"Built to Last" IPAs

Dogfish is the best off the top of my head, and I'd throw in their 75 minute too, in addition to what others have said.

I also have to agree with the Sierra Nevada comments as I purchased a 4 Way IPA pack in July with bottled on dates from January, and I was surprised how well it held up overall. The worst of the pack was definitely Torpedo, so I wouldn't go saying it holds up too well.

 

All I know about this is that there's a malt-wench spooning the hop-demon in charge of that brew in their wicked bed of booziness - and there are threads about cellaring that beer...

 

One more vote for Celebration. That is the only American style IPA that I can think of at the moment that I am not too concerned about age.

Cheers!

 

Cans of Bissell Brothers the Substance has aged well in my fridge. Still tastes great after nearly 5 months, but down to the last of it now.

 

1) "Older" recipes that used more bittering hops tend to hold up well. Today's IPAs that have a lot of hops added late to the boil/are heavily dry hopped tend to fall off a cliff very quickly. This is the reason you'll see older IPAs (i.e. Hop Wallop, Celebration) mentioned in this thread.

2) Refrigeration is huge. I'll try to pull up the thread in which the Sixpoint rep mentions their extensive experimentation with aging. He explains why they now have a year-long "best by" date on all of their cans. After a week, age doesn't matter as long as the beer is KEPT refrigerated. Hops hold up well in the fridge.

3) Canning. Sixpoint is a prime example, but you've seen Heady Topper, Torpedo...etc. mentioned in this thread as well. Cans tend to have a tighter seal than a cap, less oxidation over time. Combine this with refrigeration, and your beer is going to hold on to its flavor FAR longer than that bottle sitting on the room temp shelf for three months.

4) I'll say this once again, MOST beer styles should be consumed fresh. More to the point of this thread, any hop forward style should be consumed as fresh as possible for it to truly shine. This goes for American IPAs, English IPAs, pale ales, German pilsners....anything that leans towards being hoppier. Even something like Boston Lager should ideally be consumed within a few weeks of bottling if possible (it's difficult). Just because Boston Lager isn't a double IPA, doesn't mean the hops fading in that beer hurt it any less than Sculpin. A heavy dose of sweet caramel and American 2-row is not what you want in that beer, it's definitely a hoppier beer, and the Noble hops in that lager should be in their prime to compliment the malts.

 

Numbers 2 and 3 are what I was waiting for the whole thread. It's all about how the beer is kept. If it's not kept cold, all IPAs fall of quickly, but if it is always refrigerated most will hold up ok.

 

Thank you, A buddy gave me some FFF's Alpha King (I know APA, but gets a lot of IPA/DIPA cred) & I told him I thought it had too many barley wine characteristics for my liking, he told me I was a nut w/ no palate, haha. I'll have to hunt down a fresh batch & try again. BTW: I did forward him your comments to back up my take on the beer.

 

Been said many times above me, but I'm drinking a 3 month old Two Hearted from the can and it's held up well.

 

Add another for Two Hearted. Drank a 3 month old bottle a week or two ago and it still tasted great.

 

Abrasive. I've had nine month+ Abrasive many times and it tastes almost the same as fresh. Holds up better than any IPA I've ever had.

 

Interesting article on this topic involving a Firestone Walker tasting/education course.

http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2014/06/beer-is-the-new-milk-drink-it-fast.html

Biggest takeaway: 1-month refrigerated and 4-month refrigrated Union Jack tasted very similar. 1-month refrigerated vs. 1-month non-refrigerated showed noticeable differences. So, according to them (and all else being equal, e.g., low light exposure, etc.), refrigeration matters more than freshness.

That said, I just don't find it feasible to buy refrigerated-only. A lot of places have limited refrigerated space. And if you're trying to mix a six pack, it's even harder. And this assumes, by the way, that the beer in the cooler went straight to the cooler and didn't sit in storage area of the store for some time.

Refrigerated is ideal but not often practical.

 

"And this assumes, by the way, that the beer in the cooler went straight to the cooler and didn't sit in storage area of the store for some time." That is a HUGE assumption!

If I had a dollar everytime some BA posted something like: I know the IPA was OK because I bought it from the cooler of my beer store. There is absolutely no way of knowing how long that beer was kept refrigerated vs. non-refrigerated. Needless to say that purchasing an IPA that was bottled (or canned) just 1-2 weeks ago minimizes that risk but if you find an IPA in a refrigerator with 2-3 months of age on it, it is a BIG assumption to think that beer was continuously refrigerated for that 2-3 month time period.

Cheers!

 

I believe this is what you're looking for.

 

Kern River Citra.

I have held on to these for a few months and as long as they are refrigerated they taste amazing!! I had a taster from a year old bottle and it was also excellent!!

 

the is no acknowledgment sarcasm in your post

 

Thanks!

Everyone, read the link posted above by @Heretic42. It explains much of what is going on with IPAs (and other styles) and freshness.

Cheers!

 

Just bought a 7 month old pack of Abrasive. It was excellent.

 

Opened this thread expecting a Grateful Dead inspired IPA. I am dissapoint.

 

I buy and drink IPA's..typically they don't get better or even hold up as they get older.