I'm in a rut with IPA's

Those are all good, but does Atlanta get west coast stuff like Stone? Two Hearted blew me away when I first got into craft, but Stone Ruination took it to another level.

 

Here are some of my favorite IPAs and DIPAs, just to add to the list. This is roughly in order of my preference (based on my reviews), but probably won't be the same for you. I'd gladly drink any of these any day. If these and the above don't get your brother out of his rut, I don't know what will. Oh, and you'll have to trade for most of these.

Russian River Brewing Company Pliny the Elder
Kern River Brewing Company Citra
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company Estate Homegrown Wet Hop Ale
Russian River Brewing Company Blind Pig
Driftwood Brewery Fat Tug IPA
Russian River Brewing Company Pliny The Younger
The Alchemist Pub & Brewery Heady Topper
Lagunitas Brewing Company Lagunitas Sucks Holiday Ale
Alpine Beer Company Nelson
Fremont Brewing Company Cowiche Canyon Organic Fresh Hop Ale
Ballast Point Brewing Company Sculpin
Pelican Pub & Brewery India Pelican Ale
Firestone Walker Brewing Company Double Jack
Central City Brewing Red Racer
AleSmith Brewing Company YuleSmith (Summer)
Lagunitas Brewing Company Hop Stoopid
Hopworks Urban Brewery Hopworks IPA
Bear Republic Brewing Company Racer 5
Fremont Brewing Company Cowiche Canyon Organic Hop Lab #1
Alpine Beer Company Pure Hoppiness
Surly Brewing Company Furious
Alpine Beer Company Exponential Hoppiness
Stone Brewing Company Ruination
AleSmith Brewing Company AleSmith IPA
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery Burton Baton
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company Celebration Ale
Ithaca Beer Company Flower Power
Avery Brewing Company duganA
Avery Brewing Company Maharaja (Batch 14)
Surly Brewing Company Abrasive
Hair of the Dog Brewing Company Blue Dot
Bell's Brewery Two Hearted Ale
Stone Brewing Company Stone IPA
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company Northern Hemisphere Harvest Wet Hop Ale
Kern River Brewing Company Just Outstanding

 

I was gonne say, that is one rut that I would love to be in the middle of.

 

for god sake, your brother needs to grow a pair and learn to make a decision for himself

 

If you're looking for an IPA that is delicious and different...Left Hand 400 Pound Monkey.

 

Using seekabrew it looks like he gets plenty of stuff in his state. Have him look for Smuttynose Finest Kind to start, but really, does he not like Sierra Nevada Torpedo or Stone IPA? He should be able to get those at any grocery store.

 

I suggest he goes to the store and buys an IPA that isn't Sweetwater, Centennial, two hearted, or ranger.

 

Atlanta's an interesting place for distribution. We get tons of good beers, but we rarely get the "best of the best" for the popular styles. For instance, of the top 30 IPAs according to BA, we get exactly two of them -- Bell's Two Hearted and Stone IPA.

 

Damn you, double damn you! I love Alpine beers and I can't get any of them. I think I want to marry Duet it's so good.

 

If he could Uinta Hop Notch, Ithica Flower Power, or Union Jack that get him out of his funk.

 

Something other than an IPA.

 

Start trying other styles of beers, dammitt

 

I've got some 15 year old cans of Natty Ice in the spare fridge. They'll make him appreciate the IPAs.

 

I picked up some Hop Notch for the first time last night. Ended up drinking 3 of them, I was very impressed. The others you make mention of two of my all time favorites, as well.

 

Completely agree. You can't drink your way out of an IPA rut with more IPAs.

Drink some Hefe's, pilsners, saisons, sours, or darker beers for a couple weeks. When you come back to the IPAs after that, you'll have a much better appreciation for them.

 

I can't believe this wasn't posted yet, but read it in full, as it is the Trading Bible around here...

http://alewatcher.blogspot.com/2010/11/new-trader-tips.html

 

On the list of forums here on Beeradvocate there is one called "Trading." In that section you will find a topic called "ISO:FT" that means "In search of: for trade." Basically, members go in there and say something like "ISO: Heady Topper, FT: PTE." That means "I am searching for Heady Topper and am willing to trade Pliny the Elder for it." Members will then beermail that person with offers. They will exchange mailing addresses, buy a lot of bubble wrap and packing peanuts, pack up their brews and ship them to one another using UPS or Fedex (but don't tell UPS or Fedex what's really in your box when you go to ship, as shipping beer is illegal. Tell them it's something else). A few days later you each get your package and are trying you new beers that your normally couldn't get.

Biggest pro of trading:
You can get beers from all over the world that don't distribute to your area.

Biggest con of trading:
Cost of shipping is not cheap. Liquids are heavy, glass is heavy, liquids in glass are very heavy. Shipping 2 bombers runs me $15.

It's a hobby and like any other hobby there's going to be costs that come with terrirtory.

 

“I think I want to marry Duet it's so good.”

Keith, I just recently (one week ago) tried Alpine Duet and it is indeed a tasty beer! I am not personally a beer trader but Matt Capone was kind enough to get me a bottle of Duet.

I homebrewed a clone of Duet last fall; a split of Simcoe and Amarillo hops. My homebrewed batch tasted very, very similar to Duet (if my beer memory is serving me properly).

Maybe it is time for you to take the homebrewing ‘plunge’!?!

Cheers!

 

Sweetwater IPA is so much better than I expected. Granted I had it at the brewpub at the ATL airport, but still. Great Lakes Commodore Perry is also fantastic.