Fresh Batch: 6 New (Mostly) IPAs

Sure, you have your favorite beer but we know you’re not monogamous. That would be crazy. Here’s a six pack of brand spanking new beers for you to choose from. Most of them are IPAs, but there’s a stout in the mix just to keep it interesting. Drink up.

Black Rye
Founders Brewing
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Technically, this isn’t a new beer. Founders first brewed it way back in the day (2006), but decided to bring it back into rotation this spring. It’s a dark ale dry hopped with German and American hops and balanced with a “heavily kilned rye and wheat malts.” Sounds kind of smoky. You can pick it up through March.

Reviver Red IPA
Starr Hill

Heads up hop fans: Starr Hill is working with some new varieties of your favorite weed in a new batch of beers. This new spring seasonal that straddles the style borders leans heavily on one of our favorite strain of hops: Mosaic. Red IPA’s are fun, especially this one, which is a little bit amber, a little bit IPA for a blend of citrus and malty sweetness. It’s already out on the shelves, and should be there until April. 6.2%

Most Popular

Single Hop Imperial IPA HBC-431
Flying Dog

Okay, the name is a mouthful, but you should be excited. Flying Dog exclusively uses the brand new HBC-431 strain. As they say on the label, “this hop strain is so new, it doesn’t have a name yet.” The beer has some spice, but mostly, there’s a sort of botanical, herbal edge to it. Like juniper maybe. Sixpoint uses the same hop strain in a beer that I haven’t had the pleasure of trying yet, but I’m excited to see this new hop circulating in more beers. Flying Dog started circulating in the beginning of February. And it’s a big beer at 10% ABV.

Campside Session IPA
Upland Brewing

With all these big, double IPAs on the list, I figured we should balance it out with something sessionable. Upland promises bright notes of apricot and pine in this spring release that weighs in at a very-drinkable 4.5%. And the timing is perfect for spring—look for it in bottles and cans starting March 20, right about when March is going out like a lamb. We hope.

GUBNA
Oskar Blues

Everybody’s getting jiggy with hops these days, and this March, Oskar Blues is releasing an old favorite with a new hop bill—whole-leaf Galena, Columbus and Sorachi ace all make their way into this recent iteration of the brewery’s Imperial IPA. Oh, and then it’s dry-hopped with El Dorado, Comet and Chinook hops. The result? How about a beer that tops out at 100+ IBUs and 10% ABV. Head to North Carolina for the release party on March 7.

Barrel Aged Imperial Stout
Upslope Brewing

For the third part of Upslope’s super-limited and super-good Lee Hill series, they took an imperial stout and let it soak in Leopold Brothers rye whiskey barrels for four months. It’s burly at 10%, and if their barrel-aged brown ale (Lee Hill Series Volume 2) is any indication, this beer should be damned good. Upslope released in mid February. I have a can in my beer fridge that I’m dying to open; I’m just waiting for the right occasion.