Tapped my new IPA today. I've brewed alot of IPAs and it has to be a top 3. A very simple grist : 88% 2 row, 6% Biscuit, and 6% Crystal 20 - mostly a vehicle to sub in Mosaic for Simcoe in my last combo of Amarillo/Centennial/Simcoe. Damn that's a good hop ! Simcoe minus the cat piss, plus a little of the "blueberry" character. A complex hop, and a great hop combo. I'd tried it in craft beers, but not at home.
Now for the other part of what makes this IPA so good - Martin. Previously, I had brewed IPAs with ~ 200 ppm Sulfate to ~ 50 ppm Chloride, and liked the results. This time, per Martin's recent posting, I bumped the sulfate up to 300 ppm. Big difference, better beer IMO. I love West Coast IPAs, and the more aggressive gypsum does it. There is still a firm malt base, just not malt forward. And not one bit of overmineralized Alka Seltzer bite. Hence, keeping Chloride under 100 (50 in this case) is obviously important. Loving this beer.