Beers: 9 assorted IPAs to sip in August

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Usually we try a wide range of styles. But we were in a hoppy mood so went for an assortment of India Pale Ales this month. They range from less than 4% alcohol to 9%. All should be available on Greater Cleveland store shelves. We’ll list our favorite at the end. Email us and say what you like or don’t enjoy, or offer an out-of-region beer you’ve seen in local distribution we should try. Cheers!

Nice Slice

Southern Tier Brewing Co., Lakewood, New York; Session India Pale Ale, 5%

Made with watermelon flavor, and there’s no mistaking that here. The fruit tastes like Jolly Rancher, and the watermelon stays on the palate. Smooth, with flavor that doesn’t fall off on the finish like many sessionable ales.

Rubber City Haze

Brewdog, Canal Winchester, Ohio; Hazy Mango India Pale Ale, 7.2%

Mango is definitely there but this isn’t sweet, and that’s a fruit that can yield a cloying sugary feel in various drinks. Not the thickest Hazy we’ve tried but a good one, and a nice change of pace from grapefruit. Brewed for Acme Fresh Markets in – of course – the Akron area.

Incessant

Bell’s Brewery, Comstock, Michigan; Double New England Style India Pale Ale, 8.5%

Fruit comes across in a big way, though it is difficult to discern specific ones (but mostly tropical). Big mouthfeel, as expected from the style, with hops rearing up huge on the tail end of a long finish.

Voodoo Ranger Imperial IPA

New Belgium Brewing Co., Fort Collins, Colorado and Asheville, North Carolina; Imperial India Pale Ale, 9%

Ton of hops up front on the palate, and they beat down the fruit notes. Long finish, some alcohol on the taste, which is to be expected by the high alcohol content. The brewer bills this as an “explosion of fresh cut pine and citrus flavors.”

Dogfish Head 90 Minute

Dogfish Head Brewing Co., Milton, Delaware, brewed in collaboration with Boston Beer Co., Imperial India Pale Ale, 9%

The brewery uses the now beer-making cliché “malt backbone” but my palate is not detecting that. Big hops scrape your tongue with a little pine before a very long finish. Alcohol doesn’t come across. A cult favorite for hopheads, but don’t expect a smorgasbord of fruit.

Revolution Brewing ‘Hero’ beers

Revolution Brewing, Chicago. All of these ‘Hero’ beers are India Pale Ale. All are drinkable for IPA fans, but the differences are fairly nominal; they are in the same ballpark and made with their namesake hops unless noted. Available in variety pack:

• Apollo Hero, 7.4%: This hazy IPA is a bit alcohol tasting with a little resin and no fruit.

• Cashmere, 7%: Decent balance with tropical fruit lingering in the background, but the fruit is definitely there (the brewery notes tangerine and candied orange). Hops come across strong.

• Mosaic Hero, 7.5%: Billed as tropical fruit notes with a piney edge, the flavors are clean.

• Anti Hero, 6.7%: We got a lot of pine on this one, but no fruit. Made with Citra, Crystal, Centennial and Chinook hops.

Like beer? Check out GiveThemBeer for gifts for beer lovers. The company offers craft-beer baskets, seasonal selections and more.

This month’s favorite: Rubber City Haze.

Our reviews: Most of the beers we buy come from Northeast Ohio retail shops and stores. We choose from Lizardville in Copley, plus Heinen’s, Red, Wine & Brew; Acme, Giant Eagle, Mustard Seed, Whole Foods and others.

2021 monthly beer reviews

10 beers for June from breweries in 6 states

12 beers for May – fruit ales, a quartet of IPAs, crazy styles and more

10 different beers worth sipping in April, from Ohio to Germany

13 different beers for March

11 beers from 11 states – February

9 beers to start the year with – January

I am on cleveland.com’s life and culture team and cover food, beer, wine and sports-related topics. If you want to see my stories, here’s a directory on cleveland.com. Bill Wills of WTAM-1100 and I talk food and drink usually at 8:20 a.m. Thursday morning. And tune in at 8:05 a.m. Fridays for “Beer with Bona and Much, Much More” with Munch Bishop on 1350-AM The Gambler.

Get a jumpstart on the weekend and sign up for Cleveland.com’s weekly “In the CLE” email newsletter, your essential guide to the top things to in Greater Cleveland. It will arrive in your inbox on Friday mornings – an exclusive to-do list, focusing on the best of the weekend fun. Restaurants, music, movies, performing arts, family fun and more. Just click here to subscribe. All cleveland.com newsletters are free.