[Kinetic]

I always wanted to try Green Flash West Coast IPA.  Sadly, I could never find an example fresher than three months old.  So I waited.  And waited.  Finally, I found a less than one month old 4 pack.  By this time, the highly rated beer had changed recipes, so I never got to try the original.

The new version increased the booze to 8% putting it in DIPA territory.  They added Cascade and Citra hops to the original mix of Simcoe, Columbus and Centennial. Sounds promising.



It was the final beer in a session that included Lagunitas New Dogtown PA, Ballast Point Calico Amber, and Bells Two Hearted from a can.  All beers were less than 2 months old.

Aroma - it was the second least aromatic of the group.  That was surprising.  Two Hearted was the least aromatic of the bunch.  WCIPA had the aromas one would expect from the hops used, but Citra wasn't represented.  Not much in the way of a malt note. Lagunitas was the most dank, but not much else.  Ballast Point had the nicest aroma of the bunch with pineapple and pine hops with a good malt and yeast aroma.  It was the lowest IBU beer of the bunch at 40 something.   

Flavor - was more impressive than the aroma for WCIPA.  It had the flavors one would expect from the hops used, but I believe Citra was included for marketing purposes and doesn't really do much for the beer.  It had a long, pleasant aftertaste with an assertive bitterness that never got too harsh.  It was boozy, but smooth.  I think it won the flavor contest.  Two Hearted was second.  Ballast Point was third and Lagunitas was last.           

[Kinetic]

The previous post was a sensory memory from yesterday posted today.

Today, I decided to have a Two Hearted vs. Green Flash WCIPA showdown.  I'll recant my statement that WCIPA was the flavor winner of the bunch.  Two Hearted has a better defined hop flavor.  WCIPA has decent hop flavor with a boat load of brewing salts.  I was drunk when I drank WCIPA yesterday and wanted to like it.

WCIPA gets bumped to third place in the flavor department from the OP.  The revised  and final results are:

Aroma:

1.  Ballast Point Calico Amber
2.  Lagunitas New Dogtown
3.  Green Flash WCIPA
4.  Bells Two Hearted

Flavor

1.  Bells Two Hearted
2.  Ballast Point Calico Amber
3.  Green Flash WCIPA
4.  Lagunitas New Dogtown

[Kinetic]

Bells was the only beer that produced lacing in the glass.  Not really important to me, but I guess I'd rather see it than not.

[brewinhard]

Thanks for the observations.  It really can be annoying trying to find the freshest IPA's in the store sometimes.  Funny that as I read this, I just picked up a 6 pack of Bells two-hearted today that was only 3 wks old.  Pretty rare for my area, so I am looking to see how it fares. 

[Kinetic]

Two Hearted disappoints some people because it isn't a super hoppy IPA.  I like super hoppy IPAs, but it isn't a requirement for enjoyment. 

It's a beer that becomes more impressive after you have had two or three in one sitting.  Anytime I drink it, I always want another instead of something else.  It drinks more like a good pale ale with extra booze than a modern IPA.  I'd like it more if they made the same beer with 25% more hops and called it something else.

I liked all the beers I mentioned in the OP well enough, but won't be buying WCIPA or New Dogtown again.     

[HoosierBrew]

Two Hearted disappoints some people because it isn't a super hoppy IPA.  I like super hoppy IPAs, but it isn't a requirement for enjoyment. 

It's a beer that becomes more impressive after you have had two or three in one sitting.  Anytime I drink it, I always want another instead of something else.  It drinks more like a good pale ale with extra booze than a modern IPA.  I'd like it more if they made the same beer with 25% more hops and called it something else.

I liked all the beers I mentioned in the OP well enough, but won't be buying WCIPA or New Dogtown again.     

+1.  I like hoppier IPAs too, but it's not a requirement either. Two Hearted fresh is a good drinking ale that I can enjoy a few of.

[flbrewer]

I like everything on your list, but I wish Cigar City Jai Alai was around you...can't quit that beer.

[Kinetic]

I wish it was too.  I've had one six pack of Jai Alai and would put it above the four beers mentioned in the OP.  CCB makes tasty beer.  Their Tocobaga Red and Guava Grove were very good as well.