Forget About Fall! We’re Ranking Underrated West Coast IPAs
It’s officially autumn and it has been for a little bit now. We don’t really care. We’re not ready to dive solely into malty, darker beers just yet. We’re still not done with West Coast IPAs, summer wasn’t long enough to enjoy all of that resinous, hoppy goodness. In fact, we’ll continue drinking hoppy, dank, over-the-top, bitter IPAs even when the days become bitterly cold and the snow begins to fly.
While we can all easily stroll into our neighborhood markets or local beer store and grab a well-known West Coast IPA from the likes of Lagunitas, Stone, Green Flash, Ballast Point, or some other big name and be completely happy, it’s nice to make some new discoveries, too. Give some lesser-known West Coast IPAs their due, y’know?
Below, you’ll find eight of our favorite, underrated, flavorful, dank, piney West Coast IPAs. All are complex, loaded with bold hop flavors, perfectly bitter, and highly underappreciated. Keep scrolling to see the full ranking!
8) Fair State Big Doinks
ABV: 6.5%
Average Price: $10 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
The Beer:
This year-round West Coast IPA from Minnesota’s Fair State Brewing Cooperative is brewed with London ale yeast, Carafoam, and 2-row malts, as well as Columbus Cryo hops. It’s known for its dank, piney, slightly tropical flavor profile.
Tasting Notes:
It all starts with a classic West Coast nose of pine, citrus peels, and tropical fruits. It’s a little more subdued and lacking pine than most though. The palate is filled with pineapple, grapefruit, caramel malts, and a muted bitterness that is sort of underwhelming.
Bottom Line:
This isn’t a bad IPA interpretation. It just lacks to bitter punch we hope for with a bold, West Coast IPA. It’s a little bland in that department — everything else is really nice.
7) Offshoot Escape
ABV: 7.1%
Average Price: $15.99 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
The Beer:
Offshoot is just that, an offshoot of The Bruery. Its West Coast IPA is brewed with wheat and 2-row malts. It gets its piney, resinous, grapefruit, and pineapple flavors from the addition of Mosaic, Strata, Simcoe, and Amarillo hops.
Tasting Notes:
Grapefruit, lemon zest, light caramel malts, and pine needles are prevalent on the nose. The nose is extremely welcoming. While the palate is loaded with more grapefruit, dank, resinous pine, and some tropical fruit flavors, it’s just a little less exciting than the nose and has more malt presence than we’d expect for a classic West Coast IPA. The finish is a little abrasive.
Bottom Line:
While this beer ticks all the West Coast IPA boxes, the piney, the resinous finish is a little too aggressive for some palates. We like a little bitterness, but this one takes it a tad far. Unless that’s your jam.
6) No Label Cali Boy
ABV: 7.1%
Average Price: $12.99 for a six-pack
The Beer:
Just because No Label is located in Katy, Texas, and nowhere near any coast (let alone the West Coast), this doesn’t mean they can’t make a great take on the classic San Diego-style West Coast IPA. Cali Boy is beloved for its dry, crisp, piney, dank, bitter flavor profile.
Tasting Notes:
This beer smells like your imagination of a West Coast IPA. There are notable aromas of fresh-cut grass, pine needles, and grapefruit. Sadly, that’s about it. The palate continues this trend with bold grapefruit, citrus peel, and dank, piney resin. The finish is dry and bitter. Overall, a well-executed IPA. Just not overly unique and memorable.
Bottom Line:
If you’re looking for the bare-bones definition of a West Coast IPA without much else, this is the beer for you. It’s a great, fairly simple beer. But it’s just that, simple.
5) Calicraft Latitude
ABV: 6.5%
Average Price: $14.99 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
The Beer:
Brewed with bold, bright hops like Cascade, Mosaic, Bravo, and Citra, this West Coast IPA is loaded with citrus, tropical fruit, and resinous pine flavors. More difficult to find than some of the other beers on this list, but it’s definitely worth it if you can spot it in the wild.
