Epic Barrel-Aged IPA

Epic Brewing Company
Auckland, New Zealand

APPEARANCE: 2.25/3: Gold color, foamy head, slight haze.

AROMA: 3/4: Hoppy nose. Citrus, pine, some pineapple. Slight oaky nose, maybe.

TASTE: 7/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3/4: Lots of pineapple, some apricot, nice subtle lemony hints at the end.
Aftertaste: 2/3: Whiskey-oak sour up-front, big bitter middle.
Mouth-Feel: 2/3: A bit thin, could use more body. Woodiness overwhelms.

OVERALL: 2/3: Tastes like a booze-infused beer. They should have blended this. Not bad, but the barrel-aging is overwhelming.

TOTAL: 14.25/20–I'll Try A Pint

NOTES:
Matt: I appreciate the effort, but it's a bit much. Add body, blend it to tamp down the oak, and we're in business.
Ben: Grows on me the more I drink it. It's okay—good, but falls short of great. Almost too much oak flavor, like it's an extreme barrel beer; should be more subtle.

Dogfish Head Aprihop IPA

Dogfish Head Brewing Company
Milton, Delaware

APPEARANCE: 2.25/3: Dark copper to light brown. Clear, crisp, clean. Thin, off-white head that fades. Steady stream of bubbles.

AROMA: 3/4: Clean, sugary, subtle citrus. Subtle apricot, subdued hop aroma.

TASTE: 7.5/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3.25/4: Apricot up-front and through the middle, hop bitterness at finish. Sugary sweet, apricot present. Some citrus hop.
Aftertaste: 2.25/3: Sweet finish. Hop bitterness lingers. Nice high flavors.
Mouth-Feel: 2/3: Chewy, full-bodied. Weakly carbonated.

OVERALL: 2.25/3: Pleasant. Sweet and fruity, peaches (apricot) and cream-like, with a bitter finish.

TOTAL: 15/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: A nice beer. The apricot is understated, a nice accent flavor. Is it an IPA? Doubtful. Still, a nice ale, well done (as usual, by DFH).
Ben: Apricot accents the citrus hop nicely. Bitter finish is nice, though it's a little thin. Overall, not bad—another good offering from a great brewer.

New Glarus Hearty Hop Ale

New Glarus Brewing Company
New Glarus, Wisconsin

APPEARANCE: 2.25/3
Deep, dark caramel color. Foamy, creamy head. Clear and clean.

AROMA: 2/4
Not as much hop aroma as we expected. Clean, some caramel notes.

TASTE: 7.5/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 2.25/4: Malty, caramel. Some grassy/woody notes.
Aftertaste: 2/3: Woody bitterness at the middle, bitter at finish. Metallic tang? Coats the tongue somewhat.
Mouth-Feel: 2/3: Full, if synthetic-tasting.

OVERALL: 2/3: Not great, a real disappointment. No real hop aroma, weird metallic taste, just an overall bummer.

TOTAL: 12.25/20–I'll Try A Pint

NOTES:
Matt: Not great. New Glarus is better at some things than others. Not awful, but orders of magnitude away from Raspberry Tart or Belgian Red.
Ben: Hoppy, an IPA, but just an okay one. We expected much better.

Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Milton, Delaware

APPEARANCE: 2.25/3
Deep gold color, clear. White head that rings the glass.

AROMA: 2.75/4
Some grassy-woody-earthy hop aroma. Dark hop. Expected more aroma.

TASTE: 7.25/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3/4: Woody, bitter hop flavors. Earthy with some high malty notes. Caramel, nutty/pine nut.
Aftertaste: 2.25/3: Bitter finish that lingers on the back of the tongue. Sweet finish, earthy and woody.
Mouth-Feel: 2/3: Full mouth, appropriately carbonated.

OVERALL: 2/3: A must-have on tap (we can't get it here, so if you can, kudos). Anticipated more hop flavor and more bounce. Earthy and woody, a decent IPA.

