[narlus]

harpoon used to be my tried and true, but i've had 3 excellent IPAs recently which rule the roost:

victory hop devil
victory hop wallop
dogfish 60 minute IPA

any others i should seek out, which i can find easily in the northeast?

 

[llkoolkeg]

Brooklyn's isn't bad and it's readily available. McEwen's, also, is decent and shouldn't be a chore to locate.

Myself, I go for the locally brewed ones that are never bottled unless in a growler.

 

[DßR]

Definitely check out the Dogfish 90 minute. Killer. I've never had the 120 minute but I hear it's some powerful stuff.

Tupper's Hop Pocket ale is something I've had a few times, I can't remember much about it other than I liked it a lot.

 

[narlus]

i've had the 90 and it's OK, the 120 is just an over-top-the statement, and i'm convinced that it isn't really meant for human consumption.

 

[llkoolkeg]

i've had the 90 and it's OK, the 120 is just an over-top-the statement, and i'm convinced that it isn't really meant for human consumption.

Agreed...kinda like the seasonal Sam Adams Bocks that are more like currant cognacs. I have awakened in many a strange place the morning of January 1 because of them!

 

[Silver]

Yeah, the 120 sucks. It tastes like distilled hop juice.

Proof that just because you can do something, doesn't mean that you should.

 

[Silver]

Try Stone IPA or Ruination IPA...you should be able to get those.

 

[GumbaFish]

I have a friend who is a bit of a fan of IPA's and he drinks Impaled ale a good amount, its made by middle ages brewery here in syracuse so I would imagine it wouldnt be too hard to find in the northeast.

 

[SkaredShtles]

harpoon used to be my tried and true, but i've had 3 excellent IPAs recently which rule the roost:

victory hop devil
victory hop wallop
dogfish 60 minute IPA

any others i should seek out, which i can find easily in the northeast?

Recently had a friend's neighbor fly me back a Hop Devil by Victory since we can't get 'em in Colorado. I was a bit disappointed....... but maybe that's because I had such high expectations. It was a bit too sweet and lacked the bitters to balance the sweetness. And the hop was there on the nose but lacking in the mouth.

Bull-n-Bush Man Beer (Royal Arms IPA) is still my favorite, followed closely by Great Divide's Hercules Double IPA, followed by Stone IPA and Sierra Nevada's Celebration Ale.

At least those are the favorites right now.

-S.S.-

 

[Fathead]

i've had the 90 and it's OK, the 120 is just an over-top-the statement, and i'm convinced that it isn't really meant for human consumption.

I finally found the 90 at the grocery store last night. YUM! It's very drinkable considering the combination of hops and ABV. So far I have tried 3 Dogfish Head brews (Raison, Indian Brown, and the 90), and they all rock. I'm extremely impressed w/this brewery.

 

[narlus]

i had a 60 on draft last night. goodness. not a fan of the raison d'etre, though. i still need to try the chicory stout.

 

[TreeSaw]

I would recommend Long Trail IPA or Wachusett IPA (Mass. brewery that currently only distributes in Mass.)

 

[johnbryanpeters]

Long Trail's decent, my bud niggy brought some Concord IPA to the 24 hours of the Adirondacks this year, and I thought it was excellent.

J

 

[Tom Church]

I have to say that Brooklyn and the 90 min are teh cream of the crop when it comes to IPA's...Very good stuff...

Dogfish Head is definatly one of my fav breweries...

Tom

 

[Zark]

Red Seal from Mendocino Brewing Company is an excellent, hoppy IPA

 

[berkshire_rider]

Wachusett IPA (Mass. brewery that currently only distributes in Mass.)

Saw that and Wachusett Blueberry in the store yesterday. I opted for the Winter Ale.

 

[snowskilz]

Long trail IPA nice stuff
Hop devil @ Zino's state college

 

[narlus]

i picked up a 6 of Mojo IPA...not bad. i'll do a head to head w/ Hopdevil soon.

 

[Mtbike]

Three Floyds Dreadnaught will knock your head off. Strongest and tastiest IPA on the planet!!!

