For years, Oskar Blues offered hoppy beers but was on the fringe of having an IPA in their lineup: Dale's Pale Ale, while satisfying to hopheads, still had that telltale Pale Ale taste. G'Knight (Gordon) also did the job but is an Imperial Red. And Gubna, so over the top at 10% and relying on Summit hops exclusively, had OB fans divided on whether it was a good DIPA or garbage. Considering the fact that Gubna has undergone a reformulation, it seems that those of the garbage opinion were winning out, though I always liked the Summit hops. Deviant Dale's came along, and though touted as an IPA, I can't get past the fact that it is 8% ABV. That's beyond IPA to me, Brewer's Association guidelines be damned. One might have thought that Oskar Blues might go the way of Left Hand, saying we don't need to make an IPA (and when we do, it's not going to be good). But finally, in 2015, OB debuts their version of a modern IPA- and made with Australian hops: Ella, Vic Secret, Enigma, and Topaz. And it works. Not an over the top IPA, at 6.4%. Not overly bitter. Very drinkable. And not overpriced, which was an argument people had against poor ol' Gubna. Look for a sixer to run from $9-10 at your local store.
