OT: for IPA lovers = 10 best

[providence]

The gal and I are at 227 different visits to breweries across the country and I’m not certain anyone does the hop forward style better than Toppling Goliath in Decorah, IA. They have the sheer quality as well as the quantity across the spectrum of that style.

We don’t seak out the style as much any more but we’re just coming out of the best time of the year for it IMO. Fresh Hop season!

[ptourkin]

It's trendy to say you "don't get" PTE but we did a six glass blind tasting/guessing last night at our local spot and our table all found the Pliny and the Two Hearted (not one of my faves) as did the voting in general:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BailmWij...gertigertavern

"tigertigertavernAnd the order of IPAs for our "You Be The F**king Judge" are....
1. Societe The Apprentice
2. Russian River Pliny The Elder
3. Alpine Duet
4. Bells Two Hearted
5. North Park Hop Fu!
6. New English Pure and Simple

According to our tally board at the bar, you blindly choose Pliny The Elder as the best tasting beer.
Thanks for playing! #brewerowned #indiebeer #30ecb #cleanlines #🐯🐯"

[sand fungus]

The newest brewery and my absolute favorite so far is Cloudburst Brewery . They make some of the Best IPAs in all of the Seattle area. If you get down to the pikeplace market in Seattle they are about 2-3 blocks north and worth the walk.

By the way all of you people that remember Elliott bay bicycles the old home of Davidson cloudburst brewery is in the old shop. Great bikes and great brews coming out of the same area

[joosttx]

Best IPA I had was New Old Lompoc C-note IPA. You can only get it at their bar in Portland OR. I was lucky enough to live a stones throw from it when I lived in Portland.

I really like Racer 5 and it is local. The Pliny's are awesome Younger better than the Older. But nothing compares to the New Old Lompoc C-Note.

[Likes2ridefar]

Recently moved to AZ from the east coast and am enjoying all the new finds. Lots of southern Cali stuff I couldn’t get before, but my favorite find thus far is az wilderness in Gilbert, az.

No distribution but if you are in the Phoenix area and love beer it’s a must visit. Food is really good too.

Experimental, interesting beers using local ingredients, lots of tasty sours and Of course a few dank and tasty ipas..

Refuge ipa is always on tap and is excellent. The first time I went they had a double ipa I forget the name of but haven’t seen it since...

[Jingle Jangle]

https://www.shepherdneame.co.uk/beer/india-pale-ale

[pdmtong]

Should be a fun few months ahead

[jimcav]

Originally Posted by pdmtong

Should be a fun few months ahead

I got tired of spending 2 hours on friday searching for the 2 bottle limit at one of 3 stores within 30 minutes that get a case each (or every 2) weeks. But it was almost worth the effort. Now that i can get breaking bud and duet locally, it isn't worth it.

[superbowlpats]

Originally Posted by pdmtong

Should be a fun few months ahead

that's just not fair!

[lucieli]

What a great thread. If you flash back to December 2013 when the thread started, I would have agreed that many beers listed then were also on my Top 10 list. With the choices we have today, none of those beers would make my top 20 list. If you told me in 2013 that by 2016, I would drinking beers that primarily come in cans, I would not have believed you. If you suggested that someday I would regularly be forking over $15-20 for a four-pack, I'd have thought you nuts. Drive a couple of hours to a brewery to stand in line to buy beer? No way, or so I might have said way back in 2013.

My list in no particular order:

Lawson's Sip of Sunshine
Alchemist Heady Topper
Trillium Congress Street
Treehouse Julius
Lord Hobo Boom Sauce
Greater Good Pulp
Fort Hill Jigsaw Jazz
Exhibit "A" Hair Raiser
Nightshift Santelli
Hill Farmstead Song of Joy

There are many others that I also enjoy. If you are familiar with this list, you will know that I am obviously from New England. I'm sure that every region can probably put together a similar list.

Cheers!
Mike

[shovelhd]

A few more IPA's from my area that you might see out there:

Vanishing Valley Pomona (Wednesday at 2pm, sold out by 4pm)
Iron Duke 4am (not currently in rotation)
Fat Orange Cat Brew Launch (A gift from a race promoter for running his race last weekend, a Double that goes down like a Session...very dangerous)

[CDollarsign]

Seriously. East coast people lets trade beer. Breweries around here aren't the best but I've got a serious hoard of Bourbon County Stout ranging back to 2012.

Or I can just give you cash if your going to get some fun stuff!

[mod6]

I would be game for trading as I spend a lot of time in VT in the winter. Definitely a fan of Bourbon country Stout. Can get my hands on Alchemist, Lost Nation, Fiddle Head( very fly under the radar of Vt beers), Sip of Sunshine, Hill Farmstead. Shoot me a PM in a couple of weeks and I will see what I can get my hands on.

Originally Posted by CDollarsign

Seriously. East coast people lets trade beer. Breweries around here aren't the best but I've got a serious hoard of Bourbon County Stout ranging back to 2012.

Or I can just give you cash if your going to get some fun stuff!

[Tandem Rider]

It's not an IPA, but I just tried a Pelican Monk on the Beach, one of the top 10 Quads I've ever had, malt, fruit, and enough ABV to stand up. Very mature without any funny aftertaste. I'm going to buy more.

As far as IPA's it's fresh hop season here in the PNW, they don't usually have the depth and developed flavor of a really good IPA, but they have a fresh taste that is fun now and gone later. Currently soaking up a Lagunitas Born Yesterday, from their One Hitter series, plenty of IBU's, there is no mistaking it's an IPA, but not over the top. Not much citrus or pine, very hop forward.

[shovelhd]

I'm up for a 4-6 can assortment swap, preferably one style (IPA, for thread consistency). Must be local to your area, and nowhere near New England. PM me if you're interested.