Dragoon Brewing Company IPA

Unbeknownst to me, there were a lot of alright IPAs being brewed in Arizona prior to our arrival. SanTan's HopShock and Moon Juice, AZ Wilderness' Refuge, Mother Bunch Brewing's Old Skool and Black Hole's Comet IPA are all solid sippers. Now if you know anything about me, you know I like my beer bitter, with all the IBUs and at least 6% ABV. My math works like this: 70 IBU and 7% ABV is just about perfect, assuming the "brewmaster" has a palate that I'd appreciate. Anything over that 7% ABV mark will have me chewing my face and talking like a pirate.

Considering the fact that I'm rather particular when it comes to my IPAs (I recently poured a few down the drain... I know, FOR SHAME!), I was pleasantly surprised when we wandered into the Dragoon Brewing Company in Tuscon, AZ and they poured me a pint of their IPA. What they consider 'West Coast Style,' the Dragoon iteration of an IPA is "deep gold in color, featuring a dank, herbal, citrusy hop aroma supported by a sparse malt backbone. It is appropriately bitter, with a relatively high alcohol content." So there you go! At 7.3% ABV and 83 IBUs, it's a pretty perfect match with my brilliant Beer Math.

Available in four-packs at Whole Foods (at least in AZ), Dragoon's IPA is a damn fine beer that might be better than most of the IPAs featured in our Brew Reviews. That said, and like a lot of other wonderful beers being brewed by small shops all around America, it's hard to find, easy to drink and will leave you wishing you'd gone for the growler.