A recent release at California’s Firestone Walker may be a window into where IPA is headed, going for clarity and lean fermentation while borrowing hop-saturation hocus-pocus from the hazy grimoire. Brewmaster Matt Brynildson explains.
**Aroma:** “Very unique but subtle hop flavors: white wine, pear, grape juice, light spice/peppery. Some malt sweetness evident. Somewhat restrained hop profile with slight citrus, earthy almost Noble hop character.” **Flavor:** “An intense hop juiciness, with white wine, gooseberry, lemon grass, pineapple, melon. Not much malt character—hop flavor is the show! Finish is mostly bitter but balanced, with a slight lingering bitterness.” **Overall:** “A wonderfully hoppy beer in the best way. Bitterness is appropriate, though a touch more malt character would be good. Hops are decidedly American with citrus and pine at the forefront. Lacks complexity of some others, but still very tasty.”
Since any general “top breweries” list will inevitably slant toward those that make IPAs, we asked about your favorite beers and brewers in these eight specific style categories.
Aroma: “Moderately hoppy up front with a citrus and herbal character. There seems to be a mix of New School and more traditional hops. Behind the hops, there’s a bit of chocolate, rich Munich-type malt, and a touch of roast.” Flavor: “More citrus in the flavor up front with lemongrass and herbal hops. The malt is fairly light, and there’s background chocolate and rich malt. Moderate sweetness up front into high bitterness in the finish that’s quite astringent. There’s a low alcohol warmth in the finish as well.” Overall: “An interesting attempt at hybridizing styles. Has aspects of the clean, dry, crisp drinkability of a Pilsner, with a unique color and harsh roast malt flavors.”
__Aroma:__ “Really nice herbal hops notes (pine, juniper berry) come up front with a citrus note (orange, grapefruit) on the back. All clean and bright and neither overwhelming or underwhelming (just whelming). Light medium toasted malt hides in the background.” __Flavor:__ “Wonderful, complex pine and citrus hops character blends nicely with just enough malt sweetness to balance and give it a soft body. Beer is slightly sweet for the style until the very finish which is nice and dry.” __Overall:__ “Easy drinking, fun, and boozy with all of the classic pieces for the style: a hops profile that isn’t overly dank and resinous, but with some malt body and presence to balance. Maybe just a touch too much sweetness mid-palate. Overall, a great beer that offers all that I would want in an IIPA.”
**Aroma:** “Fruity hops of orange, lemon, lemongrass, bergamot, mango, and tangerine, with the tangerine the dominant of the bunch. Resinous, spicy hops, with some woody notes, as well as some dank and cellar elements, hops candy, and a bit of honey with a light cinnamon bite. The malt is sweet with a bit of wheat character.” **Flavor:** “Hops-dominated, resinous and sticky, with some woody and piney notes. Very lemony, with some spice and citrus, and the bitterness is not overwhelming. Bergamot and lemongrass, and moderate sweetness that slowly fades into a low-to-moderate bitterness. Honey, sweet bready malt, and raw wheat. It’s very dry, with an intensely bitter finish.” **Overall:** “This was a great showcase for the late hops additions. The touch of cinnamon bite was nice, and it complemented the pine and woodiness well. The hops were incredibly interesting, intense, and fun.”
“Aroma presents a sweet rainbow bubblegum character. Mouthfeel is light, crisp, and well-carbonated. Flavor is lighter than the aroma, but still has subtle candy-like hints. A mineral note and a very high carbonation keep this from being cloying.”
**Aroma:** “Light malt sweetness. Strong hop character. Resinous, piney, light citrus, floral, slightly grassy, lemon zest, grapefruit. Aroma is intense—pine salty. It’s a bit deceptive because the juicy aroma is huge, but the flavor is more subtle.” **Flavor:** “A balanced flavor that has hops and malt done well. Hop flavors similar to aroma but not as intense. Light to medium malt sweetness.” **Overall:** “Delicious session IPA with a complex, bright hop character that really shines thanks to the restrained alcohol and body. Creamy, body-wise for a session IPA. Bitterness is well balanced but lingers long enough to make it memorable.”
Going beyond your No. 1 fave brewer, we asked you for your favorite beers and brewers in eight specific style categories, from saisons to stouts (and, of course, IPAs).
Aroma: “Light aroma overall with spiciness—perhaps thyme. Tropical fruit (mango, papaya), with a citrus undertone that brings in grapefruit, lemon, and orange. Some grassy and pine edge and some floral perfume esters. A low malt aroma initially becomes more obvious as the beer sits.” Flavor: “Big citrus and clean medium bitterness up front. Some spice. Nice esters: melon, tropical fruit.” Overall: “Hops spiciness, hops bitterness, and carbonation create a bitter sensation on the palate in the beginning of the sip. It transitions softly to a light lemongrass and fruity characteristic before a slight bitterness arrives. Delicate. An interesting light pale ale that accentuates fruity/tart hops character over a dry easy-drinking beer.”
Aroma: “Delicate and interesting. Very fruity—peach, passion fruit, orange, blueberry—and a touch of pine and grass with a pleasant underlying spiciness. Grainy malt aroma.” Flavor: “Malt is about as simple as it can get—likely using some Pilsner malt to brighten things up beyond just plain 2-row pale malt. Hops are fruity (peach) and floral with just a touch of pine. Underlying spice notes add complexity. Finishes clean with a smooth lingering bitterness.” Overall: “Light, clean, and easy-drinking but with hops complexity that keeps it from being one dimensional. Interesting peach aroma and flavor. The underlying spicy/herbal character throughout avoids coming across as medicinal and instead adds an intriguing aroma and lingering complexity on the finish.”
