Smooth without being overly bitter--just the right amount. Hoppy. Excellent palate. Opens up like a wine and gets better with air. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

UPDATED: MAY 23, 2021 West coast IPA is a rarity in NY nowadays.copper color, huge white head. Pine. dried apricots, caramel malt and grapefruit in the aroma. Sweet, malty start quickly changes to dry , hoppy bitterness that lingers for awhile. Such a classic DIPS. I am starting to miss west coast IPAs, so really enjoyed this one.

UPDATED: MAY 5, 2021 Can (2/16/21) pour. It's a hazy gold-amber (fine particulate mist) with nice, lazy sparkle, finger-width white fluffy foam head with good retention and beautiful rings of lacing. Aroma is strong lemon citrus and mango with lesser pine and a caramel malt backbone. Taste is strong citrus, pine and caramel malt. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with smooth texture, average carbonation, mild alcohol warmth and finish as taste without too much bitterness (really 100 IBU?). Overall, this is about as quintessential an West Coast IIPA as you're going to find (hence the high ratings). I'm sure this sparked tons of imitators. I like the juicier turn things have taken but appreciate this.

UPDATED: APR 6, 2021 12.5 ounce draft at Lizardville in Copley, Ohio. Smell citrus and grapefruit. Deep yellow with foamy white head. Taste citrusy and hoppy. Juicy and full of flavor. Well balanced but leaning a little to the hoppy side on the aftertaste. Nice beer for a warm springs day! Cheers!

UPDATED: MAR 24, 2021 Pours slightly hazed deep gold into a tulip. White head with good retention recedes leaving spider lacing. Tangerine, dark caramel and dried apricot aromas. Thick with hot caramel and sweet and sour citrus upfront turning to pine, pith and peel in the dry, lasting finish.

UPDATED: MAR 20, 2021 Can from explosivedog: pours light copper white head. Aroma is pine, grapefruit, light malt, grass. Taste is bitter, piny, citrusy. Good.

UPDATED: MAR 20, 2021 Can. Pours slightly hazy yellow gold. Grapefruit, tangerine, fragrant lemon, minerally, light toffee biscuit stuff, a little bitterness. Decent body. Good.

UPDATED: MAR 13, 2021 Crowler from UNO’s in Hamilton, NJ. Amber orange pour is topped by a frothy beige head. Nice clinging lace. Earthy, spicy resinous hop aroma. Notes of peach and mango as well. Flavor is bittersweet piney hops, toasted malt and warming alcohol. Complex and spicy. For such a big brew, this is amazingly soft on the palate, making it an easy drinking DIPA. Finishes slightly sweet with citrusy, piney notes. Fantastic!

UPDATED: MAR 5, 2021 It's kind of surreal that I am finally rating this beer after it being one of the top beers on this site for over 15 years. I have been a member of this site for nearly 20 years. Previously, you had to live near the brewery in Indiana to get this beer, or trade for it. Now, in times of Covid, 3F is now distributing nearly fresh beer even to the farthest, most remote corner of NY state. This 16oz can was purchased at Express Lane in Plattsburgh, and it is a mere 18 days old. The aroma on this is piney, earthy, and has some hints of onion. There is also a light crystal malt sweetness backing up the hop aroma. The beer is a transparent orange color with an off-white/yellow head that is persistent and foamy. This beer starts with a nice, piney, bitter hoppiness, before it has a little grapefruit bitterness. A little orangey sweetness and husky maltiness makes a cameo appearance, before more continued, dry, bitter piney hops come through to finish. Man, this is such a good beer. It's classic, old-school west coast IPA, and it is done well and done right. This is literally an oasis amongst a desert of shitty milkshake 'IPAs'. Fucken hell.

UPDATED: MAR 17, 2021 Can from Total Wine and More in Reston, VA Aroma: caramel, citrus Appearance: clear golden with a white head Taste: medium sweetness, medium bitterness Mouthfeel: average carbonation, creamy feel, medium body, long finish Delicious