TOTAL: 14.25/20–I'll Try A Pint

NOTES:
Matt: You have to respect Dogfish Head, and it's a solid IPA. Not the first beer I'd reach for—I'd grab a 90 Minute first—but good. More hop flavor and aroma, please!
Ben: When we were but young craft beer novices, this was the gold standard. Still good, we'd love the opportunity to enjoy it locally, but there are beers out there we'd reach for first.

Deschutes Inversion IPA

Deschutes Brewery
Bend, OR

APPEARANCE: 2/3
Nice brown with a hint of red—pretty. Thin head fades quickly but rings the glass and laces. Slight haze.

AROMA: 3.25/4
Grapefruit. Some pine, brown sugar and caramel. Syrupy-sweet—raisins, prunes.

TASTE: 7.25/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3/4: Raisins, prunes, some woody pine. Lots of hop flavor. Big malt, toasted caramel. Sugary, woody aftertaste, some roast.
Aftertaste: 2.25/3: Hop bitter finish lingers, with raisin taste. Coats the tongue.
Mouth-Feel: 2/3: Tastes big, boozy, a bit chewy. Sinus-clearing. Bitterness at top of the mouth.

OVERALL: 2/3: Interesting, definitely hoppy. It's big, maybe too big? More like an imperial. Lots of raisin and prune. Do we love this? Undecided.

TOTAL: 14.5/20–I'll Try A Pint

NOTES:
Matt: Beer meets Vicks Vap-O-Rub—this really clears the sinuses. Not your typical IPA, which I can appreciate. Like a hoppy strong ale, worth a try.
Ben: Big, hoppy, lots of citrus. A tad too bitter. Sugary, malty, chewy. Good, not great, but I think I like it.

Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA

Firestone Walker Brewing Company
Paso Robles, CA

APPEARANCE: 2.75/3
Nice copper to deep gold. Crystal-clear, very clean. Beautiful white head, lots of bubbles.

AROMA: 3.5/4
Grassy-piney, very citrusy. Hop aroma dominant. Beautiful!

TASTE: 8/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3.25/4: Citrus, pine notes, some brown sugar. Malty, very well balanced. Could use a tad more bittering hop.
Aftertaste: 2.25/3: Clean, dry finish. Piney-ness drops out, no lasting bitterness.
Mouth-Feel: 2.5/3: Citrus hop balances nicely with sweet sugar malt. Full but not too chewy, appropriately carbonated.

OVERALL: 2.75/3: Clean, crisp, piney, citrusy. All hop flavor—if you're a hop head, don't pass this up.

TOTAL: 17/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: I love this. A great, complex IPA—lots of hop, pine and citrus. This is my new go-to IPA!
Ben: Clean, lots of hop flavor—pine, grass, citrus. Could use more bitterness, but regardless, I'd buy it again.

Founders Centennial IPA

Founders Brewing Company
Grand Rapids, Michigan

APPEARANCE: 2/3
Very hazy copper-orange. Head fades fast, not an especially pretty beer.

AROMA: 3.25/4
Hop aroma–very citrusy, floral. Beautiful hop nose. Malty, brown sugar.

TASTE: 7/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 2.75/4: Nice woody hop up front. Grapefruit. Heavy on hop, definitely needs to be maltier.
Aftertaste: 2.25/3: Fades to bitterness, stays on the tongue. Slight astringence/chemical taste.
Mouth-Feel: 2/3: Fizzy, effervescent, a bit too much so. Could use more body.

OVERALL: 2.25/3: Really hoppy. Reminiscent of Ska Modus Hoperandi (which isn't bad)—great hop, just not big enough to balance it out.

TOTAL: 14.5/20–I'll Try A Pint

NOTES:
Matt: A decent IPA, if a bit sweet. Needs more body. Not incredible, but not bad.

Ben: A little too carbonated for the style. A good hoppy IPA, worth a try.

