Chicago's best Imperial IPAs

Dreadnaught

 

Pipeworks just put out "Something Hoppy This Way Comes" and you should still be able to find NvU around.

 

Get over to FFF for Permanent Funeral, Dreadnaught, and Arctic Panzer Wolf. Half Acre tap room might have some DIPAs available for growler fills. Also, I saw Rev Double Fist and Pipeworks Marilime Law / Something Hoppy at Binnys the other day.

 

Check out Haymarket if you don't mind transporting a growler.

Although, Mathias is not on tap at the moment, they do have a "Love Me Two Times DIPA." Can't vouch for this one, but their IPAs are usually top notch.

 

Half Acre Double Daisy Cutter - might still be able to find at a few shops
Pipeworks - Ninja vs Unicorn, Marilime Law Ninja, Something Hoppy, Austrailian Summer Ninja
Three Floyds - Dreadnaught, Permanent Funeral, Arctic Panzer Wolf, War Mullet
Spiteful - 10-9 Bike Messenger Appreciation IPA
Revolution - Double Fist

 

Revolution Red Skull is one no one has mentioned.

Also I have to second the 10-9 messenger Appreciation DIPA. Absolutely incredible mouthfeel.

 

I second Spiteful 10-9 Messeneger Appreciation. I think my last bottle of that, a few weeks back, was batch #61 (?), to give an idea of recent Spiteful batch freshness.

 

That's because Red Skull is an Imperial Red not an Imperial IPA.

Also, if you really want to be picky about what is classified as an Imperial IPA, Double Daisy, Double Fist and Permanent Funeral would not fit in that category. All are classified as Double Pales by the breweries themselves. Not here to argue what should/shouldn't be classified as a certain style of beer, just stating facts. However, all 3 beers are fantastic!

 

This^.

 

Ignore this toolish comment.

The guy is clearly looking for higher abv ales with high hop content. Like everyone who comes through town creating a thread such as this. All the beers in this thread are great suggestions for those seeking hoppy brews on the higher end of the abv spectrum.

And yes, yes you were trying to start an argument.

I also noticed that you haven't made any suggestions.

 

Gold jacket green jacket who gives a shit?

 

You can still get a growler of Wreckagemaster at Solemn Oath.

EDIT: SO classifies it as a double IPA and thus, you cannot bring it to Seattle.

 

Im confused..... I thought an American Double= Imperial...right?.....I know red skull is a imperial "red" ale .... so an American Double is not a DIPA?

 

Last week I saw Half Acre's Double Daisy Cutter at the Whole Foods in the South Loop.

 

They are all, besides red skull, pale ales. They are not IPA's but pale ales. The fact that they are imperial or "double" is completely erroneous. BeerAdvocate ratings have DDC and Perm.Funeral both categorized wrong, but they both say clearly on the labels that they are pale ales, not IPA's.

A pale ale and an IPA are not the same thing, even if you have a double/imperial Pale ale and a "normal" IPA, they are not the same.

Some people may say it's ""being picky"" but its really not. If somebody makes a thread asking for good stouts, are you going to suggest Victory at Sea? If somebody makes a thread asking for a solid porter, are you going to suggest BCBS? Sure porter/stouts are quite similar, with some porters even being thicker/more robust than some other stouts, but they are two distinct styles and are not interchangeable.

 

What beer won a silver medal at GABF this year for the Imperial India Pale Ale category?

http://www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com/the-competition/winners/

 

Really? referencing GABF in a serious manner? Never thought I would see the day.

 

I'd love for you to define the differences. I'm all ears.

 

Did I create any of the names we use to categorize beer? ie: stouts, porters, IPA, pale ales, barleywines, dopplebocks, etc. .....? The answer is no, I'm just going by what others have stated before me.
This is why Lagunitas does not like to classify their beer, as its quite hazy what the exact differences are in the styles.
If nothing else, I'm simply pointing out that the categories of different styles are not very well defined.