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Best Double IPAs You Can Buy Right Now
The American taste in beer has been stymied in its development by the systematic dismantling of American breweries and distilleries in the past.
The lighter German style of lager dominates our advertising, which promises us great flavor in a light beer, but in reality, all you end up with is a can that tastes like a beer cut with water.
The Double IPA is the antithesis of the boring, watery, light lager. Literally doubling down on the factors that make an IPA, the Double IPA represents an advanced guard of beer drinking. If you are of such an adventurous palate that you have come to love Double IPAs, we congratulate you.
Many are discouraged by strong tastes and strong drinks. However, if you are just beginning your Double IPA journey, we hope to provide much in the way of useful information for your beer drinking experience.
By the end of this article, we hope that we’ve answered all of your questions regarding double IPAs. We will be covering our top 10 double IPAs as well as revealing our overall favorite.
Knowledge is all but wasted if it cannot be integrated into a context, so join us as we tally the pros and cons of each of the top brands of Double IPA.
How We Reviewed
Beer holds a special place in many people’s heart, and this can be especially true when it comes to heavy-duty styles like the Double IPA. In reviewing each brand, we kept in mind that taste is of course king.
However, taste is not the only factor we evaluated. We explored each of the top ten contenders in terms of their flavor profiles, their pairings, their manufacturing process, their brand reputation, and of course their price points.
We also considered each individual beer’s pros and cons. The resulting list has only the top quality, most flavorful selections available.
Overall Price Range of Double IPA
Although some Double IPAs like to justify charging you extra for their higher amount of alcohol, the nice thing about beer is that you can often buy the higher end selections without breaking the bank. Expect to pay about $10-$18 for a six pack of Double IPA.
You should also be aware, however, that not all double IPAs are available in six packs, and in fact there is a trend for selling high-impact beers in either two-packs or four-packs of tall boys.
Pliny The Younger by Russian River Brewing Company
When you are sitting on your back porch craving a cold beer, Pliny the Younger by Russian River Brewing Company is a wonderful choice. Cool to the touch with a tasty surprise, this hop happy beer will delight the senses as you knock back one after another. No reason to search around, this is the beer for you.
Pros
- Great flavor
- Typical IPA
- Aroma heavy
Cons
- Alcohol content higher than some
- Price high than others
Alcohol by volume (ABV)
Racking up a whopping 10.25% in alcohol per volume, this beer will knock your socks off.
Where to Buy: Russian River Brewing Company
Ballast Point Dorado
Most, if not all, beers from Ballast Point Brewery are worth a try for the craft beer drinker. The Dorado is an especially great pick when you consider the great taste and overall flavor of this IPA. It’s a summer drink with a huge watermelon palate.
Pros
- Great flavor
- Wonderful to pair with pretzels
- Good brewery
Cons
- Only for IPA lovers
- Atypical taste
Alcohol by volume (ABV)
Closing in with a 10% alcohol per volume, you may want to take this one sip for sip.
Price
This product can be found for around $10 dollars.
Where to Buy: Ballast Point Brewery
Weyerbacher Double Simcoe
You will want to try this delicious beer while it is still in season. The Weyerbacher Brewery is known for changing their options seasonally and regionally. The rotating cascade of great beer, including the Double Simcoe, will not leave you disappointed.
Pros
- Great flavor
- Wonderful to pair with pretzels
- Good brewery
Cons
- Only for IPA lovers
- Atypical taste
Alcohol by volume (ABV)
This beer has 9.00% ABV
Where to Buy: Weyerbacher Brewery
Triple Sunshine IPA by Lawson’s Finest Liquids
Triple Sunshine IPA is part of this brewery’s Sunshine series and it is actually a triple IPA. It has summery hints of pineapple, lychee, as well as grapefruit, making it the perfect beer for a summer day.
Pros
- Actually a triple IPA
- Great smell and taste
- Typical IPA
Cons
- Some may not appreciate the tropical flavors
- Triple IPA may be too much for some
Alcohol by volume (ABV)
This beer has 10.3% ABV
Where to Buy: Lawson’s Finest Liquids
Firestone Walker Double Jack
Malty and rich, this is a great example of the diverse and rich taste of full bodied IPAs. You can certainly sit around a fire with your shoes off and enjoy this great drink with friends.
Pros
- Wonderful to pair with food
- Full palate taste
- Typical IPA
Cons
- Alcohol content lower than some
- Only for IPA lovers
Alcohol by volume (ABV)
This beer hangs around 8% alcohol per volume.
Where to Buy: Beer – Firestone Walker Brewing Company
King JJJuliusss by Treehouse Brewing Company
Hop happy, bright, and “juicy” this IPA style beer is filled with flavors of mango and citrus. It’s soft and round with a long lasting aftertaste. You can trust your taste buds to love this one. Overall, it has a great flavor with distinct notes. A wonderful example of a double IPA.
Pros
- Great flavor
- Lasting aftertaste
- Great name and packaging
Cons
- Alcohol content lower than some
- Not available everywhere
Alcohol by volume (ABV)
It is on the lower end of ABV with around 7%.
