#2: Lagunitas IPA
Lagunitas is a classic West Coast-style American IPA and as such, it’s no surprise that it’s a hit with mountain bikers. After all, mountain biking was basically invented in California and in my opinion, there’s no beer that’s more refreshing after a long ride than a crisp, citrusy IPA.
Our reviewers noted this beer tasted like an IPA should taste with a crisp, bitter taste, notes of grapefruit, and a bright, sharp aftertaste. More than one person mentioned that Lagunitas IPA “tastes like summertime.” If that’s not an endorsement of an after-ride IPA, I don’t know what is!
#1: Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Tropical IPA
Sadly for our reviewers, Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Tropical IPA is a limited release, so we need to drink this one while we can! This beer fell right in the middle of our tests and interestingly enough, the data doesn’t show any bias based on when the beer was served. I assumed that by the end we would be either loving or hating everything but fortunately, that was not the case.
A couple reviewers noted this beer smells like marijuana and has a nice golden color to it. The taste was described as grapefruit and pine with a slightly bitter, dry, and malty aftertaste. Paul wrote something about enjoying this one on a late spring day when he’s off work, and I couldn’t agree more.
Clearly we had a good time with this test and hope to follow up with other tastings in the future. Are you surprised with our panel’s ratings? Which IPA is your favorite?