 

[Mtbike]

Red Seal from Mendocino Brewing Company is an excellent, hoppy IPA

Red Seal is not IPA it's Pale Ale.

 

[SkaredShtles]

Three Floyds Dreadnaught will knock your head off. Strongest and tastiest IPA on the planet!!!

Can you send me a couple? I don't think they distribute to Colorado.........

-S.S.-

 

[SkaredShtles]

Another good one I'd forgotten about but recently got a sixer of:

Il Vicino Wet Mountain IPA.

-S.S.-

 

[SkaredShtles]

Ah found me anuther one! Picked up a sixer of Great Divide Titan IPA. Hoppy with balanced bitters.

Sorta like their Hercules Double IPA with a little less of a wallop. Good stuff!

-S.S.-

 

[McGRP01]

I :love: IPA!!!! The hoppier the better!!! Long Trail IPA is my all-time favorite (so far). My hometown brewery, Davidson Bros. - www.sayipa.com - makes a kickass IPA as well!! Check it out if you see it around anywhere!!

 

[narlus]

visitor, welcome to the RM beer forum. i'll have to do a blind tasting of the smuttynose vs hopdevil. should be interesting.

 

[MMcG]

Having been all over New England and NY I have hit a ton of brew pubs.

Actually up in NY this past weekend I tried Middle Ages Im Paled Ale, pretty good on tap and at the Blue Tusk in Syracus on CASK was outstanding! Davidson Bros does make a killer IPA as well. Stay away from Ithica B.C. IPA's left me wanting a real IPA, although their Red Casscazzila(?) was pretty hoppy and not bad.

Forgot which Dogfish Head IPA I tried but it tasted almost sweet. Since I forgot which one I had and hated so much I do not dare try any others. (Anyone have any idea which one I tried?)

Hop Devil is not bad either but takes a back seat to Smuttynose in my book.

If you stop in CT and can get to Willimantic Brewing / Main St Cafe - David makes KILLER IPAs and always has at least one on tap.

Other fav IPAs that can be bought in CT are:
Smuttynose IPA (NH)
Magic Hat HiPA (VT) (Seasonal?)
Long Trail IPA (VT)
Thomas Hooker IPA (CT) - Troutbrook

In CT we can not get Davidson Bros, or Middle Ages. Long Trail IPA is often hard to come by as well.

Man, I should document all the beers and brew pubs I have been too...

I really like the IPAs from the Willmantic Brewing Company/Main St. Cafe!! I used to live in Mansfield and would eat and drink there quite often. Miss that place now that I live on the other side of the CT river.

Where in CT do you live visitor??

 

[McGRP01]

Tried something new last night, and I'm in love!!! :love:

 

[SkaredShtles]

Tried something new last night, and I'm in love!!! :love:

All right. Gonna have to try me a sixer. Can you give me your impressions?

-S.S.-

 

[McGRP01]

All right. Gonna have to try me a sixer. Can you give me your impressions?

-S.S.-

Well, I could only find it in 22oz. bottles, but if it had been in 6-packs I would have bought a case. I drank this bottle as suggested, at "cellar temperature". I suggest that it not be chilled to cold as it would seem to weaken the palate. It was superiorly hoppy, which is what I love!! Plenty of bite, but with a suprisingly sweet-ish taste. Went down smoooooth but, as I said, had that biting aftertaste. Mmmm!!! Also of note, is that it's 7.7% abv, which I didn't realize until I was just about finish with it and it hit me.

Here's Stone's Press Release on the Ruination....

"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Greg Koch / Stone Brewing Co.
5/20/2002 (760) 471-4999

Stone Brewing on the Path to Ruination


San Marcos, CA --- "In the ever continuing quest by Stone Brewing to appeal
to the masses…." No, scratch that. Hmm, let’s try "Stone Brewing's new
release destined for trendy appeal…." Nope. Hardly. OK, how about "New
brew from Stone Brewing likely to be a hit amongst light beer fans…." Ouch.
Way off base. Nowhere even close.

