Wednesday, August 6, 2014

{6 Women} + 12 Beers = IPA Day Celebration!



In preparation for International IPA Day (which this year falls on August 7th) I asked five women who love craft beer for their local and all-time favorite India Pale Ales. OK, 6 really--but I cheated and included myself. I can do that, right? 

With a few exceptions--Bell's Two Hearted (and old standby) and Tropicália from newly opened Creature Comforts were in quite a few of these ladies' top five picks--most IPA selections were unique. Drink any of these delicious India Pale Ales to celebrate today, or every day! Just not all at once, mkay (#everythinginmoderation)? 

Join the celebration by using #IPAday2014 and tagging any of the Ladies using their handles below on Twitter (or your favorite social media platform). Cheers, y'all! 


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{TOP GEORGIA PICK}
Terrapin's Belgian IPA, Monks Revenge 
Athens, Georgia | Style: Belgian IPA (Cabernet barrel-aged)
9.6% ABV | 82 IBUs

"I've had this beer on draft at Trappeze in Athens and in Atlanta at Brick Store Pub. It's an excellent take on the regular Monks Revenge. The red wine is perfectly present. You almost forget you're drinking an IPA."

From Terrapin: "The high content alcohol of this beer make it perfect for cellaring… hide it away and pull one out for a special event 2-3 years later!"

{CURRENT ALL-TIME FAV} Bell's Two Hearted Ale: Kalamazoo, Michigan 
Style: American IPA | 7% ABV | IBU not listed

"Hands down, Bell's Two Hearted is my all-time favorite. Two Hearted is a classic. Meaning, every craft beer geek remembers when they had their first one. It's truly a solid American IPA, from start to finish."

From Bell's Brewery: "Hopped exclusively with the Centennial hop varietal from the Pacific Northwest, massive additions in the kettle and again in the fermenter lend their characteristic grapefruit and pine resin aromas."

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photo credit Andrew Thomas Lee
{TOP GEORGIA PICK}
Creature Comforts' Tropicália
Athens, Georgia | American IPA
6.5 % ABV |  IBU not listed

"I think the first time I had Tropicália was when brewer David Stein brought a growler to a friend's house. It is delicious with so much flavor—lots of passion fruit. If you're looking for the IPA king of bitterness, this isn't it. It's even better."

From Creature Comforts: "Some folks say they don’t like hoppy beers, and to that we say that hops do not equal bitterness. To us, hops offer a plethora of flavors, not just bitterness; and in Tropicália it’s a beautiful, luscious, fruit journey for your palate to enjoy without fatigue."


{CURRENT ALL-TIME FAV} Bell's Two Hearted Ale: Kalamazoo, Michigan 
Style: American IPA | 7% ABV | IBU not listed

"I went through a phase when I only drank IPAs and its variations (imperial, white, rye), and this still stands out. I remember when even a pale ale was too hoppy for me, so I was proud when my palate developed to the point where I could enjoy this style. Granted, the Two Hearted has a malty vibe that balances things out, but those floral Centennial hops get me every time."

From Bell's Brewery: "Hopped exclusively with the Centennial hop varietal from the Pacific Northwest, massive additions in the kettle and again in the fermenter lend their characteristic grapefruit and pine resin aromas."
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{TOP GEORGIA PICK}
Max Lager's HOPSPLOSION!!! IPA
Atlanta, Georgia | India Pale Ale
8.1% ABV |  90 IBUs

"My current favorite would have to be Max Lager's HOPSPLOSION!!! (that's the way it's spelled by the way). It is definitely a hop bomb with over 70 lbs of Pacific NW hops in each batch!"

From Max Lager's: "Copious amounts of Citra, Amarillo, El Dorado, Ahtanum, Azacca, Centennial and Cascade hops are backed by a mild toasted malt character. Dry hopped twice with even more of this great hop blend, your hop head may explode!"

{Current All-Time Fav} DC Brau, On The Wings of Armageddon: Washington, D.C.
Style: Imperial IPA | 9.2% ABV | IBU not listed

"I lived in DC for 9 years before coming back to Atlanta and my favorite IPA in that area was DC Brau's On the Wings of Armageddon. It has a fantastic hop flavor using a single hop blend Falconers Flight, and really packs a hop punch!"

