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What was your first "Aha!" IPA?

Discuss beer or anything else that comes to mind in here.

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JeffPorter
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What was your first "Aha!" IPA?

Post by JeffPorter »

I don't know about you, but for years I thought Keith's was a true IPA...I mean it was pale, it was an ale, and I assumed that it came from India somehow.

Then when I moved to the distillery and started hanging out at the new Mill Street brew pub, my perception of an IPA changed. Their was stronger, more rich and more bitter - I hadn't year discovered American IPAs yet, and I'm kind of glad, because I may have been turned off...I mentioned this in the Lake of Bays, thread, but I still have a soft spot for darker English IPAs.

Anyway, I guess my question is, what was your first "non-Keith's" IPA that turned your head and made you say, "THIS is an IPA???"
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Soods
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Post by Soods »

DFH 60 Minute

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S. St. Jeb
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Post by S. St. Jeb »

Scotch Irish Seargent Major

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Post by TheSevenDuffs »

I honestly don't remember. I think it was either DFH 60 or SN Torpedo.

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Post by JeffPorter »

S. St. Jeb wrote:Scotch Irish Seargent Major
I miss that one :(
"What can you say about Pabst Blue Ribbon that Dennis Hopper hasn’t screamed in the middle of an ether binge?" - Jordan St. John

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Post by iguenard »

Three Floyds Alpha King. Talk about rude awakening. I know some of you will say its an american pale ale, not an IPA, but when your this bitter... you're either an IPA or a Leafs fan :)

Had the same aha moment with gueuze. Cantillon was my first.

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Post by TheSevenDuffs »

iguenard wrote:Three Floyds Alpha King. Talk about rude awakening. I know some of you will say its an american pale ale, not an IPA, but when your this bitter... you're either an IPA or a Leafs fan :)
That is a great IPA! I don't know why they call it a APA.

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Post by ErkLR »

S. St. Jeb wrote:Scotch Irish Seargent Major
Same for me. I had heard Keith's wasn't a real IPA, and I think this was the first thing I saw that wasn't Keith's that was labeled as an IPA. Night and day. I miss it too.

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Kish84
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Post by Kish84 »

First IPA I actually enjoyed, DFH 60 Minute.

First one I had would be Southern Tier IPA, but that was before i was into craft beer and in my "buy stuff I haven't tried yet" phase.

At that point it was like "poison" to me and I was not a fan. However, it was during that phase that I found out about the Castle on King and learned more about craft beer, my tastes changed and I tried the DFH there.

I do like the ST IPA now, but I find a lot of their beers overly sweet for my tastes.

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Ale's What Cures Ya
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Post by Ale's What Cures Ya »

Stone IPA. Good lord I love that stuff.

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Post by liamt07 »

DFH 60/SN Torpedo.

I'm still being "aha'd" often enough though, most recently with Alesmith's IPA. Deee-lish.

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Belgian
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Post by Belgian »

In chronological order:

1) Scotch Irish Sgt. Majors IPA brewed by Church Key, not Heritage.

2) Stone IPA

3) Troegg's Nugget Nectar

Nowadays I'm glad the Ontario scene is shaping up - our brewers and those east and west are doing great stuff. The Americans did it right. Why re-invent the wheel?
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Post by Weissebier »

Though not listed as an IPA, Dragons Breath from Kingston Brewing Co. was perhaps my first experience with very hoppy beers. This would be when Hart was brewing it. I see now it is bewed by McCauslan. Not being much for over the top hops, I would have to say Bell's Two Hearted Ale, was my next, and I would still welcome a bottle or two, or three in my frigde.

W.

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Post by RayOhm »

Ale's What Cures Ya wrote:Stone IPA. Good lord I love that stuff.
Same here.
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Post by Iceman »

For me it Southern Tier IPA
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