IPA help for a newbie please

From Texas, Community's Mosaic, Real Ale's Full Moon Rye and Lost Gold, Deep Ellum IPA, anything from Martin House and anything else from Lone Pint all are at least good. Mosaic is arguably the most like Yellow Rose. The stuff from Martin House and Lone Pint's other IPAs are more on the bitter side.

Also, 8th Wonder's Hopston is good and Southern Star's Conspiracy Theory is one of my favorites, especially fresh. Hopston isn't overly bitter as I recall. Conspiracy Theory has a big bite fresh, but that does tame down if you age it (a month or more might get it more to your liking).

Happy hunting!

 

Cigar City - Jai Alai, Fat Heads - Head Hunter, Vault 5C's and NoDA - Hop Drop and Roll, are excellent brews with a certain wetness that help keep the bittering lower than expected.

 

Gonna be hard to get one as good as Yellow Rose, but it you see an IPA that features Mosaic hops l would think it would be worth a shot.

It may seem like there are many beers all over the place as good as Yellow Rose from what it's possible to see and hear online about the latest and greatest new things, but there are not. If I could get it in NY I think it would be in my fridge pretty often.

 

IMO, Yellow Rose is a clearer version of some NE IPAs. Agree with @cavedave you aren't going to get much better than what is right in front of you.

 

I haven't had Yellow Rose and I don't live anywhere near TX, so I'm not going to suggest any specific beers, but from looking at some of Yellow Rose's reviews and photos, I'm pretty sure it's a "New England" style IPA, (abbreviated to NEIPA). NEIPAs are incredibly popular right now, and you can probably find more at other local breweries. They are heavily dry-hopped to get aromas and citrus/tropical fruit characters (grapefruit, pineapple, etc.) from the hops without the bitterness IPAs are traditionally known for. The NEIPA beers stand out visually, because they are unfiltered, which makes them hazy and sometimes completely opaque. So you might see brewers using descriptors like "unfiltered," "hazy," or "cloudy" to cue customers the IPA is in the "New England" style. Unfiltered beers have a much shorter shelf-life than filtered beers, so they tend to be a favored style among small brewers who make most of their sales directly to customers.

Actually, I did think of another IPA you could look for.... Stone Brewing's Enjoy By Unfiltered might be similar and it's easy to find it fresh just by looking at the label (the best-by date is written into the name).

Mind you, filtered (clear) IPAs can also be dry-hopped for sweet and citrusy flavors and low bitterness, but the unfiltered versions have become the poster-child for these characteristics.

 

Don't know if you get Founders in Texas but they make a good mild IPA using mosaic hops called Mosaic Promise and it's only like $10/six. Although from the write up on BA for Yellow Rose, it's got a large amount of malt which you won't find in Mosaic Promise. You might be best to try to track down a NE IPA (NE = New England or North East) as suggested above.

 

Are you looking for a similar flavor, or is it just the balance of the beer? If it's the latter then see if you can get some Bell's Two Hearted, a classic for just that reason.

I'll also echo @cavedave , that Yellow Rose is pretty special . It's fun to try new things ,but don't take that one for granted either. It's not a NEIPA, btw, but you may enjoy those too.

 

Besides the low bitterness, what was it that attracted you to this beer?

 

Ever since Stone changed the Ruination formula, most IPA's these days seem to shy away from being "super bitter."

NEIPA's or those made in that style are what you are probably looking for. Sierra Nevada's "Hazy Little Thing" is another option that you might be able to find in Texas. If you can find it fresh (less than 2-3 months old), give it a try.

 

It's called a NEIPA.....

 

Hops and Grain - A Pale Mosaic is pretty darn similar.
I found Cigar City - Guayebera to be similar. Citra hops as opposed to Mosaic, but that same very fruity, less bitter type of beer.

 

Another option is to look at the new wave of mass produced NE style IPAs. Most of these are generally on the low bitterness style. Here are some beers that I think are low in the bitterness area and are readily available in the Texas market
Sierra Nevada: Hazy Little Things
Lagunitas: Sumpin' Easy <== This is the shit, peach bomb
Odells: Rupture & Drumroll
Oasis: Metamodern <=Great beer fresh, uses the cheater combo Mosaic & Citra
Enjoy your search

 

I had a hard time adjusting to the bitterness for years and a lot of people here recommended trying imperial versions (anything 8-8.5% and up) because they have a bigger malt base and typically are more balanced. It ended up being a very good way to transition/adjust my taste buds to the more aggressive hop profiles.

I would recommend any Lagunitas or Dogfishhead 90 Minute for starters. Haven’t had the one you liked, so can’t help there.

 

I drank Budweiser for twenty years before switching to craft. I know you are specifically looking for IPAs, but don't limit yourself. If you can find an IPL , it's a good style to get you accustomed to bitterness slowly before getting completely into IPAs.
Look at IBUs and find something similar to the beer you mentioned above.

 

Some more from Texas that should be pretty easy to find is Real Ale Axis (while not single hopped this might be as close as you are going to get to YR, I find both excellent and very similar), Hops n Grain A Pale Mosaic, and Oasis Metamodern.

 

Captains Daughter from Grey Sail is a double but drinks smooth and balanced. I always like Santilli from Night Shift, it's extremely drinkable Both are New England beers R.I. and Ma. respectively but they aren't as heavy in my opinion as a New England style IPA

 

Wow! You find Head Hunter low on the bitterness scale? I absolutely love it, but I find it pleeeenty bitter...

 

Well, you can't go wrong sticking to Yellow Rose. It's a pretty special and unique beer compared to others I've tried. It's not a NEIPA, though if you find any regionally, check them out- they often have the smooth flavor and high ABV you are seeking.

The suggestion of Lagunitas Sumpin Easy is a pretty good one. Their 12th of Never is great, too.

I'd recommend going back to where you got those pints and asking the bartender (or bar manager, if possible- they order the beer) for other suggestions as well. Perhaps do some research on nearby small breweries and try a few samples there for some fun (and some more ideas on what you like and don't like in an IPA). Yellow Rose is VERY popular and well known amongst beer geeks, so using it as a comparison when requesting other beers should get you some decent results.

 

I am afraid I have very little to add to the thread, due to lack of experience with beer from your area, but kudos to you for branching out and trying something new!