Tasting Notes:
This beer’s nose is surprisingly complex with aromas of caramel, bread-like malts, mango, pineapple, grapefruit, and bold, dank pine needles. On the palate, you’ll find hints of caramel, more bready malts, lemon zest, fresh-cut grass, and a nice kick of bitter, resinous pine that ties everything together nicely.
Bottom Line:
If you’re a fan of well-balanced, but still boldly hoppy, slightly bitter West Coast IPAs, Calicraft Latitude is the beer for you.
4) Weathered Souls West Coast
ABV: 7%
Average Price: $11.99 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
The Beer:
San Antonio’s Weathered Souls’ flagship beer is its West Coast IPA. Known for its dry, crisp body, lightly malty flavor as well citrus and tropical fruit palate, and a piney, dank finish, it’s a must-try for West Coast IPA fans looking for something different to try.
Tasting Notes:
Candied orange peels, toffee malts, lemon zest, wet grass, and dank, resinous, fragrant hops are noticeable on the nose. While this IPA starts with some sweet, caramel malts, it quickly progresses into grapefruit, lime juice, and eventually into dry, crisp, refreshingly bitter piney hops at the finish.
Bottom Line:
When it comes to balance, it’s tough to beat this beer from Weather Souls. The malts prepare your taste buds for the citrus and dry bitterness to follow.
3) Duclaw Turn West
ABV: 7.5%
Average Price: $10.99 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
The Beer:
This 7.5% ABV West Coast IPA was brewed with Pilsner and Crystal 20 malts as well as Mid-Atlantic Red Wheat. It gets its bold, hoppy, piney, floral flavor from the addition of Chinook, Mosaic, and Idaho 7 hops.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a certain nose you expect when you crack open a West Coast IPA and this beer absolutely has it. Wet grass, grapefruit, caramel malts, citrus peels, and of course resinous, dank pine. The best part is that the palate mimics the nose with a mix of bread-like, caramel malts setting the stage for the symphony of grapefruit, pineapple, orange zest, and bitter, herbal, dank pine to follow.
Bottom Line:
As West Coast IPAs go, it’s tough to beat the complexity of Duclaw Turn West. All of the aromas and flavors seem to be in perfect harmony, creating an epic IPA.
2) Escape The Other West Coast
ABV: 7.2%
Average Price: $11.99 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
The Beer:
This 7.2% ABV West Coast IPA is described as being “aggressively hopped” and that’s exactly how we like it. Brewed with Centennial, Citra, and Mosaic hops, it’s a fruity, citrus, piney triumph.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is filled with candied orange peels, grapefruit, lemon rind, bready malts, and herbal, piney, dank pine. Drinking it reveals more tangerine, grapefruit, pineapple, caramel malts, honey, and bitter, over-the-top pine needles at the finish.
Bottom Line:
This is one for the hopheads. Fruit, citrus, and bold, piney, dank hops. This West Coast IPA has it all. It’s the kind of beer that has to be tasted to be believed.
1) Coronado Weekend Vibes
ABV: 6.8%
Average Price: $14.99 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
The Beer:
It’s hard to think of a better-named beer than Weekend Vibes. This award-winning Citra, Mosaic, and Simcoe hop-filled West Coast IPA from San Diego’s Coronado Brewing has everything IPA fans could hope for. Citrus, tropical fruits, pine, and a dry, bitter finish.
Tasting Notes:
Complex aromas of tangerines, mango, pineapple, grapefruit, and dank, resinous pine invite you to take a sip immediately. The palate is bursting with flavors like ripe berries, orange peels, grapefruit, tangerine, and bold, herbal, resinous pine. The finish is a mix of sweetness and bitterness that leaves you wanting more.
Bottom Line:
If you’re only going to seek out one beer from this list, make it Coronado Weekend Vibes. This classic West Coast IPA is well-balanced, piney, dank, and perfect.