“Light, fruity aromatics of orange, strawberry, mango with a subtle pine note in the background. Subtle whisp of crackery background creates the canvas for the hops. Aromatics outweigh the flavor. Balanced bitterness is gentle. The finish is clean and crisp.”
Aroma: “Clean, slight sulfur, low malt and hops aroma overall. Some lemongrass-like citrus in front of some sweet bread maltiness. Floral notes shine through as you rouse it. Retronasal brings out some nice orange and tangerine citrus notes as well as more floral character.” Flavor: “The complement of the citrus hops notes and the malt sweetness give a candy sweetness, almost like a muted Smarties or Skittles. Frosted- Flakes–flavored skim milk after all the cereal is eaten but the milk remains. Bitterness is a bit restrained, but any more would probably upset the unique malt and hops combination.” Overall: “Wonderfully unique and boundary-pushing beer that isn’t for the traditionalist, but worth seeking out nonetheless.”
**Aroma:** “Moderate caramel, a touch of licorice and molasses, dark chocolate, moderate coffee, moderate smoke phenol. Medium alcohol heat, roasted peanuts, hint of cacao nibs, rose esters. Moderate citrus hops.” **Flavor:** “Malt flavors are excellent—dark chocolate, dark roasted coffee, slightly caramelized sweet finish. Moderate smoke. Hint of piney hops bitterness. Light body. Sweetened black coffee with a boozy shot added. Dark fruit reminiscent of abbey styles. I’m not sure what they’re attempting with this one.” **Overall:** “The flavor profile is excellent, but the body is a bit light to support all the malt complexity. Caramel coffee—like a (boozy) specialty drink from the coffee shop. A touch of Belgian ester character.”
Short’s Brewing Company, 21st Amendment Brewery, and Funkwerks all involved with big deals to larger breweries.
**Aroma:** “Light toasty pils malt with very light fruitiness and some sulfur. Very subtle floral, noble hop character. Malt is clean and almost bready. Some light vegetable notes.” **Flavor:** “Sweet but balanced malt is a bit too toasty for the style. Little to no hop bitterness. A hint of ethanol. Clean, crisp finish, well-carbonated and dry. Some faint butter notes in the finish. Almost some caramel character.” **Overall:** “Unbalanced, but in a pleasing way. Not quite a classic Czech Pilsner style, but enjoyable nonetheless. Hops could use a boost as it’s fairly delicate for the style. Refreshing and easy-drinking.”
**Aroma:** “Leads with an intense hop aroma backed with grassy notes and strong citrus, with hints of tropical fruit and lemon plus a noticeable malt sweetness.” **Flavor:** “Hop character carries through with a unique and complex profile ripe with sweet citrus and tropical fruit but balanced with a dose of spruce. Hints of orange marmelade and candied grapefruit come through. Subtle bread crust flavor in the malt, and a slight amount of alcohol heat in the clean finish.” **Overall:** “A bright and flavorful beer that’s a bit low on bitterness and body for a double IPA, but is thoroughly balanced. It’s a great beer that’s a bit strong for an IPA but not as strong as other double/imperial IPAs. If you can get past the style definition, it won’t disappoint.”
**Aroma:** “Juicy, resiny hops prevail, with nice pine and grapefruit notes and a touch of must. Malt and yeast are mostly absent in aroma. Bright citrus and cattiness play well together.” **Flavor:** “Very juicy and citrusy with lemon, orange, and tangerine notes—the aroma promises, and the flavor over-delivers. The hops fruity sweetness carries through to the dry and clean finish. The complex floral and spice rack pungency in the hops flavor is beautiful and yet quite different from what was suggested in the aroma. Very carbonic and juicy yet dry.” **Overall:** “A bright, juicy APA that smells and tastes like fresh hops resin, this beer beautifully showcased the hops. Very, very enjoyable. It’s quite an unexpected and delicious beer with unique hops choices that allow it to showcase and shine light onto new hops flavors. It’s very carbonated and dry, very tasty, and probably one of the best we’ve had.”
**Aroma:** “Heavy florals, mixing between hops floral notes and actual flowers, and a slight earthy, herbal character sitting underneath. Yet somehow, it doesn’t come off as perfume-like. Wheat, with some caramel malt, mild honey, and fruity esters of mango, banana, and grapefruit. Dank, resinous hops dominate.” **Flavor:** “Way out of style for a wit, and the hoppiness is the star of the show, ranging from floral, catty, and fruity to piney, citrusy, and earthy. Nice spice character, and lots of big fruity esters of cherry, strawberry, orange, and bubblegum. The wheat and malt balance the flavor, but the finish is dry and bitter.” **Overall:** “The beer drinks almost like a double white Belgian IPA—to call it a mere hopped-up wit or a white IPA is a bit of an understatement. It’s very hoppy, with some citrus and pine, and a bit of yeast esters and spice in the background.”
__Aroma:__ “Huge barrel characters of roasted coconut, vanilla, dark chocolate, and a rich, woody, bourbon, and fruity character that almost comes off vinous. Some raisin and plum emerge as it warms, with some rum-like sweetness.” __Flavor:__ “Intense barrel flavors, with strong vanilla, coconut, bourbon, and light roasted almond. The beer has heft but doesn’t sit too heavily on the tongue. Really nice creaminess rounds it out. Very complex beer with a lingering malt character of chocolate and rum.” __Overall:__ “An excellent coupling of beer and barrel. The barrel flavors heighten the beer, and the beer flavors accentuate the barrel. The sweetness is nicely balanced with the roast and charred oak. Great harmony between the fruity esters and the bourbon/rum character sweetness. Fantastic complex beer that really shines as it warms, inviting another sip.”