some damn good IPA's out there

[Hugh Conway]

Is it better in the cans?

[abraham]

My sister is coming up from the bay area next week. Any beers I should ask her to bring that don't leave the area? Probably can only ask for one or two bottles. Ipas preferred, not a huge sour fan but willing to get whatever is good right now

[~mikey b]

we've got a couple of "local" (within a couple hours) IPA's we've been enjoying around here lately - I work occasionally at Cafe Blossom in Twain Harte, and we ALWAYS have Green Flash IPA on tap - we've been having music on Saturday nights here and there this summer.



Our old friends at Tioga-Sequoia Brewing in Fresno brought their General Sherman IPA and the Double Dry Hopped Sherman for gigs with the Little Fuller Band and Dyemusica recently. Both have been a hit, as well as the (quite hoppy) Mt Whitney Pale Ale, Half Dome Wheat and Tamarack Amber Lager.

This weekend we'll have a visit from the folks at Dust Bowl Brewing in Turlock. In addition to the flagship Hops of Wrath IPA, I'll be pouring a small batch IPA and a couple other brews they made for us. Music will be provided by Lonesome Locomotive.

Both Tioga-Sequoia and Dust Bowl are brewing some very good beer that sells for a couple bucks less than the big boys. Every bit as good as some of the usual choices.

[abraham]

Hmm, one side of the family is just outside Fresno. I'll have to check it out next time I visit.

Oh and not an ipa but the firestone walker double dba was delicious abd didn't taste as strong as it was. For cost thigh I'd probably stick with green flash's barleywine

[SchralphMacchio]

My sister is coming up from the bay area next week. Any beers I should ask her to bring that don't leave the area? Probably can only ask for one or two bottles. Ipas preferred, not a huge sour fan but willing to get whatever is good right now

Bay area? And your sister? And she can ONLY bring you 1 or 2???? And NO naked pics????????

Calicraft Buzzerkeley (beer-meade hybrid that will blow your mind, brewed with a mix of belgian and champagne yeast, with a base of pale malts and honey)
Drakes Aroma Coma (summer seasonal IPA from the east bay)
Knee Deep Simtra (triple IPA that might be the best year-round brew in its class ... not that many are bottling 11% IPAs year round, but still)
anything by Almanac (they've been killing it with the Belgian pales and farmhouse ales lately)
Russian River Supplication or Consecration (these are sours)

That ought to do you well

[abraham]

Bay area? And your sister? And she can ONLY bring you 1 or 2???? And NO naked pics????????

Calicraft Buzzerkeley (beer-meade hybrid that will blow your mind, brewed with a mix of belgian and champagne yeast, with a base of pale malts and honey)
Drakes Aroma Coma (summer seasonal IPA from the east bay)
Knee Deep Simtra (triple IPA that might be the best year-round brew in its class ... not that many are bottling 11% IPAs year round, but still)
anything by Almanac (they've been killing it with the Belgian pales and farmhouse ales lately)
Russian River Supplication or Consecration (these are sours)

That ought to do you well

Yes, yes, yes and no thank god. She's stopping by on her way to Australia so won't have space for much.

1st and 3rd sound really good. Want the biggest fan of the knee deep with pineapple 2 years ago but it may have been sitting on the shelf for a while.

I think a friend brought the drakes up recently but maybe it was denoggenizor.

Almanac just started distributing up here a few weeks ago and Russian river used to so I've had those two. Unless there are variations by batch.

Thanks.

[Crass3000]

Surly Wet is coming out soon. Hope the mixture they use turns out well. Wish it was all citra but it's not and there is none in it (still great beer)!!! I always look forward to some Three Floyds "Zombie Dust." Looking to trade for some Alchemist "Heady Topper." Three best I can think of now besides Surly "Abrasive" but that's not coming till Winter.

[SchralphMacchio]

Whole Foods should do your sister well to find those beers. Though Simtra can be a tricky one to find sometimes. There are some decent beer shops sprinkled around the Bay Area, but I live so close to Whole Foods and Beer Revolution so I do 99% of my beer shopping at those two places.

Aroma Coma is nothing like Denogginizer. Denogginizer is high octane syrupy, Aroma Coma is punch you in the nose with a much more dry type of malts.