Deschutes Hop Henge Experimental IPA

Deschutes Brewery
Bend, OR

APPEARANCE: 2.25/3
Cloudy orange-brown. Foamy, rocky head that lasts, laces nicely.

AROMA: 3/4
Sweet, malty but not a ton of hop nose. Bready, some pineapple. Touch of citrus, woody aroma.

TASTE: 8/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3.5/4: Very nicely balanced. Sweet up front–bready, orange peel, brown sugar. Piney hop.
Aftertaste: 2.25/3: Nice hop bitterness at finish, subtle sour that lingers.
Mouth-Feel: 2.25/3: Bouncy, full but not cloying. Nicely carbonated. Maybe a bit chewy.

OVERALL: 2.5/3: A big beer, but not boozy. At 9% ABV, it's dangerously drinkable. More like a really good Imperial Pale Ale than an IPA.

TOTAL: 15.75/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: I'm a hophead, and this doesn't beat you over the head with hops—but I'm not complaining one bit. A big, smooth, tasty beer, well worth a try.
Ben: I would have liked more hop aroma; that said, I'd buy it again in a heartbeat.

Green Flash West Coast IPA

Green Flash Brewing Company
San Diego, CA

APPEARANCE: 2.25/3
Thick, rocky head with big bubbles. Gummy, floculent yeast (though Matt may have done a bad job pouring it). Orange-brown color. Not super-pretty, but head-lacing is very nice.

AROMA: 3.75/4
Hop! Piney-woody-meadowy, all at once. Heaven.

TASTE: 9.25/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3.75/4: Mouthful o' hop. Lots of hop flavors. Nicely balanced. Woody, biscuit taste. Slight brown sugar.
Aftertaste: 2.75/3: Hop bitterness! Sits on back of tongue and lingers (for a while).
Mouth-Feel: 2.75/3: Very full. Smooth—easy drinking. A bit boozy for the ABV, but good.

OVERALL: 3/3: This is the perfect American IPA—phenomenal, the gold standard for the style. Great on tap, or in a bottle, or in a puddle on the floor which you would then shamelessly lick up—it's that good.

TOTAL: 18.25/20–Keep 'Em Comin'

NOTES:
Matt: The day Green Flash came to Kansas City, I was born again. A fantastic IPA, as good as it gets. You deserve an IPA this good.
Ben: This and Pliny are the top 2 IPAs in the known universe. If you see it on tap, don't dare pass it up!

Alaskan IPA

Alaskan Brewing Company
Juneau, Alaska

APPEARANCE: 2.75/3
Honey-gold, effervescent—lots of big bubbles. White, creamy head that fades to lace the glass. Pretty.

AROMA: 3/4
Earthy hop–grassy, meadowy. Some citrus, more piney. Malty. Brown sugar notes, like raisin bread.

TASTE: 8.5/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3.25/4: All hop flavor–woody, floral. Fades to nice bitter. Grassy, earthy, some nutty maltiness.
Aftertaste: 2.5/3: Subtle but lasting hop bitterness—a nice degree of bitterness.
Mouth-Feel: 2.25/3: Surprisingly light-bodied. Crisp, refreshing, not heavy or big, just nice.

OVERALL: 2.5/3: A good meadowy, earthy, bitter IPA. Atypical–doesn't have the citrus you find in most American IPAs. Eminently drinkable, though at 6.2%, might not be the best session beer.

TOTAL: 16.75/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: This surprised me–lighter than I expected, meadowy hop vs. citrusy, just a different IPA. And do I like it? You bet I do—well done.
Ben: Piney, grassy hop flavors nicely offset by hop bitterness. A little too light-bodied, the only knock I can give it. A great brewery–try any of their beers and you'll be pleased.

Wooden Nickel IPA

Crown Valley Brewing Co.
Ste. Genevieve, Missouri

APPEARANCE: 2/3
Apple juice color–light brown to dark honey. Little head. Big bubbles, steady stream.