The real lead-in line should of course read "Stone Brewing, experts in
pushing the limits of the IPA style, brews up another winner." And a winner
it is. Patterned after the famous Stone Anniversary IPAs, this new brew is
born. Weighing in at massive 100+ IBUs (International Bitterness Units) and
7.7% alc/vol, this baby is a screamer!
And the name? Stone Ruination IPA. So named, the bottle's label states,
"because of the immediate ruinous effect on your palate." Stone Ruination
IPA is the first new year-round release from Stone Brewing since the
introduction of the infamous Arrogant Bastard Ale more than four and a half
years ago. "It is a really big deal for us to decide to release Stone
Ruination IPA on a year-round basis," said Stone CEO Greg Koch. Stone
Ruination IPA will be the fifth beer that the brewery will make available
all the time, adding to their current line up of Stone Pale Ale, Stone
Smoked Porter, Stone IPA and Arrogant Bastard Ale.

Not surprisingly, those who seek, crave and rejoice in beers with big, bold
bitter character will find true nirvana in Stone Ruination IPA. However,
Stone CEO Greg Koch comments "I have found it quite interesting that people
who previously felt that bitterness in beer was unappealing have discovered
joy in the startlingly bracing and uniquely refreshing bitter character of
Stone Anniversary IPAs." Still, Stone wouldn't go so far as to recommend
Stone Ruination IPA to someone who prefers drinks that taste like LifeSavers
candies. "This beer is, after all, a celebration of hoppiness," reports
Koch, which may explain the phrase on the front of the Ruination IPA's label
that reads "A Liquid Poem to the Glory of the Hop."

Stone Ruination IPA will be released on Monday, June 10th, 2002 in Southern
California. Following soon after will be selected areas in Northern
California, Arizona, Oregon, Alaska, Virginia, Pennsylvania.

Stone Ruination IPA will be available in 22oz bottles. There will be no draft.

www.stonebrew.com

 

[SkaredShtles]

Well, I could only find it in 22oz. bottles, but if it had been in 6-packs I would have bought a case. I drank this bottle as suggested, at "cellar temperature". I suggest that it not be chilled to cold as it would seem to weaken the palate. It was superiorly hoppy, which is what I love!! Plenty of bite, but with a suprisingly sweet-ish taste. <snip>

Interesting...... I've found sweet IPAs to be not to my liking, but I'm gonna try some of this stuff. For example - I didn't like the Hop Devil from Victory, but my buddy still has a couple bottles in the fridge and we're going to do another tasting and try to throw out our ideas of what a proper "super-IPA" should taste like...

Oh - and for the record, *any* ale worth its salt should be served at cellar temp. I almost always find that these beefy IPAs taste better the longer I've left them in my glass.

-S.S.-

 

[SkaredShtles]

Anybody tried the Lagunitas Maximus IPA? Got a 22oz bomber of it last night and will probably break it open this evening......... just wondering if there were any impressions that people already have of it.

 

[Silver]

Anybody tried the Lagunitas Maximus IPA? Got a 22oz bomber of it last night and will probably break it open this evening......... just wondering if there were any impressions that people already have of it.

As hoppy as a meth addled kangaroo...

Seriously, it's hoppy, but in a good way. Same type of beer as the Ruination, pretty much.

 

[SkaredShtles]

As hoppy as a meth addled kangaroo...

Seriously, it's hoppy, but in a good way. Same type of beer as the Ruination, pretty much.

Yeah - it had a really nice hoppy smell. But the hoppiness wasn't overpowering in the mouth. I liked it............

But I like the Great Divide Titan better. A bit more aggressive in the hop department.

-S.S.-

 

[Silver]

My favorite in that style is a tie between the Ruination and the Hoptown DUIPA, looking at my ratings.

I'll have to put Titan on my list.

 

[schwaaa31]

Wachusetts IPA is pretty good. I prefer their Summer Ale though. They are also VERY MTB friendly. The owners all ride, and they are the main sponsor of our DH team. Mmmmmm free beer