Does Anyone Still Make a "Classic" West Coast IPA?

This is a topic that has been discussed a lot, and yes most local attempts at classic IPA fail. I have my staple IPAs, the ones you are talking about, and then I just choose the freshest of the bunch. Last time it was Anti-Hero, time before that it was Union Jack, this time SNPA (not IPA but scratches the same itch for me), next time...Two Hearted, Yards IPA, Troegs Perpetual...??? Dates will tell

I'll add there are a few local exceptions for me and I had one last night, a classic beautifully clean IPA from Wildwood: MudHen Brewing 1883 IPA, it is one of their flagships.

 

I still have a Blind Pig every time I see one - hasn't never let me down.

 

No stone or torpedo available? Like @jonphisher said, they’re out there. Just let the dates decide for you. Troegs Perpetual is the easiest in my area to find consistently fresh, but I do have some Head Hunter under a month old I’m currently working on.

 

My guess is that Troegs does not distro to Florida, but Perpetual is my go to for sure. And, the price cannot be beat. I can still pick up a 12-pack for $20.

I consider Victory Dirt Wolf to be a very tasty WCIPA as well.

 

La Cumbre Elevated.

Any one of a gajillionthousand IPAs from any one of a couple thousand actual West Coast breweries.

 

I like Harpoon IPA. Distributed in New England, and available if you search for it in my part of NY.

 

I just had one at my local brewery in MI.

I had many in January in CA. PtE is still excellent.

 

Is Stone IPA available in your area? That's one I'd recommend.

 

I miss a good pine, weed bomb IPA. Those are long gone

 

Stone IPA. Sierra Nevada Torpedo.
They are, literally, the classics that paved the style.
Astoundingly, I have a hard time tracking down Stone IPA these days. Plenty of Stone products....but no Stone IPA. Seems heretical.

The biggest thing I see lacking in "west coast IPAs" these days is bitterness. But to be fair that seems to have gone out of vogue of late and breweries are a business, after all. They have to brew what sells in order to keep the lights on.

 

Maybe the thread belongs in a regional forum then, since plenty of classic WCIPAs are still plentiful across reasonably large swaths of the country.

 

As many have said above, they're out there.

Another option: I visit a lot of small breweries and just about every one has a WCIPA listed on their beer menu. Some are good and some are just okay. See if you can find one that you like at a local brewery and give them some support.

 

Well, Cigar City is still a thing. Plus, my friend/former coworker is the head brewer at Tampa Bay Brewing, and I know he packages a couple.

 

Dood. You live in Calipornia. You should zero issues finding some.

 

I have friends that live in Florida and when I visit I always seek out fresh Cigar City Jai Alai. Make sure you check the dates to make sure they are less than a month old. That beer 'drops off a cliff' when it ages.

Cheers!

 

I think this is true of all beer styles—unless there’s a universe I’m unaware of where every beer is phenomenal

 

Stone IPA was my first and still my favorite.