Best packaged IPA available in CO

Depends on what kind of IPA you're looking for.
If you like pure West Coast, then probably something from La Cumbre or Melvin. LC Elevated would probably be my pick.
If you like haze, then I'd say WW Juicy Bits, Outer Range In the Steep, or (the sleeper, IMO), any of the Epic Hazy series.

 

I can't much speak to West Coast, as I am not a great job on "best" IPAs in that category.
Juicy Bits, In the Steep*, Codename: Superfan, Noob, (RN) Mountain Haze, and Crooked Stave IPA are all excellent hazy IPAs.
*In the Steep is an occasional release but is significantly harder to get than the others.
Cerebral obviously make good stuff, I'm not sure what their most common flagship IPA would be.

Also pretty under the radar but Wiley Roots is starting to make some great IPAs, and Eddyline's Canned IPAs like Crank Yanker have been sneaky good.

More west-coast style but Melvin makes seriously good IPAs as well, and they are available all over town.

Pretty sure we don't get Knee Deep here, we do get Amalgamator but I can't imagine it's super fresh by the time it's hitting my local.

 

Crowlers fills all day at the Taproom

 

Knee Deep has distro here. Stuff is meh


Rare Trait from Cerebral is the answer to his question though as far as haze goes.

 

For my money I'm a huge fan of "Bout Damn Time" from 4 noses. I can pick it up fresh almost everywhere, nice and crisp with a bitter backbone. Doesn't seem as sweet as Amalgamator. I agree that Knee Deep has been meh for me as well

 

Not new or trendy, but Dry Dock Hop Abomination still works just fine.

 

Definitely also not in the beanie baby group, but Odell IPA is west coast-y.. and the new Mountain Standard is incredible. Both available in cans- literally the best and freshest canning line in our fair state imo

 

HAHAHA What a time to ask. This week, you're going to see all of the best IPAs from around the country pop up all over town. It'll be impossible to answer

We occasionally get Knee Deep and Beechwood. They have been fresh with they hit.

A lot of stores also have crowlers of Comrade on a pretty regular basis.

If you're looking for the occasional distro west coast IPAs in cans, and not counting wet hops (like you stated in the original post) I would go with:

• Amalgamator
• Sip of Sunshine
• Todd The Axe Man (if you can somehow find it fresh)

 

West Coast consistently available packaged single IPA - that is pretty much right in the middle of my personal lane. I'd probably give the overall nod to either La Cumbre Elevated (or Project Dank when a new one comes out) or Breakside IPA. Although they are marketed as APAs, I'd put Melvin Hubert or Odell Rupture only a quarter step behind those that I first mentioned as they still pretty much check all of the "IPA boxes" for me and are easy to find all over the place.

There are also a group that I think are just about as good but hard to find consistently fresh. For me, Knee Deep Breaking Bud (nearly impossible around me - everything is collecting dust from last fall), Union Jack (I see it fresh maybe 4-5 times per year and buy then), Alpine Windows Up (rarely fresh), and Fremont Lush are contenders as well.

 

AHHHHH Breakside IPA is incredible, I just wish they would date them

Hubert is my go-to pale

 

Station 26 Juicy Banger and Bang Bang.

 

We've had some of the best West Coast style IPA's hit the shelves in the last two weeks. Here is what I think are the best in order:

Lawson's Chinooker'd
-I was expecting haze and got an old school chinook bomb. So bitter and exceptional.

Russian River Blind Pig
-Still incredible after all these years.

Beachwood Simcoast to Coast
-West coast all simcoe IPA. Love it.

Beachwood Amalgamator
-I am a sucker for Mosaic hops. I buy this every time it hits town

Beachwood Citraholic
-Not a huge Citra fan but this is delicious

Alpine Windows Up
-I know it's not as good as the stuff that was actually brewed at Alpine back in the day but it is still solid.

The rest of the year this place seems like a wasteland of haze but these are the ones I buy if they are fresh:

Knee Deep Lupulin River
-Let's be honest this stuff is old here and everywhere else including California

Knee Deep Breaking Bud
-see above

Breakside Stay West
-I can't find a bottle date on these and they are $14 a sixer so I don't roll the dice too often

Station 26 Juicy Banger
-This doesn't quite line up with what I think of from California but it is kind of close and easy to get

Odell IPA
-Same as above. When this was first released back in 2007 it was pretty close to West Coast and was priced at $6.99.

Stone Enjoy By
-Last one I had was a west coast double for sure

I'm actually looking forward to finding a fresh sixer of the retooled Green Flash West Coast IPA. The original recipe of this beer was everything anyone could want in a West Coast. I have no idea why they fucked with it but look at them now, serves 'em right. Melvin IPA used to check all the boxes but the last one I had was not right, plus they are such a corny brewery.

 

Melvin is your answer.

 

Elevated. It is always fresh.

 

Crank yanker and epic day from eddyline are fantastic.

 

Long time Domingo! I was pleasantly surprised to find OUter range makes awesome hoppy stuff! (Frisco? wtf? ) Haven't seen their stuff in stores yet but have had three or so different beers on tap that have all absolutely killed it.

 

Agree with many of the earlier posters. Melvin is, IMO, the best, freshest IPA's available in CO. But there are many others that are worthy- Breakside Stay west was great, anything weldwerks or Station 26, Comrade, and I'll always have a sweet spot for Odell IPA's.

 

Sorry, I don't believe in best but a new favourite of mine is Great Divide Hazy IPA. Only had it on draught myself but it is canned.