What makes a great IPA? Ask five brewers and you’ll get five different answers. For us, it comes down to balance — the relationship between the malt sweetness and the hop character. When those two are in sync, an IPA stops being harsh or sugary and becomes something you actually want to keep drinking.
A great West Coast IPA starts with a solid malt backbone. Not heavy, but firm enough to support the hops. Think lightly sweet, slightly toasty, and structured — not thin. From there the hops bring in bold character: resinous, piney, dank, citrus peel, and herbal notes, backed by a clean, assertive bitterness that snaps the finish dry. Visually, we like a West Coast IPA to pour crystal clear with a golden-to-amber body. Bright, sharp, and defined — just like the flavor.
An East Coast–style IPA (often called a hazy IPA) plays by a different set of preferences. These beers lean into softness and aroma. The body is usually opaque and ranges from yellow to deep orange. That haze and fuller mouthfeel often come from grains like wheat or oats in the grain bill. Instead of showcasing bitterness first, hazy IPAs push hop aroma and flavor forward — tropical fruit, stone fruit, citrus juice, and melon notes are common. To get that effect, we keep boil hops minimal and load hops later in the process and during fermentation, when cooler temperatures help preserve those expressive aromatic compounds rather than emphasizing sharp bitterness.
We also once brewed a Brut IPA, which is a completely different experience. A Brut IPA is designed to be extremely dry — meaning nearly all the sugars are fermented out, leaving almost no residual sweetness behind. The result is light-bodied, highly effervescent, and champagne-like in texture. That dryness makes the hop character feel extra sharp and focused. Ours leaned hard into bright citrus hop expression, giving it an intense, zesty aroma and a crisp, sparkling finish that disappeared fast from the glass.
The fun part is that there are no hard rules. Grain choices, hop varieties, timing, temperature, and ratios all change the outcome. Small tweaks can turn the same base beer into something brighter, softer, louder, or more layered. Experimentation is part of the craft, and it’s how new favorites are born.
If you want to taste how different IPA approaches show up in the glass, check out what we currently have pouring and find your favorite.
Check out our Beer Menu for all of our current beer releases.