AROMA: 2/4
Malty–caramel, brown sugar. Slight (and I mean SLIGHT) citrus hop aroma. Certainly could be hoppier.

TASTE: 4.5/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 1.75/4: Hop bitterness up front. Woody, slightly sour, minimal hop flavor.
Aftertaste: 1.25/3: Lasting bitter–astringent.
Mouth-Feel: 1.5/3: A bit fizzy, rather thin. Some sour puckering.

OVERALL: 1.25/3: Way too bitter, needs more maltiness and body for better balance. Needs more of everything to be a better beer.

TOTAL: 9.75/20–Anything Else On Tap?

NOTES:
Matt: A weird, disjointed beer from aroma to flavor to finish. Weirdly bitter, thin, just not very good.
Ben: All bitterness–hop it up! Want more hop flavor and aroma. Almost a bitter pale ale–could be British style. In any case, don't waste your money.

Stone Ruination IPA

Stone Brewing Company
Escondido (San Diego County), CA

APPEARANCE: 2.75/3
Gold color, beautiful lasting white head. Clear, laces the glass. Good-looking beer!

AROMA: 3.5/4
Hoppy! Grassy/meadowy. Lemongrass, orange peel. Bready/malty, sugary, almost tropical.

TASTE: 8.25/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3.5/4: Sweet, tangy, citrus up front. Caramel notes. Lots of flavor hops, bitter hops middle to finish.
Aftertaste: 2.5/3: Bitter, woody aftertaste that lingers—stays on the back of the tongue.
Mouth-Feel: 2.5/3: Full, weakly (nicely) carbonated. Nice mix of bitter and sweet.

OVERALL: 2.5/3: Excellent! Hoppy, yet just enough maltiness to balance out. A well-crafted beer, must-have for hop heads. Nice combination of citrusy, woody and dry.

TOTAL: 17/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: A really nice, subdued IPA. Benn called it "sophisticated"—I think he's right. We'd DEFINITELY buy this again.
Ben: Very nice. Stone hits it out of the park yet again. This would be great paired with the main dish at a four-star restaurant, or with a pizza at the local pub.

Unlimited Release Maximus IPA

Lagunitas Brewing Company
Petaluma, California

APPEARANCE: 2/3
Persistent white, rocky head. Light brown color, crystal clear. Head laces the glass.

AROMA: 3.25/4
Hop, lots of it. Grapefruit-citrus, sweet and malty. Brown sugar. Par for the course for a Lagunitas beer.

TASTE: 8/10

• Hop/Malt Balance: 3.25/4: Big, bitter. Simcoe-type hop. Bitter grapefruit. Woody. Brown sugar maltiness, nicely balanced.
  
• Aftertaste: 2.25/3: Bitterness that lasts. Woody aftertaste, dry finish. We weren't knocked out.
  
• Mouth-Feel: 2.5/3: Big, full. Alcohol is nicely masked.

OVERALL: 2.25/3
Really, a hoppy pale ale. If you like Lagunitas usual offerings, you'll like this. As usual, offered at a good price point, so there's no reason not to try it.

TOTAL: 15.5/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: Frustrating. I like it, but what's the point? This isn't a fresh take or an ambitious attempt, it's the usual big, hoppy, competent beer we always get from Lagunitas. I want something NEW, Lagunitas! You listening?
Ben: Lagunitas beers all start to taste alike, eventually. Don't get me wrong, I still love Hop Stoopid, and this is a tasty enough beer, but I'm at a point where it's tough to tell them apart.

Ska Modus Hoperandi IPA

Ska Brewing Company
Durango, CO

APPEARANCE: 2.5/3
Brown/copper color. White head that rings the glass. Clear with fine bubbles.

AROMA: 3.25/4
Very piney, full of hop aroma. Clean, some citrus. Slight bready, malty nose.

