Everyone has their own opinion on this but when I think about my 2+ decades drinking and making beer at home and commercially I can’t think of anything more iconic than Pliny, Heady , Celebration and Head Hunter. They are unequivocally the Mount Rushmore of IPAs. You could swap Julius in there as well. As a matter of fact I’m leaving today for a 5 day road-trip to Stowe Vermont for a couple days and then to Charlton to visit Tree House.
Agree with the top four completely! It's good variety, too: The GOAT Clean/Clear DIPA, Dank NE DIPA, single strength OG IPA (that's also basically Red IPA and also "fresh" hopped, and you gotta have a Hazy on there. It's tough to think of a slam dunk argument to replace any of them, even though there is a really good gaggle of honorable mentions.
Thanks for agreeing Chris. I think it a bit less than style variation than just the history of American IPA. Style wise, Heady Topper has no place there, but again, the influence of that beer is unchallenged.
I only stumbled upon Heady Topper (and Focal Banger) one time. Apparently they will send some out to the West Coast randomly. Please send more! I will pick up a bottle of Pliny or Blind Pig every other month or so. Sculpin is around but I never buy it. Celebration is the tasty harbinger of the holidays!
To be frank, I'm on the east coast and I can get Tree House, Focal or Heady on the regular, but I don't. I was out in Cali in 2020 and filled a suitcase with Pliny, Blind Pig, and Happy Hops and flew home with it. Happy Hops was my favorite. Pliny is good and well made, but it didn't blow my socks off. I'd rather grab Happy Hops next time. These days Fox Farm's stuff and Kane Head High are the beers I do a mild stretch to get my hands on, and I'm fine with that.
@@DarwinsBeerReviews It was at a Whole Food's during the pandemic. I saw Heady and snagged a 4-pack. The beer dude was in the aisle at the time and I told him how happy I was to see it. He then told me that they had Focal Banger in the back and asked if I wanted a 4-pack. Yes, please.
Now that I’ve watched. If we’re talking most influential IPAs, it’s a little different. Celebration, Two Hearted, Pliny, Julius. I just love Nelson and Jai Alia so much. So if it’s just based on your 4 personal favorites, then those would bump two hearted and Pliny for me Really sucks that Nelson is no more than a legend at this point.
Assuming influence is as important if not more important than relative rating today, and that we use double/hazy/conventional interchangeably, off the top of my head I would put down Pliny Heady Topper Julius Swami's IPA or Celebration I think there's good arguments for both at the end, Swami's being a sleeper that was patient zero of the West Coast IPA craze that came out of San Diego in the 90's and 2000's
Julius blew my mind the first time I had it in the days of Munson. Now it doesn't do all that much for me. I still love Treehouse beers but there are far better than Julius now.
@@DarwinsBeerReviews although, we could say Heady is a hazy IPA, but not a NE style IPA? I'd never had a hoppy beer like Heady at the time I did (other than Nelson maybe?) I can't remember which I had first.
@@jsenigaglia I mean... It's so freaking influential and huge... Can we talk about basketball without mentioning the 3 pt shot? Sure it didn't become huge until Steph's first championship run in 2014, but here we are... (Timeline wise it actually fits with NE IPA... Me and my weird analogies...)
My list is Ballentine IPA (I was drinking this in the 70's long before any other American IPA existed). Pliny the Elder, Celebration Ale (my absolute favorite) and Two Hearted.
My picks would be based on my initial experience and popularity with IPA's. Not in any specific order. Sierra Nevada Torpedo, Dogfish 60, Bells Hopslam, and since I'm an ohio guy, Columbus IPA (probably was of the first and popular ipas to first shoe up in ohio. Could be some debate with Great lakes burning river pale ale
@@DarwinsBeerReviews I mean there is a lot of variation within styles. Look at a farmhouse ale, very few taste the same. So maybe it is more of just a broad term of IPAs that have hints of west coast and hazy but are their own subset. I don't know. But is sounds nice since they are different.
