Beer Nut: Top 10 historical IPAs

I was fortunate a week or so ago when my friend Shannon was way up in Vermont and was kind enough to snag me a few hard-to-get (in Western Massachusetts) Hill Farmstead IPAs.

Both were excellent, but that’s not what I’m writing about today. As I was drinking them, it occurred to me that a lot of IPAs today (even great ones) don’t excite me as much as some from yesteryear.

Maybe my palate has changed. (In fact, I know it has – everyone’s does) but I also think there are other factors at play. I prefer West Coast IPAs, and that style has taken a back seat to hazy New England IPA craze, which seems to dominate beer shelves and tap lines. Also, there are almost too many of them for any particular one to distinguish itself. (I’m not saying some don’t set themselves apart, just that it’s rare to my tastes.)

So today I thought it would be fun for me to list my top 10 historical IPAs. This is just my opinion, of course, but I think many of you will agree with a lot of my choices. I decided not to include any local IPAs because I don’t want people thinking I included them due to regional bias or because I’m friends with the brewer.

I decided to even rank them in order:

Pretty Things Meadowlark IPA

Meadowlark was the brainchild of Dann and Martha Paquette during their all-too-brief journey as the Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project. It was a perfect melange of floral hops, mildly juicy citrus notes and other summer fruits. flowery hops. It was basically a perfect beer And tops my list.

Stone 10th Anniversary IPA

This beast of a beer was drenched in dank and resiny aromas and flavors. It packed a wallop at 10% ABV, but that alcohol burn wasn’t really noticeable on the tongue. A complex and totally satisfying brew.

Dogfish Head 75-minute IPA

At one point in my life, I might have chosen the 90-minute IPA, but after having this beauty of a beer, there was no turning back. Pine and fresh grass notes with a hint of maple make this brew a classic.

Green Flash West Coast IPA

Grapefruit is the dominant flavor here, with pine notes wrapping it all up for a classic West Coast package. Not recommended for those who require a solid malt backbone, but I don’t always need that in a great IPA.

Rogue I2PA

One of the first real big IPAs I enjoyed regularly. While probably not as uber-hoppy as some of today’s hop bombs, the sumptuous blend of Cascade and Saaz hops made this beer special.

Haverhill Brewery (The Tap) LeatherLips IPA

I feel a bit sheepish about including a second Dann Paquette beer on this list, but I’m trying to be real. This was as good as almost any beer I had before or since. At only 5% ABV, it gave a great pop of flavor for a minimal amount of booze.

Ballast Point Sculpin

There are plenty of offshoots and iterations of this renowned IPA, but I’m referring to the original from circa 2005: A cornucopia of juicy fruit notes from lemon to mango make this a perfect summer IPA.

Bear Republic Racer 5

A beer that shaped the concept of the West Coast IPA, Racer 5 won innumerable awards for its balanced hop-forward (at the time) recipe.

Anchor Liberty Ale

Maybe this is a sentimental inclusion, but the first craft IPA deserves a mention for its subtle grapefruit flavors, overall well-balanced taste and clean finish.

Lagunitas IPA

In the interest of fairness, this entry might have been Russian River’s Pliny the Elder if I could find my notes on it. But Lagunitas certainly isn’t a weak substitute. Plenty of citrus, albeit somewhat sweeter than most IPAs.

Did I miss your favorite? Let me know at [email protected].

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