Remember the days before hazy IPAs? For a few years there, West Coast IPAs really dominated the beer scene, and with good reason: they’re delicious. And given all the hazy IPAs we’ve been kicking out, we decided a little contrast would be fun.

West Coast IPAs have a lot in common with their hazy brethren, but where the hazies tend to be super fruity and ‘juicy,’ the west coast version expresses more of the resiny, piney as well as fruity notes that hops can give. Partially this is a result of hop variety, but the processes we use, especially in the brewhouse, yield beers that tend to soak up different resins and essential oils, so the flavor and aroma would differ even if the same hops were used.

Past the Breakers – the name cribbed from a 90’s song by Everclear – is made to emphasize the resiny and fruity notes that can be coaxed via dry-hopping from large amounts of American aroma hops. The nose is a lovely combination of fruity and piney, almost spruce-like aromas. A slightly sweet maltiness in the mouth slowly yields to a resiny hoppiness. As the malt flavor fades, the hop flavors linger a bit, finishing with a firm but not punishing bitterness.