Best Double IPAs
The Double IPA (or Imperial IPA) takes everything an IPA does — hops, bitterness, strength — and pushes it harder while, in the best examples, hiding the alcohol. These are the critic's picks for big beers that stay drinkable.
Any brewer can make a strong, bitter beer. The beers below earn their place because they carry 8%+ ABV and huge hop loads without tasting hot, harsh, or cloying. Selection reasoning is in How These Were Selected.
#The picks
| Beer | Brewery | Location | ABV | Why it's notable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pliny the Elder | Russian River | Santa Rosa, CA | ~8.0% | The benchmark DIPA — dry, drinkable, deceptively strong |
| Heady Topper | The Alchemist | Stowe, VT | ~8.0% | The hazy DIPA that launched the New England IPA |
| Hopslam | Bell's | Comstock, MI | ~10.0% | Honey-kissed seasonal; a Midwest cult favorite |
| Double Sunshine | Lawson's Finest | Waitsfield, VT | ~8.0% | Lush, tropical, much-lauded hazy DIPA |
| Hop Stoopid | Lagunitas | Petaluma, CA | ~8.0% | Widely distributed, reliable West Coast-style DIPA |
| Dorado | Ballast Point | San Diego, CA | ~10.0% | Robust, classic California Imperial IPA |
The picks split into the dry West Coast lineage (Pliny, Hop Stoopid, Dorado) and the hazy New England lineage (Heady Topper, Double Sunshine). Same strength, opposite philosophies — one crisp and resinous, the other soft and juicy.
#What links these beers
A successful Double IPA solves a hard engineering problem. Brewers use a pale base with simple sugars to keep the body dry despite the gravity, restrained hot-side bitterness paired with massive Dry Hopping and Double Dry Hopping, and careful Fermentation to attenuate fully. The history of this balancing act runs back to the Origins of the Double IPA. Push further still and you reach the Triple IPA.
DIPAs fade fast and hit hard. Buy them fresh (IPA Freshness and Shelf Life), serve slightly cool (Serving Temperature), and respect the ABV — alcohol on the label is real.
#Honorable mentions
Stone Ruination, Founders Double Trouble, Tree House Very Hazy, and Other Half DDH ranges are all worth seeking. The DIPA remains the showcase format for ambitious brewers and a fixture of IPA Festivals and Competitions.
#Continue Reading
- Double IPA — the full style profile
- Origins of the Double IPA — where the style began
- Triple IPA — the next intensity tier
- Best West Coast IPAs — many DIPAs share this lineage