Those of you who know even a little bit about my beer preferences know that I am an avid hophead. I love the crisp bite of a big, bold India Pale Ale - IPA - and particularly enjoy a style known as American Double IPA (DIPA). For a great description of the style, check out what the Bros Alstrom over at BeerAdvocate.com (BA) have to say.
Hoppy beers have been described as funky, skunky, piney, citrusy, woodsy and any number of adjectives that capture the sharp, almost peppery bite of a good DIPA. The hop flower, pictured above right, is what gives these beers their kick. I usually ask people who are curious about the style if they like grapefruit juice: if they scrunch their noses and make a face, then I don't recommend the style. Still curious but a bit put off by the potential bitterness? Starting with a gateway beer like a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is a great way to prep your palate for hoppier fare.
But if you're ready to take a deeper dive into the hoppier realm, then check out the list that follows, with links to reviews on BeerAdvocate.com. I've been fortunate enough to enjoy several of the top rated beers listed on BA as representative of the style including the following random dozen or so:
Dogfish Head's 90-minute IPA
Russian River Brewing's Pliny the Elder
Victory Hop Wallop
Avery Maharaja
Lagunitas Hop Stoopid
Lagunitas Maximus
Double Dog Double Pale Ale
AleSmith YuleSmith (Summer - with the blue and red label)
Moylan's Hopsickle Imperial India Pale Ale
Port Brewing Co's Hop 15
Hair of the Dog's Blue Dot - Double India Pale Ale
Alpine Pure Hoppiness
You can score most of these beers at your local Whole Foods Market or at better beer and wine stores.
And then there is the style known as American Strong Ale, best represented IMHO by Stone's Arrogant Bastard. I recently lost my mind and waxed poetic about it in an Examiner.com review - a tribute really - titled One Glorious Bastard.
What can I say? I love this stuff!
Have a Hoppy Easter!
(Hop flower photo by DuĊĦan Gavenda on stock.xchng)
