Best IPA?

It's all about balance. Far too many IPA's bash you over the head with hops. The truly great ones find that sweet balance. Bell's Two Hearted Ale and Dark Horse Crooked Tree are my favorites.

 

Bell's Two Hearted
Ska Modus Hoperandi
Cigar City White Oak Aged Jai Alai

 

IPA: Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA

Founders Centennial IPA
Surly Furious
​

IIPA: Heady Topper

FFF Permanent Funeral
Surly Abrasive
Bells Hopslam
​

 

headhunter.
Duet is awesome too.

 

Besides Heady?

DirtWolf
Pliny
Tired Hands Such Unique
Tired Hands Blonde Zombie
Double Trouble
Two Hearted
Flower Power
Hoptimum
Hopsickle
Sculpin

 

Sculpin is the king of IPAs

 

Heady Topper, Flower Power, Stone Ruination, Southern Tier 2x and Bells Two Hearted of course.

Cheers!

 

IPA: Sculpin, Nelson, and Thrillseeker. IIPA: Heady, Keene Idea, and Citra

 

So far...Green Flash Palate Wrecker or Victory Ranch or Victory Dirtwolf or Gandhi Bot or Heady Topper or Sculpin or.....

 

1. Alpine Nelson is clearly the dominant IPA. Nothing else is like it.
2. Thrillseeker - Amazing Fresh
3. Duet

 

Drinking a Southern Tier 2XIPA as I type this, which is pretty damn good in itself, but the best IPA I ever had was a fresh hop IPA at the Ellicottville Brewing Company last year, it was made locally and only at their brewpub, don't recall exactly what they called it but it was damn good!

 

Ah, the ubiquitous IPA. Head High, Sculpin, Founder's Harvest Ale and Flower Power.Honorable mention goes to Two Hearted.

 

The Alchemist Focal Banger and Russian River Registration Ale

 

i like Sculpin and Stones IPA the best so far

 

IPA
Lawson's Triple Play
Hill Farmstead Susan
Lawson's Chinooker'd
La Cumbre Elevated
IIPA
Lawson's Double Sunshine
Alpine Bad Boy
Hill Farmstead Ephraim
Heady Topper

 

My 5 out of 5 rankings:

IPA -- Maine Lunch, Ballast Point Sculpin, Green Flash West Coast, RR Blind Pig, Wormtown Be Hoppier

DIPA -- Alchemist Heady Topper, Lagunitas Sucks, RR Pliny the Elder, Lawson's Double Sunshine, Surly Abrasive, HF Abner

(Not an IPA, but Pale -- FFF Zombie Dust)

 

Separation anxiety from berryessa brewing. Otherwise, Union Jack is good.

 

I love Stone Ruination, a good IIPA and just had Founders Harvest Ale which is technically an American IPA but sooo good!!!

 

Like so many others, Nelson, along with Duet, Just Outstanding and The Pupil.

 

I think you posed a question that without evidence lacking, is impossible to answer to in the literary sense. As beer geeks we can't seem to pick one favorite, and that's alright!

As for the "he said IPA not DIPA" peeps, seriously, come on, an IPA is an IPA. The lines blur too much to expect specification of the style when posed with this question.

That said, there are many I have not tried that I'm sure are as good as my current favorites, but to this date in my craft beer experience these are my favorites: (Combo of PA, IPA, DIPA)

Nelson- a true mindfuck first time around with this
Bad Boy- just damn tasty and smooth for a DIPA
Pupil- tropical bombardment, lovely display of the nelson hop
Kern Citra- yes. Period
Row 2 Hill 56- the tastiest, finest crafted pale ale I've consumed from the source