Stepping into a beer shop, bar, craft brewery, pub or restaurant, it’s highly unlikely that you won’t see multiple selections of IPAs to choose from. In the craft beer world, IPAs reigns supreme, and their hop-forward goodness takes up most of the beer market.
Beer ultimately comes down to just four ingredients—hops, grains, yeast and water. What differentiates IPAs from other beers are the hops. The hops selected by the brewer play the largest role in determining the flavor profile of the final outcome. IPA hop flavors typically range from floral, fruity and citrusy to more earthy and piney flavors. A brewer can choose to add different ingredients such as fruits, spices or sugars to alter the flavor and texture further.
Tweaks to all of these variables yield the incredible array of IPA styles available on the market today.
Here are eight IPAs from our Top 50 Beer list of 2021.
4 Noses Hop Cannon; $17 16 oz/4 pack. This is a soft and tropical IPA, with lots of mango, passion fruit, ripe guava… SEE SCORE AND FULL REVIEW
Crooked Stave Mountain Rain; $12 12 oz/6 pack. This is a pale straw yellow and hazy ale, with a head that dissipates quickly but laces the glass. Aromas of berry… SEE SCORE AND FULL REVIEW
Dogfish Head Hazy-O; $10 12 oz/6 pack. From a brewery that knows hops and how to use them comes a hazy offering brewed with oat milk… SEE SCORE AND FULL REVIEW
Hop Butcher for the World Be the HBC India Pale Ale; $15. Hop growers are experimenting with new varieties and brewers are eager to brew with them… SEE SCORE AND FULL REVIEW
Radiant Enlighten Yourself; $17 16 oz/4 pack. This is lightly funky and tart, with a delightful grapefruit sourness on the first sip. That continues… SEE SCORE AND FULL REVIEW
Rockwell Velour Tracksuit; $12 16 oz/4 pack. On the clearer side of haze, this berry-forward IPA balances between juicy and bitter, and does… SEE SCORE AND FULL REVIEW
The Hop Concept Haze Pipe; $12 16 oz/4 pack. This IPA has the juicy components many look for in the category. Clementine, lemon, pine, grapefruit… SEE SCORE AND FULL REVIEW
Weldwerks Advanced Fluid Dynamics x Double India Pale Ale; $18 16 oz/4 pack. It’s OK to get lost in the aroma of this beer for several minutes before taking a first sip. Whipped vanilla… SEE SCORE AND FULL REVIEW