King JJJuliusss is the Best IPA ever brewed🤯 I Just drank one today and was just blown Away🔥 I was at Fat Heads on Friday and Head Hunter is just nearly a perfect IPA🍻They brew some fresh hop beers Hop Stalker and Fresh Hop Head Hunter that blow off your nose with aroma🔥Way better on draft in my Opinion. I would then go Pliney DDH version of course🍻Unfortunately I have not drank a lot of Heady Topper but I might throw a curve with Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA because it was one of the first almost hybrid Juicy IPAs that was not super bitter like a Stone which I love also but not quite a NEIPA🍻Still one of my favorite value picks for a 6 pack that won’t break you🍻Cheers Bro👊Love the videos🍻
Everyone has their own opinion on this but when I think about my 2+ decades drinking and making beer at home and commercially I can’t think of anything more iconic than Pliny, Heady , Celebration and Head Hunter. They are unequivocally the Mount Rushmore of IPAs. You could swap Julius in there as well. As a matter of fact I’m leaving today for a 5 day road-trip to Stowe Vermont for a couple days and then to Charlton to visit Tree House.
Dang, sounds like an amazing beer trip. Enjoy!
Agree with the top four completely! It's good variety, too: The GOAT Clean/Clear DIPA, Dank NE DIPA, single strength OG IPA (that's also basically Red IPA and also "fresh" hopped, and you gotta have a Hazy on there. It's tough to think of a slam dunk argument to replace any of them, even though there is a really good gaggle of honorable mentions.
Thanks for agreeing Chris. I think it a bit less than style variation than just the history of American IPA.
Style wise, Heady Topper has no place there, but again, the influence of that beer is unchallenged.
They should make separate lists for IPA and double IPA and Hazy IPA.
True story.
I only stumbled upon Heady Topper (and Focal Banger) one time. Apparently they will send some out to the West Coast randomly. Please send more! I will pick up a bottle of Pliny or Blind Pig every other month or so. Sculpin is around but I never buy it. Celebration is the tasty harbinger of the holidays!
To be frank, I'm on the east coast and I can get Tree House, Focal or Heady on the regular, but I don't. I was out in Cali in 2020 and filled a suitcase with Pliny, Blind Pig, and Happy Hops and flew home with it. Happy Hops was my favorite. Pliny is good and well made, but it didn't blow my socks off. I'd rather grab Happy Hops next time. These days Fox Farm's stuff and Kane Head High are the beers I do a mild stretch to get my hands on, and I'm fine with that.
Dope that they're sending it out like that. WIsh they came down to FL.
@@DarwinsBeerReviews It was at a Whole Food's during the pandemic. I saw Heady and snagged a 4-pack. The beer dude was in the aisle at the time and I told him how happy I was to see it. He then told me that they had Focal Banger in the back and asked if I wanted a 4-pack. Yes, please.
I like this new format! Very podcast-y.
Heady, Pliny, Two-Hearted, and _______Tree House IPA
I love the feedback! Thank you!
Dope picks. What's your personal TH fav? Green, Julius, Haze, something else?
@@DarwinsBeerReviews Haven't had a ton of them, honestly. But if I had to pick, probably Very Green.
two heated, Stone Rumination and Dogfish head 60 have to be on peoples list OGs of the style
Unfortunately they stopped Ruination. I think Pliny easily takes it place instead.
My thoughts before watching the video. Celebration, Nelson, Jai Alia, Julius.
Now that I’ve watched. If we’re talking most influential IPAs, it’s a little different. Celebration, Two Hearted, Pliny, Julius.
I just love Nelson and Jai Alia so much. So if it’s just based on your 4 personal favorites, then those would bump two hearted and Pliny for me
Really sucks that Nelson is no more than a legend at this point.
Have you had the new Muntz (Nelson) from Mcilhenney?
Julius, King Sue, Eugene's Axe and Nugget Nectar
Nugget Nectar is secretly an amazing pick!