From DC Braus: "OTWOA is a single hop blend beer utilizing Falconers Flight™. Brewed with just enough Pale malt, Cara-60, CaraPils and Malted wheat to carry the intense hop character onto the pallet."

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{TOP GEORGIA PICK} 
Burnt Hickory Brewing's Cannon Dragger 
Kennesaw, Georgia | Style: American IPA 
8% ABV | IBU not listed

"When the IPA I'm drinking isn't Cannon Dragger, I always kinda wish it was. At 8%, it straddles the line between an IPA and a double IPA, and has a spectacular grapefruit quality and balanced bitterness that I really enjoy. It's gone through several incarnations since it was first introduced, and the brewery isn't bottling or canning just yet, so I never really know what to expect when getting it on draft. But when it's good, it's really good. "

From BHB: "A piney, citrusy, danky IPA, Cannon Dragger is aggressively dosed with “C” hops all threw its journey from the grain to the glass."

{CURRENT ALL-TIME FAV} Odell's IPA: Fort Collins, Colorado 
Style: American IPA | 7% ABV | Bitterness: 60 IBUs

"My all-time favorite IPA at the moment is Odell's IPA. It's a citrusy, smooth honey-like flavor with a mild bitterness that's not overly sweet. My husband brews a version of this beer at home, and it has become our house homebrew IPA, though ours is a bit heavier on the honey spectrum than the original, which I think I prefer."

From Odell Brewing: "We took the traditional IPA, originally shipped from England to India in the 1700′s, and made it bolder and more flavorful – American Style. We’ve added new varieties of highly aromatic American hops [...]."


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{TOP GEORGIA PICK}
Orpheus Brewing's Transmigration of Souls
Atlanta, Georgia | Style: Spring Double IPA
10% ABV | IBU not listed

"Orpheus has done some amazing work in their short time on the market--everyone on their team is very well educated and they have obviously put a lot of thought into their offerings. This double IPA uses some new experimental hops; a bold move with a fantastic result. At 10% Transmigration packs a punch, but the hops are not overly aggressive." 

From Orpheus Brewing: "Transmigration of Souls is an irresponsibly hopped Double IPA, bursting with life from an absurd amount of aromatic hops. You’ll experience a bouquet of orange, lemon, and tropical fruit, sitting on top of a clean, dry malt body."

{CURRENT ALL-TIME FAV} Red Brick Brewing, Gremlin Guidestone: Atlanta, GA  
Style: India Pale Saison | 7% ABV | IBU not listed

"I was a big fan of Gremlin Guidestone, an India Pale Saison brewed with pink peppercorns at around 7%. This beer was originally brewed by Red Brick and Gremlin Growlers for a local charity fundraiser [and is now no longer available]. Because it was such a hit, they brewed it again as a surprise for for their 20th anniversary bash last summer.‎" 

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{TOP GEORGIA PICK}
Red Brick Brewing's Matcha Super Green Yuzu IPA
Atlanta, Georgia | India Pale Ale
7.8% ABV | 62 IBUs

"Red Brick's Matcha is a great balance of citrusy hop bitterness with mild caramel and honey sweetness. It has a pleasing herbal finish with the green tea taste that lingers. I feel healthy while drinking this one and it is great with sushi!"

From Red Brick Brewing: "Resolve your yin and yang and awaken your true brew destiny with this IPA infused with Super Matcha Green Yuzu tea. Earthy, grassy and bright citrus notes balance on a katana blade with the nimble touch of sweet honey malt."

{CURRENT ALL-TIME FAV} Creature Comforts' Tropicália: Athens, Georgia 
American IPA | 6.5 % ABV |  IBU not listed

"Tropicalia has a crispness to the finish. An overall citrusy hop nose with tropical fruit notes that lingers--pineapple, mango--that makes it perfect for summer drinking, and it can already be found on tap at most growlers stores in Atlanta."

From Creature Comforts: "Some folks say they don’t like hoppy beers, and to that we say that hops do not equal bitterness. To us, hops offer a plethora of flavors, not just bitterness; and in Tropicália it’s a beautiful, luscious, fruit journey for your palate to enjoy without fatigue."

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