TASTE: 7.25/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3/4: Hop flavor at front fades to hop bitter middle, woody, grassy finish. Appropriately malty to offset hop.
Aftertaste: 2/3: Bitter finish that lasts and lasts.
Mouth-Feel: 2.25/3: Full, bitter on the tongue. Appropriately carbonated.

OVERALL: 2.25/3: Good, solid IPA. Bitterness might be off-putting to novices, but veteran hop-heads will enjoy it.

TOTAL: 15.25/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: I do like it, I just wish it weren't quite so bitter. Piney hop nose typical of American IPAs. Bitter, hoppy, a solid offering.
Ben: A good, hoppy IPA—a tad bitter, but I like it (maybe more than Matt). One of the few micros in a can, which is nice.

Kennebunkport IPA

Kennebunkport Brewing Company
(Contract brewed by Pugsley Brewing Company, LLC for Trader Joe's)
Portland, ME

APPEARANCE: 1.5/3
Light brown color. Clear. White head that fades quickly. Not especially pretty.

AROMA: 1.5/4
Smells like a lager. Minimal hop aroma. Clean, crisp nose.

TASTE: 2/10
Hop/Malt Balance: .5/4: Malty, way too much hop bitterness. Absolutely no hop flavor.
Aftertaste: .5/3: Astringent bitterness at close. Butterscotch (diacetyl) aftertaste.
Mouth-Feel: 1/3: Thin, watery.

OVERALL: .5/3: Can't get past the obvious diacetyl. A lager loaded up with bittering (but no flavor) hop. Not an IPA. Whoever brewed this needs to find another job, immediately.

TOTAL: 5.5/20–Tab Me Out

NOTES:
Matt: We've tried other Trader Joe's contract beers that were much, much better (their hefeweizen, for example). This was abhorrent in all respects—aroma, flavor, everything. Avoid this at any cost.
Ben: Ditto—it's really that bad. It is as bad as Big Flats (and that's saying something).

Widmer X-114 IPA (Rotator Series)

Widmer Brothers Brewing
Portland, OR

APPEARANCE: 2/3
Thin, white head. Deep gold, crystal-clear, steady stream of bubbles.

AROMA: 3.25/4
Grassy, meadowy, lots of hop aroma! Some pine, sweet breadiness.

TASTE: 7.25/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3/4: Lots of hop flavor. Woody, grassy. Not very malty, could use more body.
Aftertaste: 2.25/3: Sweet up front, bitter hop finish, lasting bitter aftertaste.
Mouth-Feel: 2/3: Very light-bodied, alcohol is masked nicely.

OVERALL: 2.25/3: Needs more body, more malt to offset hop bitterness. Sweetness drops out early. A good session IPA.

TOTAL: 14.75/20–I'll Try A Pint

NOTES:
Matt: Better on tap, but good–easy to drink, sweet, not too heavy. More body and this is a very good IPA.
Ben: A good beer. Could use more body, a bit thin for my taste, but easy to drink (it would be easy to drink a bunch of these, and at 6.75% ABV, that could be problematic).

Breckenridge Lucky U IPA

Breckenridge Brewing Company
Denver, Colorado

APPEARANCE: 2/3
Copper color, kind of hazy. Not crystal clear. White head, laces glass.

AROMA: 2.25/4
Not a lot of hop aroma. Some citrus hop notes but subtle. A slight malty aroma. Weak.

TASTE: 6/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 2.5/4: Hop bitterness dominant. Citrus and pine hop flavors. Carmel and nutty notes but hop bitterness overwhelms.
Aftertaste: 1.75/3: Bitter finish that lasts. Overwhelms malty notes.
Mouth-Feel: 1.75/3: Lighter body, boarding on thin. Nicely carbonated.

OVERALL: 2/3
A bitter IPA. Could use more hop flavoring and aroma. More body as well. More like a British-style IPA than an American-style (which we prefer).