Where to Buy: Tree House Brewing Co.
Mach 10 by Bear Republic Brewing Co.
Above and beyond what is necessary to make our list, this brewery has gone and done it again in terms of flavor. A great beginning of the night beer or a capstone to a night on the town, you will absolutely love Mach 10 and time again.
Pros
- Lasting aftertaste
- Typical IPA
- Aroma heavy
Cons
- Alcohol content
- Only for IPA lovers
- Atypical aroma
Alcohol by volume (ABV)
The ABV hovers around 8%.
Where to Buy: Bear Republic Brewing Company
Southern Tier Unearthly
Hoppy with a generously high ABV, this is the IPA for the Imperial lover. It’s intense, making it not everyone’s favorite. However, this brewery’s game is off the charts, so we recommend that you check out all their craft.
Pros
- Great flavor
- Full palate taste
- Lasting aftertaste
- Great name and packaging
Cons
- Not everyone’s favorite beer
- Atypical taste
Alcohol by volume (ABV)
Above the normal, but not too high, this beer is around 10% ABV.
Where to Buy: Pumking Imperial Ale | Southern Tier Brewing Company
DC Brau On the Wings of Armageddon
From Belgium styles to IPAs, this brewery knows how to make happy yeast for happy beer. This beer has a great aroma and a full palate feel. It has a delicious taste to pair with bar food or a night out on the town. DC Brau is conscious of their distribution, so look on the website for more info on how to find this great beer.
Pros
- Wonderful to pair with
- Good brewery
- Full palate taste
- Typical IPA with a heavy aroma
Cons
- Not available everywhere
- Taste for nonbeer lovers
Alcohol by volume (ABV)
The ABV is around 8%.
Where to Buy
Bell’s Hopslam Ale
This is the beer to reach for if you want to be slammed with hops. It’s all in the name, this double IPA will lay you out.
Pros
- Great flavor
- Wonderful to pair with
- Full palate taste
- Great name and packaging
Cons
- Not the best beer for amateurs
- Quantity sold
Alcohol by volume (ABV)
This beer has about 10% alcohol by volume.
Where to Buy
Hopslam Ale Double IPA | Bell’s Brewery
The Double IPA FAQ
1. What Exactly is an IPA?
“IPA” stands for India Pale Ale. The story goes that during the period of trade expansion into the Indian subcontinent, British traders would want to bring their beloved brews with them on the long journey.
When they packed the beers they customarily drank in England (bitters, pale ales, etc), they found that the beer would quickly go bad while at sea.
Their solution to this problem was to increase the alcohol content of the beer to deal with unwanted inoculations and bacterial overgrowths. This, however, resulted in a beer that was a bit too strong.
What were those beer makers to do to cover this alcohol bite? They increased the amount of the hops used. More hops are required to make the beer heavier.
You may have noticed that IPAs tend to be high in alcohol and hops. This is because the higher-alcohol beer came first and needed the additional hops to cover the taste.
2. What Does it Mean to Be a Double IPA?
A Double IPA is simply an IPA-style beer that has alcohol over 7.5% by volume. Typically, being “Double” also indicates that hops are even stronger on the tongue. Being “Double” also can mean that the beer has double the burn.
Double IPAs are also known as Imperial IPAs, a name that retains its empire-spanning origins and helps to connotate the tyrannical presence of its flavors.
3. Which Foods Pair Well with Double IPAs?
Like its little brother the IPA, Double IPAs pair excellently with intensely flavorful or highly spiced dishes.
We love a spicy Double IPA with Indian or Thai curry. It even does a great job refreshing one’s palate for bold and sweet desserts like flourless chocolate cake, Coca-Cola cake, and crème brûlée.
The Double IPA can also complement dishes that are not explicitly paired with single IPAs. Double IPAs can bring out the best in smoked meats such as Texas-style beef brisket, and we’ve found it to be an excellent companion to grilled lamb of multiple styles.
However, perhaps our favorite pairing for a lazy Sunday is a cold Double IPA and a hearty chunk of Southern-style chicken-fried steak.
Like a good wine, double IPAs can also be a great compliment to cheese. Whereas the milder blue cheeses like Gorgonzola and Cambozola do a great job supporting the flavors of a single IPA, Double IPAs pair well with the strong blues.
Reach for the sharpest, richest American artisanal blue cheese you can find, and you’ll likely never have a Double IPA you enjoy more.
4. Where Can You Buy Double IPAs?
The craft beer revolution means that you can find Double IPAs in more and more bars and liquor stores than ever before.
Many local breweries around the country may offer their very own take on a double IPA. If you have no luck find a double IPA in your area, however, all the options we listed are available to purchase online.
The Verdict
Mach 10 by Bear Republic takes the cake for the best IPA on our list. The flavor, aroma, and overall mouth feel are above and beyond in terms of craft brewing. We would recommend that anyone new to beer start with this killer choice and work backward through the list.