Best IPA?

Ahhhh, so this is the thread that's caused the world wide web to crash. Thanks OP!

 

whatever is fresh and local and has the most citra/simcoe/nelson sauvin/galaxy in it.. if it's fresh and citrusy, it's my favorite IPA at the moment. <3 late kettle hopping.

right now its Dragoon IPA but before it was FW Union Jack, Alpine Duet/Nelson, Ithaca Flower Power, Carton Boat/077xx, Kane Head High, Lagunitas DayTime/Sucks, canned BP Sculpin, JA Hoponious Union (IPL. IPA. whatever), MBC Lunch, Wormtown Be Hoppy....you get the idea.

 

Deschutes Fresh squeezed was so awesome it almost made me cry.

 

Single IPA:
Ithaca Flower Power
Great Divide Titan
Victory HopDevil
Smuttynose FinestKind
Sierra Nevada Torpedo

Double IPA:
Heady Topper
Pliny the Elder
Enjoy By
Resin
Unearthly

 

Elevated IPA!

 

Where do you buy Cape May's beers? Only in South Jersey?

 

Gandhi Bot / Heady / Pliney

 

Dank IPA by Prost Brewing.

 

No fair dumping big DIPA's into the IPA mix.

IPA's :

Head Hunter
HF Susan
Pseudo Sue
Alpine
Flower Power
Furious

All great stuff.

 

Lots of good ones, but it is still 2 hearted for me.....

 

Jade or Jai Alai.

 

Founders All Day IPA

 

Two fresh bottles of dreadnought from 06 07, recently had it on tap last summer hit none of the deep grapefruit notes with subtle pine the balanced out the bottles, have had to batches of fresh heady and one aged, all carried a consistent roasted flavor, subtle coffee (suggesting something similar obviously the malts or certain hops can add this as the color isn't there for coffee) or burnt pine which made them crazy drinkable, the fresher were far more aromatic but all were enjoyable, had Pliny in bottles and on tap, it's classic, would love to try younger, and as far as widely distributed bells two hearted, stone ruination, and now victory dirty wolf are my go tos, would love to try some citra and gandhibot as I've read good things. Like any great or best beer balance is huge, which is why some of these triple iPas and overly heavily hopped beers aren't on the same level, they are fun, but there returnability is low, I would always go after dreadnaught, heady and Pliny if readibly available.

 

Really fresh SN Torpedo.

 

My top 5, in order:
5) Stone IPA
4) Pliny the Elder
3) Sculpin
2) SN Torpedo
1) SN Celebration Ale

 

Without a doubt I've been blessed to try IPA from nearly every region, that said in my heart here are my favorite all time IPAs...Ballast Point Sculpin (fresh) and Big Eye, Coronado Islander IPA, Kern River Just Outstanding (would die for some Citra), Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA, Alpine Duet and Nelson, Deschutes Fresh Hopped IPAs, Town Hall Masala Mama IPA, Surly Furious (such a different IPA), Surly Abrasive Ale > Furious, 3F's Broo Doo, Founders Harvest Ale, Russian River Blind Pig (better than PtE for me).

All time favorite for it's use of Amarillo and drinkability was originally a limited release from Rogue Integrity IPA...years later a boring juniper berry infused blonde ale was reissued as Yellow Snow IPA to this day I will put this beer head to head with any other fresh IPA.

IPAs I can get locally and consume as often as possible include Bell's Two Hearted, Troeg's Perpetual, Stone IPA, Ithaca Flower Power IPA, Fathead's Headhunter IPA, The Brew Kettle White Rajah IPA, Columbus IPA (any hoppy beer you can find from Columbus is grade A), Founders Centennial, Founders All Day, Helltown Insidious or the Rapture IPA whichever is available, Dark Horse Crooked Tree, and I just went through a case of Two Hearted Ale (all Centennial IPA perfection).

Beers that don't qualify as IPAs but have had as much hop flavor as my favorite IPAs include 3Fs Zombie Dust, Alpha King, and Half Acre Daisy Cutter Pale Ale.

 

Best IPA (not DIPA*)= bear republic racer 5. Its incredible, and incredibly overlooked.

 

Stone Enjoy By

/thread

 

Yep Two Hearted is king...

My other favorites are

Ale Asylum Ballistic or Bedlam which ever is in season.... (6 month rotating IPAs)
Lakefront IPA
Racer 5 - when I can find it fresh which is about twice a year
Columbus IPA - when my sister in law visits her family in Ohio
Summit Saga - 11.50 a 12 and really good

Doubles

Lagunitas Maximus and Sucks
Surly Abrasive
Odell Myrcenary
New Glarus Thumbprint IIPA... Oh how I wish this was a year round beer, basically tastes like super Moon Man to me.

 

Pretty much draft or at the brewery only atm. They are going to finally start bottling soon. They are starting with their flagship IPA and also their Belgian Strong Ale aka Devil's Reach. I really hope they'd bottle the dipa though. It's hands down the best thing I've had from them and one of the top DIPA's I've had.