Best available hoppy session ale?

I haven't been able to try the Stone or Lagunitas offerings yet, but All Day and Easy Jack are both fantastic beers, in my opinion. Session IPA's taste a little watery to me too, if I've been drinking heavier stuff, but I stop noticing it very quickly. And, being able to enjoy good hops without getting buzzed is just awesome!
Is Day Time bottled? Lagunitas is everywhere around here, but I've never seen that one and would like to try it.

 

take your favorite ipa or double ipa and drink equal amount water to beer boom instant session.

but although not widely distributed (yet) pizza port ponto wins next easy jack.

 

Stone: Go To. What can I say, I love the aroma.

 

Carton Boat Beer is well worth seeking out. Boat Beer is not like a "session ipa" because it is brewed with Kolsch yeast. It's not a Kolsch and Carton does not call it one (good for them). It is an excellent summer beer, far better than any IPA light.

 

A Kolsch yeast strain is an ale yeast strain that is neutral in character (i.e., does not produce a lot of esters). I have homebrewed with Kolsch yeast (to make Kolsch beers) but that strain is not too dissimilar from the California Ale yeast strain (WY1056/WLP001/US-05) which is commonly used to produces APA and IPA beers. So, I personally would not state that a Session IPA could not be brewed with a Kolsch yeast strain; in fact I would suggest that a Kolsch yeast strain would make a dandy Session IPA/APA/IPA.

Below is the description that Carton provides for Boat Beer on their website. From my perspective “An IPA for everyday drinking” equates to Session IPA.

I hope to find Carton Boat Beer on draft someday at one of my local beer bars.

Cheers!



“Boat Beer

Session Ale

ABV: 4.2% | IBU: 35 | SRM: 3.5

Boat Beer is designed to be complex enough to merit drinking a few without being crippled by alcohol. Kolsch yeast and German malts are combined to be crisp and refreshing, while a generous amount of American hops have been added to keep it remarkable. Expect it to dance out of the glass with a whack of grapefruit and open into a crisp, stony tangle of white and yellow fruit with pine and moss notes. An IPA for everyday drinking, drink boat beer when you are thirsty from softball, fishing, or explaining why your team is best.”

 

My favorite is Stone Levitation, but I really enjoy Founders All Day (and it's price ), too. Haven't tried Easy Jack or Go-To yet. I have tried Odell Loose Leaf and enjoyed it, too, I just really like the hop profiles of Levitation and All Day. Boulevard's Pop Up was all right, I enjoyed it more than their single-wide.

 

All Day for me. Go To is my true favorite, but the 15 pack of All Day cans for 16 bucks overrides the taste factor of Go To for me anyway. They're both great. I switch between them and Day Time pretty frequently.

I've been wanting to try Boulevard Pop-up Session IPA but I can't find it ANYWHERE. It's weird because Boulevard's all over Iowa. I could get Rye on Rye and Chocolate Ale no problem, but a 6 pack session IPA is seemingly impossible to find.

 

Carton Boat Beer.

 

Legit, this is NJ 's ace in the sleeve. One day, words going to get out.

 

Ithaca flower power

 

I'll hop on the carton Boat as a fellow Jerseyite - it really is damn good. First time I had it (on draft), I couldn't stop ordering it, which I think sort of defines the sort of experience you would like to have with one of these beers. Jack's Abby also makes Jabby Brau, a great session lager that has a hoppy and grapey flavor without the extreme bitterness. Now I'll get back to ignoring the guidelines of your question. (Oh its Founders All-Day for me, although I'd rather just by the 12er of Centennial Cans and as they say git er' done)

 

Maybe that day is today!?!

Cheers!

 

Rising Tide Maine Island Trail Ale is solid. Awesome citrus and medium Hoppy bitterness

 

Boat all day!

 

I had go to yesterday and it tasted watered down and I mostly tasted bittering hops but without hop flavors. I like All day IPA.

 

I like Daytime the most as far as widespread availability goes. in NJ, Boat Beer for sure. if that's not available, Flying Dog Easy IPA is also good.

 

I wrote that 3 years ago when we were opening up and a million things were going on. The idea of session IPA wasn't really being discussed, so I was trying to convey what was a new idea at least as far as my experience went. Had it been I’d have probably called Boat a "Session IPA" but at this point I’m glad I only went that far. These days I describe Boat as a "session beer for double IPA drinkers."

I know the whole "session IPA" thing is hotly debated here and I get what everyone has to say so I stay out of it but in my head there are 2 kinds of super hoppy session beers. Boat and Go To types are way hopped all the way through and play bitter with leaner yellower malt bills and are for double drinkers looking to get at it. All Day and Daytime types are more small amber-er IPAs for people that love regular American IPAs with a ton of dry hopping and want a 5th and 6th beer in a row. Since no one agrees there is a style "session IPA" I would never suggest 2 but when I am drinking them that's how I frame them in my head.

 

the real benefit to Kolsch yeast in Boat is what's left behind (we leave plenty of dead yeast in) is a little bitter, which i feel lends a different bitterness to give the hop bitterness some depth, which matters when you don't have the mouth feel of higher abv to lean against.

 

Augie,

Have you considered contacting the Brewers Association to add Session IPA to the Brewers Association Beer Style Guidelines?

Cheers!

Jack