Beer Review: Shred IPA (West Coast IPA)
Brewery: Shred Beer Co. Style: West Coast IPA ABV: 6.5% Hops: Mosaic, Citra, Simcoe, Columbus Cryo
Shred IPA is the brewery’s flagship West Coast offering and exemplifies its ability to deliver a classic style with modern execution. This isn’t just a nostalgic throwback; it’s a bright, clean, and aggressively flavorful IPA that balances resinous bitterness with a stunning array of tropical and citrus aromatics. It’s built for those who appreciate clarity and a crisp finish.
Appearance – The beer pours a striking, radiant golden-straw color with impeccable clarity. It’s absolutely crystal clear—a beautiful sight for a hop head. It builds a towering, rocky white foam head with excellent retention, leaving thick sheets of lace down the glass (often called “California lace”). It looks sharp, clean, and invitingly cold.
Aroma – The nose is punchy and complex. The combination of hops creates a delightful dichotomy. The Simcoe and Columbus Cryo deliver a powerful wave of dank pine resin and wet forest floor, while the Mosaic and Citra layer on massive amounts of passionfruit, bright orange zest, and a touch of blueberry and lime. It has a slight savory, herbal quality that screams “fresh hops.”
Taste – The flavor is a perfectly calibrated hop explosion. The initial impression is a crisp, light malt base, quickly overtaken by the hops.
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- Front: Sharp citrus peel bitterness and a hint of grapefruit rind.
- Mid-Palate: The tropical and stone fruit flavors (think mango and apricot) emerge, providing a fleeting moment of juiciness that prevents the beer from becoming one-dimensional.
- Finish: It finishes bone-dry and is followed by a lingering, pleasant bitterness ($ \approx 65 \text{ IBU}$) that cleanses the palate completely. The execution of the dry finish is flawless.
Mouthfeel – Light-to-medium body. It is extremely crisp and highly effervescent, which quickly lifts the hop oils off the tongue. It is incredibly crushable for a 6.5% IPA—it disappears almost instantly, which is the mark of an expertly attenuated West Coast IPA.
Shred IPA is, simply put, a masterclass in the West Coast style. It takes the best of what everyone loves, the dank, clear, bitter profile, and injects it with modern, bright hop flavor without succumbing to haze or residual sweetness. If you are looking for a benchmark, world-class West Coast IPA, this is it. It’s bold, clean, and deserves a permanent spot in your rotation.
Available at SF Tequila Shop