When it comes to beer terms, there are a lot of words and phrases drinkers need to learn if they want to have knowledgeable conversations about pale ales, IPAs, barrel-aged stouts, and even fruited sours. When it comes to IPAs — specifically double IPAs — one vital term to know is “dry hopping.”
For the uninitiated, dry hopping is a process of adding (you guessed it) dry hops late in the brewing process in order to give the beer more hop aroma and flavor notes. This is opposed to “wet hopping” — in which fresh, wet hops are added.
Dry hopping process creates extremely flavorful, floral IPAs and we honestly can’t get enough of them. Since summer is quickly coming to an end, we figured the time was right (while the days are still warm, hazy, and humid) to highlight eight of our favorite dry-hopped IPAs. Check them all out below and drink them while you still can!
Bell’s Hopslam
ABV: 10%
Average Price: $18.99 for a six-pack
The Beer:
One of the highest-rated dry-hopped beers on the market, Bell’s Hopslam begins by being brewed with six different hop varieties. Later on in the process, it gets a crazy amount of extra flavor from dry-hopping with Simcoe hops. The result is a floral, piney, hop lover’s dream.
Tasting Notes:
On the nose, you’ll find hints of caramel malts, wet grass, grapefruit, peach, and floral notes. The palate is swirling with flavors like ripe tangerine, grapefruit, resinous pine, and sweet malts — all set against a nice, floral backbone. It’s piney, floral, and totally crisp and fresh.
Bottom Line:
If you only buy one dry-hopped IPA make it Bell’s Hopslam. It’s as hoppy, floral, and resinous as it gets.
Fiddlehead Second Fiddle
ABV: 8.2%
Average Price: $16.99 for a four-pack
The Beer:
Vermont’s Fiddlehead has gained a bit of a cult following over the years (since it opened in 2011) and for good reason. One of its best beers is its massively dry-hopped Fiddlehead Second Fiddle. This double IPA is highly sought-after by IPA fans because of its complex, slightly malty flavor that pairs well with floral, crisp hops.
Tasting Notes:
The aroma is like a field of pine trees that move into caramel malts, ripe tropical fruits, and fresh citrus zest. Sipping it brings forth hints of resinous, dank pine, mango, grapefruit, more malts, and a ton of hop bitterness at the end that is surprisingly pleasing.
Bottom Line:
This is a dank, slightly bitter beer for fans of potent, piney IPAs. If you can get your hands on a few cans of this Vermont classic, savor it.
Alpine Nelson
ABV: 7%
Average Price: $14 for a six-pack
The Beer:
This year-round offering from Alpine is named for Nelson Sauvin hops. This is the main hop used during the brewing process as well as dry-hopping later on. The result is a well-balanced, slightly malty, resinous IPA you’ll want to sip on well into the fall.
Tasting Notes:
Upon nosing, you’ll be met with hints of grapefruit, mango, honey, resinous hops, and sweet malts. The palate is loaded with rich malts, wet grass, lemon peel, dank pine, and a nice hop bitterness to finish everything off. It’s a very well-rounded, complex, highly drinkable beer.
Bottom Line:
This is a well-balanced, yet supremely hoppy beer that is highlighted by Nelson Sauvin hops. It’s floral, fresh, and well-suited for end-of-summer drinking.
Weldwerks Juicy Bits
ABV: 6.7%
Average Price: $16 for a four-pack
The Beer:
If you’re a fan of New England-style IPAs, you probably already know about the juicy, hazy flavor of Weldwerks’ aptly named Juicy Bits. It gets its floral, citrus flavor from being dry-hopped with Citra, El Dorado, and Mosaic hops.
Tasting Notes:
Complex aromas of fresh melon, guava, tangerine, and pineapple greet the drinker first. This is followed by dank pine. The sip reveals more grapefruit, tangerine, mango, resinous pine, and just the right amount of bitterness at the very end. It’s refreshing, juicy, and delicious.
Bottom Line:
When it comes to dry-hopped hazy IPAS, it’s hard to beat the juicy, tropical fruit, and citrus flavor of Weldwerks Juicy Bits.
Firestone Walker Double Jack
ABV: 9.5%
Average Price: $12.99 for a four-pack
The Beer:
First launched back in 2009, Double Jack quickly became one of the most popular IPAs on the market. For some reason, it was retired in 2016 only to be victoriously brought back last fall. Triple dry-hopped using four hop additions, this is a potent, high ABV, piney, resinous beer for fans of classic West Coast IPAs.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is loaded with scents of honey, lemon curd, fresh-cut grass, caramel malts, and a nice floral hint. The flavor is classic West Coast IPA with notes of grapefruit, tangerine, pine needles, and light malts. The finish is refreshing, crisp, and has a nice hot of hop bitterness.
Bottom Line:
If you’re a West Coast IPA drinker who wants to get on the dry-hopped bandwagon, this is your jam. It has all the characteristics of the iconic style with added citrus and floral flavors.
Singlecut Jenny Said
ABV: 7.7%
Average Price: $18 for a four-pack
The Beer:
Singlecut Beersmiths is a brand well-known for its IPAs. One of its freshest, dry-hopped offerings is Jenny Said. It’s double dry-hopped to guarantee a crisp, dank, piney, resinous, citrus-filled, highly complex, and highly drinkable IPA.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is all tropical fruits, citrus zest, and a nice, floral hops presence that lets you know what you’re in for. The palate is filled with hints of ripe pineapple, juicy grapefruit, dank pine, slight malts, and a juicy, sweet finish without much bitterness.
Bottom Line:
If you’re more interested in the flavor of hops than the bitterness, this is a great choice for you. It’s full of hoppy flavor, but without much bitterness.
Stone Ruination 2.0
ABV: 8.5%
Average Price: $13.99 for a four-pack
The Beer:
You definitely know what you’re getting into when you drink a beer called Ruination. The first full-time West Coast double IPA on the market, Ruination is loaded with Magnum, Nugget, Centennial, Simcoe, Citra, and Azacca hops and dry hopped to create a supremely piney, dank brew.
Tasting Notes:
Crack open a bottle and you’ll be met with aromas of tangerine, grapefruit, fir tips, and tropical fruits. The palate begins with caramel malts and delves into citrus peels, pine trees, and a total wallop of bitter, floral hops.
Bottom Line:
While surprisingly well-balanced for the name, this is certainly a dry-hopped beer for drinkers who enjoy life on the more bitter side of the hops coin.
Epic Chasing Ghosts
ABV: 10%
Average Price: $16.99 for a four-pack
The Beer:
This beer is made by Epic and it is indeed an epic brew. This 10% New England-style IPA is double dry-hopped using Cashmere and Citra hops. It’s big, bold, hazy, juicy, and filled with tropical and citrus flavors that will leave you completely refreshed.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is slightly spicy and filled with scents of tangerine, ripe melons, mango, citrus zest, and pine needles. The flavor amps up the nose with flavors of ripe grapefruit, sweet peaches, slight caramel malts, candied orange peels, and a nice hint of cloves. It’s all rounded out with very little bitterness at the finish.
Bottom Line:
This is one of the most exciting beers on this list. It’s hazy, juicy, and full of tropical, citrus, and pine flavors you won’t soon forget.
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