Best IP{As

Whoa! Hey! Ah jest seen a ghost!

Assuming you're still in the Bay Area, though, there's no shortage of palatable IPAs in your neck o' the woods, what with Moylan's, Marin Brewing, Russian River, Third Street, Bear Republic, Magnolia, and 21st Amendment. And there's even more good stuff from San Diego.

Had Goose Island IPA last night with dinner. Well-balanced and, yes, quite drinkable. Recommended.

I am hear forever, yes! I just posted the most recent faves as it is impossible to say the best. Race 5 always one of my tops, and I am "limiting" my choice to 12 oz. bottles.

I posted my photo of Russian's awesome Pliny already.

I have not had a Goose IPA since Chicago two years ago. Hard to find here. I love it though!

It's going to get easier to find. I had it on tap ... in Seattle. Goose Island is now another "partner" in the Anheuser-Busch distributor network.

Hmmm. I think my two favorite IPAs this month would have to be Titan IPA from Great Divide and "Man Beer" from Bull & Bush (Denver brewpub). Wait! This month has just begun! Agh! Do I get to have another favorite mid-month IPA?

_Randal

Ken Papai! Holy crap! We thought you wuz dead.

Ken, do you ever drink at Zeitgeist? Somehow, I am always reminded of you when I am there.

Glad to see you're still fighting the good fight.

(currently Netflixing B-5, which also brings you to mind)

Yo Ken!

Luckily for you, since you replied to an article posted in July you;re grandfathered in. You get another selection for August.

My July pick is Meantime IPA (Meantime Brewing, Greenwich UK). Finally, an IPA from England that is deserving of the designation. Hoppy, malty, strong, like I imagine IPAs were back in the day.

No, just trying to be "good" and not too hooked on the newsgroups. Same ol' 'ol!

I go to the Toronado about 4 times / year only, and then usually early Saturday afternoon and have not seen a familiar face their (except behind the bar) in a couple years.

Always cool to see Scheidt, Plutchak, and Binkley still around. Charlie I have lost touch of. New email perhaps. I wish I knew!

I have only heard of the Z. Do not even know where it is.

Always, always! I'll be in Houston area (Nacogdoches) this Aug 3-7 weekend so please think of me in the better climes. I doubt there is ANY good beer in Nac. unless I pack it in myself.

Ha! Cool. Season III was THE BEST. Pure science fiction.

-Ken

Ken Ya Sorry Bastard:

First off, you need to get down to San Diego and try some of those Alpine beers that Tom always has on tap at O'Brien's.

Secondly, you need to get your ass out here to the East Coast and do some traveling around Old Dominion, Victory, Stoudt's, Sly Fox, etc.

Charlie

Well, f*ck a duck. Ken Papai and Michael Stewart back from the dead in the same month?

We ended up judging that one best IPA at the LA County Fair beer comp last year. I give them huge kudos for finding something different to do with the style while still very much being in the vein of an American IPA.

Long time since I've had that. Availability in southern California has always been spotty.

I haven't added them up, but it almost seems like you could get that many from northern California alone.

Of course, I've pretty much let myself get in a rut with drinking Racer 5 8 times out of 10. There are worse ruts to find oneself in.

-Steve

My favorite recently was Schooner's IPA ... (from Schooner's Grille & Brewery in Antioch). According to their website

We gave it first place at another competition last month.

Although the body and malt character was a bit weak (sort of like how I'd describe Speakeasy's Big Daddy IPA), the hops character was just fabulous. Extremely wonderful hop nose. The only thing that has ever come close for me was the El Toro Double IPA.

Although, I still love Racer 5. Oh, and also I liked Speakeasy's Double Daddy. It has the malt character I find lacking in their Big Daddy IPA (which I'll probably be drinking gallons of, at their upcoming aniversary party).

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote:

July was Sierra Nevada's Torpedo. Maybe not a classic IPA (doesn't even have IPA in the name), but I was digging it. The early front-runner in August is cask-conditioned Saint Arnold Elissa. However, I have a week in NoCal coming up mid-month, so I expect the Texan to be severely challenged.

And I sincerely hope that NoCal will be at least a few degrees cooler than Austin by then.

dave sweltering in austin

Racer 5 always works for me, but I don't get it too often. The closest it comes to Kansas is Colorado.

Bell's Two Hearted is my favorite that I can actually drink regularly.

----------------------------------------------------- Pete Clouston Lawrence (KS) Brewers Guild

And that's probably my favorite that I can't drink regularly. That, or Goose Island's IPA.

-Steve

Cap'n Bung, et al...

Nacogdoches had one store that sold Doghead 60 minute and 90 minutes IPA. Also I think Hop Devil was also on sale there.

The bars served only dreck (Lone Star or Coors Lite). It sure is freakin' hot and HUMID there! I still had fun and we had another official IPA taste off, Three Floyds Dreadnaught won. We washed/rinsed our glasses with the Lone Star piss.

-Ken