9 beers representing other IPA styles that make our mouths water:
1. Resident Culture x 3 Sons Brewing – West Coast Connect – Imperial West Coast IPA
This IPA is the result of a collab between rising Southeast powerhouses, Resident Culture and 3 Sons, which is exciting by itself. But, the real reason we love kicking back with this West Coast quencher is that it’s an homage to the original hop-fueled IPAs that kicked off the craft movement back in the 90s. The brewers packed it with Centennial, Strata, Vic Secret, and extra-potent Simcoe Cryo Hops, making for notes of fresh-sliced citrus, and waves of coniferous resin. It finishes dry, with resonating hop bitterness that separates the true hopheads from the tourists.
2. Commonwealth Brewing Co. – Marmalada – Sour IPA
Marmalada may look like a Hazy NEIPA at a glance. However, one sip reveals its gently puckering Sour character that mingles beautifully with the hops’ fruit flavors. Commonwealth Brewing juiced this brew up with a whole gamut of real fruit too — calamansi, kumquat, and orange — plus a stroke of creamy lactose to keep it complex yet very drinkable.
3. Lumberbeard Brewing Co. - Smashy Trails – West Coast IPA
As Lumberbeard head brewer and founder Bret Gordon told us, this West Coast-style IPA is “super clean, but gives you this really amazing lemongrass note.” That’s because he used a locally-grown Northwest barley in addition to a heap of Mosaic Hops to brew it. The brew’s color is bright and sunny as its pithy citrus notes, but make no mistake, there’s bountiful pine on the finish to remind that this is very much a West Coast IPA.
4. Ology Brewing Co. – Resolved Enigma – West Coast IPA
For this unique West Coast-style hopbomb, Ology took out the combination of base malts usually seen in the style and went all-in on Pilsner Malts only. Then, they “massively hopped” the brew with Citra, Mosaic, and Simcoe. The result is a beautifully clean-drinking IPA with a crisp body that allows the citrusy hop aromatics to be on full display. On the finish, there’s just the right amount of hop bitterness that reminds why West Coast IPAs are so crave-worthy in the first place.
5. Evil Twin Brewing – What Even is Blue Raspberry Anyway? – Sour IPA
This beer is blue! But that’s not why we love it. It’s what Evil Twin calls a “Dessert Sour IPA,” and man-oh-man is it delicious. The brew gets its color — and tangy-tart notes of lemon and candied raspberries — from doses of raspberries and butterfly pea flower. But there’s still a backing of gentle tropical fruit flavors from hops that keep the sourness surprisingly delectable rather than overwhelming. The beer’s a limited release, though it’s part of a growing stable of Sour IPAs from these New York hop masters.
6. Transient Artisan Ales – Wayward – Belgian IPA
Transient makes some seriously delicious hopbombs all across the board, but Wayward is a true standout. The brewers fermented this IPA on Brettanomyces to wrap its hop flavors in some mild funk and yeasty tang. It’s stunningly complex yet ridiculously drinkable, and it’s exactly the kind of beer that will satisfy when you’re seeking a break from more common IPA styles.
7. 2Toms Brewing Co. – Foolery – IPA-Other
Contrary to what the color may suggest, Foolery isn’t a Black IPA with toasted dark grains. Instead, it’s a shockingly clean-drinking, Citra and Strata Hop-powered IPA! 2Toms darkened this brew with a natural dye consisting of blue spirulina and grape skins. There’s no sweet maltiness that often comes with Black IPAs, leaving just fresh fruit nuances and medium hop bitterness in its wake.
8. Pipeworks Brewing Co. – Blood of the Unicorn
If you take a look at the online reviews, some call Pipeworks’ popular Blood of the Unicorn a Red Ale or Amber Ale while others insist it’s some kind of a dark IPA. But with its abundance of hoppy character and delectable malt balance, the brew is a Red IPA through and through. It toes the line between potent pine ‘n citrus bitterness and sweet dark fruit in the best possible way.
9. Burial Beer Co. – Surf Wax IPA – West Coast IPA
Surf Wax IPA has long been among Burial Beer Co.’s most popular offerings. That’s because every year, head brewer Doug Reiser travels from Asheville, North Carolina to Washington’s Yakima Valley to hand-select the hops. He purposely looks for older generation Mosaic Hops for the blueberry notes they impart, then backs them with a few other hop varieties for flavors of pine and orange zest. The result is a delectably dry West Coast IPA. And with its 90% barley base, it’s incredibly smooth and totally crushable even with the medium hop bitterness.
We get new IPAs just about every week at Tavour! Check out our app for the latest brews to satisfy your hoppy cravings.
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