To hell with it...I like ALL IPAs!

QFT

 

The nerve! lol

 

Totally agree. It was Old Nation's M-43 that first opened my eyes to hops...I'd never appreciated them before then.

 

It has been a loooooong time since I have seen a fresh Stone IPA; maybe 4-5 years ago?

Cheers!

 

I can't say that I am in the same boat. Maybe it's fair to say that if I thought about it I probably like at least one beer within all of the IPA sub-styles but in general I don't enjoy some of the Old-School East/Mid/West Coast IPAs as much anymore. In fact the other day I had a very fresh Two Hearted and it was just...kind of lacking. And it has nothing to do with drinking too many bigger beers because when I drink an SN Summerfest I do not have the same experience. Palate shift, burning myself out over the years, who knows. And maybe it has something to do with not liking IPAs when I first started getting into craft and then over the years drinking so many that I acquired a taste for them and craved them and now shifting back more towards where I began. But I don't have this same reaction with a beer like Little Sumpin' Hazy and I have enjoyed revisiting that one a lot. Maybe it's the higher bitterness in the OS IPAs I am tired of? Yeah, that's probably the ticket here (although truth be told an onion/garlic bomb NS IPA doesn't do much for me either).

IPA is a cool style because there is so much diversity within it and nowadays there is definitely something for everyone.

 

Whole Foods and Wegmans have them semi-regularly, especially in the 19.2 oz cans if you're interested in revisiting. You can also find some fresh six packs and single bottles too.

 

OP, what do you think about the original IPAs, as in, older British style? Biscuity and well hops but without the fruit or the pine. Can’t see having this conversation without mention of them. No requirement to like, of course.

Add: Also no requirement even to be familiar with! No judgment, only curiosity.

 

Thanks for that tip. I will be grocery shopping at my local Wegman's in a few days. I will let you know what I find.

Cheers!

 

Stone IPA is one of my true go-to, daily-drinker beers. But I agree - the worst part about it is simply finding fresh sixers of it at the store.

I found six-packs bottled 4/09/2020 a week or so ago and loaded up.

More to OP’s topic: all IPAs are great, but West Coasts are the best coasts.

 

I caught some a few months ago at 2 months old, a rare find and although not super fresh it was still superb. It’s on tap at a few places regularly as well. This is the style of IPA that I really love.

As a side note Red Oak is now canning their beers, saw the sign driving past the brewery. Keeping up with Old Meck.

 

They are like the mythical unicorn

 

Dale, I can't remember the last time I have seen Stone IPA on tap. Over the past few years the tap handles for IPAs have been skewed to Juicy/Hazy IPAs. I suppose Stone IPA is considering very old school now?

The last time I had Stone IPA in my hand was a 12-pack at my local Retail Beer Distributor. According to the Stone website this beer should be consumed less than 90 days (3 months) from packaging. That 12-pack was well over 4 months old and it was sitting right next to Stone Enjoy By IPA beers that were past their dates. I went to the Stone website and reported the old Stone Enjoy By IPA dates. I checked about a week later and the Stone Sales Rep removed the old Enjoy By IPA beers but those Stone IPAs which were 4+ months old were still sitting there on the shelves. I guess the Stone Sales Rep was too busy to check their other products on the shelf!?!

Cheers!

 

Barley Wine IPA? Woah!

 

Not that I've seen that word combination on a label, but I was having fun with the old but often quoted idea that American barley wines are essentially American IPAs on an extreme end of the spectrum... coupled with commercial examples that actually illustrate this - like Avery Hog Heaven, which used to be labeled as a barley wine but was switched to "imperial red IPA."

 

Definitely looking forward to this thread turning into a NEIPA hate thread, as is BA tradition.

I agree with the OP btw. I go through fazes where I prefer one style over the other, but ultimately a well made IPA is a well made IPA.

 

Sour IPA's, Nope. Brut nope also.

 

To add: I've also heard brewers state that big beers that they've labeled as IPAs were basically barley wines in their mind, but called them IPAs due to market forces.

 

Waldos Ale fits that bill for me.