In your opinion, what characteristics make up a good IPA?!
Are there other flavors that you like in an IPA besides the hops?
What makes your favorite IPA(s) stand out from the rest?
Answers: Do you like a certain degree of hoppiness?
Are there other flavors that you like in an IPA besides the hops?
What makes your favorite IPA(s) stand out from the rest?
The key is balance. Most brewers today go over the top with hops, often high-alpha hops that make the beer damn near undrinkable.
Don't get me wrong, I am a hophead; more bitter, more better! But when my lips get chapped from the alphas, it's time to switch it up to something else.
I'm a fan in particular of Cascade and Simcoe hops. I love the grapefruit-lemon rind-spruce flavors of these types of hops.
Obviously, the malt has to be present as well.
As far as other flavors, I brewed a Pumpkin Pie IPA last fall that was outstanding (modesty aside).
Favorite commercial IPAs?
Arcadia, Harpoon, High Seas (Michigan Brewing), Stone.
Specialty IPAs?
Bell's Hopslam!
Cheers!
When I have an IPA I'm looking for a big hearty flavor. I like my IPAs to be hoppy, but I think jpiepenbrok has it right when he says that it has to be balanced. A really hoppy beer should be balanced out with the malts, even to the point of having some residual sweetness.
I cant beat that first answer, but ....
I like high alchohol content and not too hoppy!
For an interesting IPA (if you can find it/if they still make it) is the Magic Hat High PA (or was it Long Trail's?). Anyways, its smells exactly like... umm... you can guess. Tastes normal, but dotn get it if you are not a fan of that smell.