Assuming influence is as important if not more important than relative rating today, and that we use double/hazy/conventional interchangeably, off the top of my head I would put down
Pliny
Heady Topper
Julius
Swami's IPA or Celebration
I think there's good arguments for both at the end, Swami's being a sleeper that was patient zero of the West Coast IPA craze that came out of San Diego in the 90's and 2000's
Great pick! That's your sleeper right there with Swami's.
at total wine they have a fat head's variety pack with 4 different ipas. have you seen it?
I've reviewed it.
Julius blew my mind the first time I had it in the days of Munson. Now it doesn't do all that much for me. I still love Treehouse beers but there are far better than Julius now.
It was a magical time back then.
My Mt Rushmore of IPA would be Pliny, Heady, Celebration, and Alpine Nelson. Fortunately I can still drink 3 of those 4 :)
Your opinion on my takes, "There HAS to be a hazy on this list" and "Heady Topper is NOT a Hazy IPA."
@@DarwinsBeerReviews Alpine Nelson is my hazy, lol. Does there HAVE to be? ;)
@@DarwinsBeerReviews although, we could say Heady is a hazy IPA, but not a NE style IPA? I'd never had a hoppy beer like Heady at the time I did (other than Nelson maybe?) I can't remember which I had first.
@@jsenigaglia I'll take that.
@@jsenigaglia I mean... It's so freaking influential and huge...
Can we talk about basketball without mentioning the 3 pt shot? Sure it didn't become huge until Steph's first championship run in 2014, but here we are...
(Timeline wise it actually fits with NE IPA... Me and my weird analogies...)
My list is Ballentine IPA (I was drinking this in the 70's long before any other American IPA existed). Pliny the Elder, Celebration Ale (my absolute favorite) and Two Hearted.
Hard to even find Celebration in the bottle these days
Ballentine guy here.
You gotta try harder, it's everywhere, but only once a year.
Honestly never had Ballentine...
@@DarwinsBeerReviews 😭I live in CA and we mostly get cans. Lmao
My picks would be based on my initial experience and popularity with IPA's. Not in any specific order. Sierra Nevada Torpedo, Dogfish 60, Bells Hopslam, and since I'm an ohio guy, Columbus IPA (probably was of the first and popular ipas to first shoe up in ohio. Could be some debate with Great lakes burning river pale ale
It's gotta be Head Hunter over Columbus though now?
I barely drink IPAs anymore, but if there was one I can pick off the shelf right now and enjoy would be Ghost in the Machine by Parish Brewing
Such a different beer than it was before, but people love the new haze that it is now.
@@DarwinsBeerReviews I never had the original…but I enjoy the haze
Heady, pliny, Julius, stone IPA
Fresh Stone IPA is insanely good.
I've always considered Heady to be a "Vermont style IPA". They just kind of invented it.
Probably not a popular take, but Alena is better than Heady imho. I prefer that weedy funk over the hop burn.
But what does that even mean when HF and Lawson's do something different. And there's even more breweries in VT to mention as well...
@@DarwinsBeerReviews I mean there is a lot of variation within styles. Look at a farmhouse ale, very few taste the same. So maybe it is more of just a broad term of IPAs that have hints of west coast and hazy but are their own subset. I don't know. But is sounds nice since they are different.
King JJJuliusss is the Best IPA ever brewed🤯 I Just drank one today and was just blown Away🔥 I was at Fat Heads on Friday and Head Hunter is just nearly a perfect IPA🍻They brew some fresh hop beers Hop Stalker and Fresh Hop Head Hunter that blow off your nose with aroma🔥Way better on draft in my Opinion. I would then go Pliney DDH version of course🍻Unfortunately I have not drank a lot of Heady Topper but I might throw a curve with Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA because it was one of the first almost hybrid Juicy IPAs that was not super bitter like a Stone which I love also but not quite a NEIPA🍻Still one of my favorite value picks for a 6 pack that won’t break you🍻Cheers Bro👊Love the videos🍻
Great picks all around. King JJJulius is a GOAT for me too, just not influential and made enough to be a Mt Rushmore beer.