IPAs!!!!!!!!!!!

Finally trying to get a little consistency to these posts...  up now, a few IPAs!!  Hopefully we all know what an IPA is, but for those of you who don't, open up your ear holes and drool over this knowledge bomb.  Back in the day, those damn Brits were "colonizing" everywhere, aka being land-hogging douches.  And of course, they wanted all their shit with them wherever they went, especially beer and tea.  The beer part is cool, tea...not so much.  One of the beers that was sent to their colonies in India was a pale ale that was slightly stronger and more hopped than most of the time and was meant to be cellared after brewing.  Hence, the journey to India was actually a benefit to this beer.  Lesser hopped beers and those not quite a strong could spoil.  So the new style of beer that was made to send to India became hoppier and known as India Pale Ales.

Magic Hat IPA on Tour! Demo.  From the Magic Hat Winterland Variety pack... a black IPA with 6.0% ABV and 45 IBUs, this pours like a cross between a porter and a highly carbonated pale.  For a black IPA, this is sort of lacking in the nose department.  Faint chocolate/coffee, some hearty roasted malts and muted grassy hops.  A rather thick IPA, even for a black, it was more creamy than it was refreshing.  Taste is heavy on the toasted malts and nuts, chocolate, black coffee....all that transitioned immediately into a mild grassy hop finish.  There was zero carry-over for any of the flavors, from one profile to the other.  Can't say I didn't like this beer, for what it is - a mass-produced black IPA - it's not bad at all.  But it certainly isn't a shining example of the style.

Flying Dog - Snake Dog IPA.  Flying Dog from MD makes all the standard beers, nothing fancy..but they make the beers damn freakin' well!  As the quote from Hunter S. Thompson (also the influence for the name of the brewery and the artwork associated...go ahead, Google it. I'll wait.      ok?  back?  good!) reads, 'Good people drink good beer.' And these sure are good!  A great golden hazy burnt orange pour, this one looks normal, but underneath that glow is a 7.1% ABV IPA with 60 IBUs, quite a bit heartier than your run-of-the-mill IPA.  The gorgeous head stayed with the beer til the very end, allowing the slightly sweet, bready malt nose to constantly shine through, which is overtaken by this wonderful hop aroma, a mix of citrus, pine and grapefruit.. hint of apricot and honey on the nose too!  A super crisp IPA, slightly sweet to begin with with honey and the slightest hints of vanilla combining with  faint caramel and toffee malts...all in place to balance out the kick of hops.  Most IPA have been adding malts to even out the bitterness, Flying Dog didn't.  With only 60 IBUs, what tastes like a lesser ratio of malt to hop results in something that tastes way closer to an 80 or 85 IBU IPA.  Definitely piney bitterness with some citrus and lemon thrown in for good measure and a fairly creamy, yet wholly hop and spicy finish.  A great IPA that joins East and West Coast styles.

Reppin' the local brews!  Ipswich IPA!  Ipswich, MA!  WOOOO!  6.3% ABV and 60 IBUs..pretty solild IPA.  Deep coppery brown pour and a fairly hearty head..the nose of this IPA was surprisingly malty..caramel if you will.  There was the characteristic hoppy aroma too, but a fairly generic one..not distinctly citrusy or piney...just hoppy.  For the taste, again, a bit maltier than most.. a nice toasted nut, toffee malt.  Tasted similar to an Irish Red ale..but with an upfront hop profile and a nice bitter finish.  Rather citrusy and piney... slightly slick, almost oily like a traditional IPA should be.  Nothing terribly notable about this IPA besides the seemingly melding of IPA and Reds ...although not a bad beer at all.  Very unique and a nice IPA overall.

Stone IPA!  If you like your beers big and flavorful..try Stone!  Hoppy Hell.. this is one damned good IPA.  Like any beer they brew, the flavors mesh perfectly and each style seems to be done in the boldest way possible.  A 6.9% ABV with 70 IBUs..I'd venture to say this is the quintessential color for an IPA pour..slightly hazy, golden straw with just a slight head.  A slight crispy, cracker-like malt is hidden behind a crazy hop profile..all are included.. grapefruit, citrus, piney, grassy, floral..just pure hops in the nose.  Again, the malts take a backseat..just enough faint sweetness to balance out the crazy hoppiness and slightly high ABV for an IPA.  This tastes exactly how a fresh hop flower smells..the taste is straight up citrus and piney hops with the bitterness being bitingly crisp and sharp, but not overpowering.  The hops leave a lightly dry aftertaste mingled with some grapefruit, apple and orange.  A delicious, crisp and all-around prime example of an exquisitely done IPA.