Juiciest West Coast IPA?

THIS^^^ One of the keys to this style for me is not just a "fruity" or "juicy" or "citrusy" smell and taste profile, but that there is very, very low bitterness on the finish. The creamy, smooth mouthfeel and lack of syrupy maltiness is also a key. But the way, not every "NE" IPA is like this, not at all. Even Trillium's brand new Scaled Up DIPA is nearly clear, and has both a syrupy maltiness and lingering bitterness. It's excellent in its style...which is to me, decidedly west coast. It's a little like a Myrcenary from Odell.

P.S. Boo Koo IPA from Mother Earth in CA is stylistically the closest west coast IPA I've had, but while it is good, it is not great.

 

I'm stunned people are referencing the Noble Showers series, as I found the several I've had rather sharp affairs, not at all the thick, oversaturated examples from TH, Trillium, Alchemist, etc.

As for West Coast iterations, I think @ONovoMexicano is right about Project Dank -- have had some batches that are rather juicy, though always balanced with a little bit of dank, softish and not bruisingly bitter. I used juicy and dank in one description?! Reality is tearing at its seams! Crux Outcast comes to mind as well, rather melony/juicy. They're out there, to be sure, although, frankly, I find myself preferring crisp, clean West Coast IPAs (a la Blind Pig) more than the saturated fruitiness of their East Coast brethren.

BTW, I had a pint of Oakham Green Devil (on cask, naturally) @ Bow Bar in Edinburgh that was quite juicy, rich in tropical fruit and malt flavor, so it's not just the USofA that can make it happen.

Here in AZ, some breweries are experimenting with hazy(er) IPA presentations, and sometimes to good effect. Mother Road Tower Station, Wren House Cavalcade, and Fate's The New Standard IPA and Summer Session IPA (the latter of which was about as good, not to mention juicy, a session IPA as I've ever had).

Anyway, again, there are examples if you look.

 

Agree that Tower Stattion captures the juiciness too!

 

I equated juiciness with feel as in when you bite into a piece of fruit, juice is dripping down your chin.

If that's what juicy means, check out Fort George's seasonal release called Magnanimous along with the other mentions of Oregon IPAs listed before.

If it's more of a prominent flavor of fruit, Grapefruit Sculpin from Ballast Point is one that instantly comes to mind.

 

Cellermaker recently did one called Wicked Juicy that was straight up Vermont style...it was super good.
I also recently had a NE style DIPA called All Your Oats from the LA brewery Eagle Rock. Great beer.

 

Cellarmaker - Wicked Juicy



Cellarmaker - Tremont

 

Another notable mention is Simpleton from Sante Adarius Rustic Ales.

For me, Cellarmaker and SARA are making the best hoppy beers on the WC.

 

That's BEERCRAFT!!!!

 

Look into hop glycosis. I think the yeast absolutely does matter, and also the point at which dry hopping occurs.

For comparison, Russian River drops their beer completely clear before adding stages of dry hops. This produces a very raw pungent hop character, like opening a bag of fresh hops.

Talking to Tim about Simpleton, which he claims is inspired by Shawn from Hill Farmstead, he will drop out the yeast cake immediately after fermentation, and will heavily dry hop while there is still yeast in suspension. This produces a more softer and juicier hop character. Also a turbulent beer that is drank extremely fresh.

 

If you're a regular we probably know each other lol...

 

It's not packaged or distributed, but Arts District Brewing Traction IPA may be the juiciest IPA I've had since the original recipe Sculpin back before the great hop shortage.

 

How is the Tremont?

 

For whatever reason, the Noble Showers aren't quite what they used to be. When I first had Citra Showers it was completely opaque with an incredibly creamy mouthfeel. The newest batch is almost completely clear and has a bit more of a bite to it with more residual sweetness. I would still put them much closer to the East Coast style though.

 

Totally agree that the juice trend is migrating back to the motherland of Hoppy Ale. The combination of the latest citrus forward hops and transitional cask ale is a great marriage. Had this fantastic and dry/juicy IPA at the Stockbridge Tap in EDI last year.

 

Yeah, man, your description of the more recent batches is more in line w/ my experience. Just a sharper, more pungent kind of brew.

 

You are making my point for me. If I told you something tasted succulent, what would that taste like? Succulent is not a flavor. If I tell you I had a succulent peach, it still tastes like a peach. When you say a beer "tastes succulent", what is the flavor profile? If I gave you a juicy tomato, would it taste like a juicy pineapple?

 

Which is my point, and one I have made to every one I know who has used the term to describe a beer to me. When someone uses the descriptor, I always ask what they mean. No one has yet to have answer which is consistent or makes sense. The language definition of juicy is not a flavor descriptor. Why do people try and use it as such?

 

Definitions don't set themselves. They become set by a coalescing of opinion (often following an authoritative source creating the term or definition). In this case, we're not using a past definition of the word juicy, but rather a new one used in context of discussing a subcategory of IPAs as a shorthand. This shorthand has not quite permeated the same to everyone yet, which is why some people have different definitions. That is also why the OP referenced particular beers to reinforce the shorthand he was using (and that is why the result of discussions like this will further set the definition).

There are tons of examples of these kinds of terms in the food and beverage world. Wine that is flabby, beer that is chewy, beer that is clean, IPAs that are green, etc.