TOTAL: 12.25/20–I'll Try A Pint

NOTES:
Matt: Not knocked out by it - tough to fairly evaluate because it's just so bitter. Needs more body, more hop aroma, more hop flavor, more everything. Just okay.
Ben: A tad on the bitter end. I expected more hop flavors and aroma. I am finding myself becoming more and more disappointed in the offerings from this brewer.

Lucky Bucket IPA

Lucky Bucket Brewing Company
La Vista, Nebraska

APPEARANCE: 2.25/3
Deep copper-brown. Slight haze. Almond color head with big bubbles that lasts.

AROMA: 3.25/4
Good hop floral nose. Citrus - grapefruit dominant. Bready. Nice.

TASTE: 6.75/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 2.75/4: Hop bitterness dominant. Some citrus hop flavors. Some sweetness but could use more malt to offset the bitterness.
Aftertaste: 2/3: Bitterness lingers. Slight malty sweetness fades quickly. Slight astringency. Some chemical/metallic off-flavors.
Mouth-Feel: 2/3: Full mouth-feel. Tad over-carbonated. Light-bodied.

OVERALL: 2/3: Bitterness really dominates. Could use a little more body and maltiness. A good beer but has room to be improved upon.

TOTAL: 14.25/20–I'll Try A Pint

NOTES:
Matt: Hoppy, which I like, but the hop bitterness is overwhelming. Needs more body. If they take our advice this could be a good beer. Still, cool label.
Ben: A tad too much bittering hop for the body and maltiness. An adequate beer. I like it better than their pilsner.

Sierra Nevada Estate Homegrown Ale

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Chico, California

APPEARANCE: 2.5/3
Orange-copper color. Cloudy, off-white, foamy, rocky head. Big bubbles.

AROMA: 3.25/4
Strong hop nose. Citrus/grapefruit. Malty, meadowy, piney.

TASTE: 8/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3.25/4: Grassy, woody. Hop flavor dominant. Fades to strong hop bitterness. Very bready—raisin bread. Slight sourness.
Aftertaste: 2.5/3: Bitter end, some sourness. Malt fades quickly, bitterness sticks around. Starts grassy, ends woody.
Mouth-Feel: 2.25/3: Thin; has body, but on the weaker side. Appropriately carbonated.

OVERALL: 2.5/3: Very green—the wet hop quality is there. Needs more body to offset the bitterness. Overall, a good beer.

TOTAL: 16.25/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: Tough call—I like it, it's refreshing; yet, hop flavor fades too quickly to note, too thin, too bitter. Sierra Nevada occasionally suffers from the high expectations we place on them, alas.

Ben: Don't get me wrong, I like this beer. It does fall short on body. It's green, but wet-hop, so it's to be expected. Worth a try when it comes out once a year.

Stone IPA

Stone Brewing Company
Escondido (San Diego County), CA

APPEARANCE: 2.5/3
White, foamy head, laces the glass. Honey gold color, slight haze.

AROMA: 3.5/4
Hop! Citrus, grapefruit, orange, sweetbread.

TASTE: 8.5/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3.5/4: Hop flavor! Appropriately malty. Citrus, bready notes. Big citrus.
Aftertaste: 2.5/3: Bitterness throughout, settles on the back of the tongue. Residual sweetness, but hop is dominant.
Mouth-Feel: 2.5/3: Very full, rich. Hop fills the mouth. A bit alcohol-y.

OVERALL: 2.5/3: This is a very good beer–nicely balanced between hop and malt. A classic IPA (available in Kansas soon, we hope).

TOTAL: 17/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: A really solid IPA, big and rich, hoppy throughout. Nicely done.
Ben: Tough to find in Kansas. Phenomenal on tap. Should be on any IPA lover's best beers list. Drink one with a pub burger or pizza.

• If you like this, give Stone's Arrogant Bastard a try; we loved it, you will too.