Nothing special about the RR sours I listed, other than those are great sours to get into the sour game because they are conditioned in generally good quality wine barrels.

[splitter]

Sculpin good. Big Eye, better and cheaper.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using TGR Forums

I've had the big eye. I do like it but lean towards the sculpin. The first of theirs I had was a sculpin with habanero on draft.

Is it better in the cans?

I'm not sure if it's better in cans but I have a bunch of different, free cans from a buddy that worked the local "canfest". And they work a hell of a lot better on the kayak. With all the smoke I haven't been out so they e just been staring at me in my fridge.

[SorryBro]

Just had a Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA. Delicious and had a really nice, sweet aftertaste. A little pricey compared to other 22s ($7.99), but worth a try.

Wish I could have it on tap to compare.

[406]

So good! Although the ~10% abv sneaked up on me.

[abraham]

Fresh squeezed was much better fresh. Just had one a week ago and it wasn't as fruity as I remember. I think Safeway had the for 4.99 also. If you liked it try their armory xpa when you see it. Draft only.

That stone is pretty damn good too, Split a bottle with a buddy last week.

On the topic of cans, my old house did blind triangle tests with sierra nevada pale and found we all preferred the bottled ones. I think there was only a 3 day difference in date codes but they have different recipes as I recall. Sometime I'll try it with more/other beers.

[Lexi-Bell]

The Plaza Bottle Shop in San Leandro just off 580 has an awesome selection of IPAs, was back in my old stomping grounds last month and stumbled into this little gem. Was able to ship some Pliny, Aroma Coma, Hoptologist, simtra, and a couple from high water back to Montana!!

Locally Lewis and Clark brewing in Helena is canning a worthy IPA called Tumbleweeds, also found Red Lodges Broken Nail double on tap quite tasty.

[SchralphMacchio]

^Nice score Lexi, pretty much all of my favorite local shit!
I'll be in MT in October, will keep an eye out for Lewis and Clark.

[~mikey b]

Sierra Nevada Flipside Red IPA

[snapt]

FINALLY got my hands on a Heady Topper via an East Coast friend. So good, as big of a Pliny fan boy I am, I think it trumps it. Available in a pint can to boot.

[butterscotch]

Just had a Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA. Delicious and had a really nice, sweet aftertaste. A little pricey compared to other 22s ($7.99), but worth a try.

Wish I could have it on tap to compare.

My dad came back from Oregon raving about this one. Trying to find locally but no luck.

[guroo270]

FINALLY got my hands on a Heady Topper via an East Coast friend. So good, as big of a Pliny fan boy I am, I think it trumps it. Available in a pint can to boot.

I'm in TN and can't seem to track it down. VA only distribution?

[strawjack]

this one was a little fruity and not my favorite initially, but after a few sips it grew on me. what I really enjoyed was the buzz it provided...a smooth chill happy glow buzz.

[schuss]

My local bar in NH seems to have a line on good West Coast Kegs. They currently have Wookey Jack and Enjoy By, not to mention Dogfish Head, Founders and all the New England Regulars.

[snapt]

I'm in TN and can't seem to track it down. VA only distribution?

Unfortunately I have no idea, friends is from Maine and brought it from there. So. Good.

[bmg97]

FINALLY got my hands on a Heady Topper via an East Coast friend. So good, as big of a Pliny fan boy I am, I think it trumps it. Available in a pint can to boot.

I want to try this so bad. Was thinking of driving to VT to get some. Also want to try some Fat Tire.

[DickMerkin]

Just attended a tap takeover by Sirra Nevada...my hop meter is still pinned...

Narwhal... (not an IPA, but nice!)

[snapt]

Last years Narwhal was tasty, pretty much had to chew it but tasty. For an every day IPA right now I'm killing way to many Pako's from Snake River. Really good.

[SchralphMacchio]

Aroma Coma was tapped, I passed on the Narwhale, and settled on FW Double Jack.

Not as malty as I remember from previous batches (it's been a couple years). Starts dry with good bittering hops and no heavy lignins or oak, starts to finish with a subtle hint of tropical fruit, like mango and guava before a last note of oak and more hops.

Damn fine beer. Totally different style from my usual go-tos of Drakes, Russian River, Port.

Schuss, missing you at Portal, homeboy.