Cheyenne Burnham is the front of house manager at Final Gravity Brewing Co. (Photo by Stephen Clatterbuck)
To paraphrase Beyoncé, who run the world — or at least the “supertaster” realm? Girls. According to a study from the University of Florida Center for Smell and Taste, women are more likely to be supertasters: a class of people who get more flavor out of a bite or a sip than the average person. And here in Richmond, there’s a lot of beer to be supertasted.
The India Pale Ale is known for its typically strong, extra-hoppy flavor profile. Today, Brewers Association Beer Style Guidelines recognize only three official categories of IPA: the English-style India Pale Ale, the American-style India Pale Ale, and the double IPA, yet increasingly there are not-yet-defined versions available. To help you navigate this hoppy new world, we asked a few of Richmond’s craft-beer women which local IPAs stand out to their taste buds.
Cheyenne Burnham
Front of House Manager, Final Gravity Brewing Co.
“[Final Gravity’s Doppler Effect DIPA] … presents itself like liquid sunshine and retains a perfect frothy head. I was also just recently at Triple Crossing and had their Real Recognize Real DIPA, their collaboration with The Answer, and yeah, I recognized it as something pretty remarkable.”
Michelle Tarpey
Front of House Manager, The Veil Brewing Co.
“[The Veil’s] Dirt Nap has been my personal favorite DIPA over the last year. The combination of Citra, Mosaic, Galaxy and Nelson — they are all my favorite hops! [It is] very citrus-forward, fresh grapefruit, dank and a touch of earthy character.”
Tonie Stevens
Sales and Marketing Manager, Strangeways Brewing
“I’m not a big IPA gal, but I would have to say my favorite is Strangeways’ Wampus Cat Triple IPA. Its nose is beautiful, and [it] tastes mighty awesome. Of course I’m biased, being at Strangeways now.”
Ashley Simard
Sales Manager, O’Connor Brewing Co.
“[O’Connor’s] El Guapo and [Triple Crossing’s] Falcon Smash are my faves. I love them because they are balanced and consistent. I feel like there are many IPA variants on tap these days, and I really don’t want to bother experimenting with them when I know El Guapo and Falcon Smash always show up!”
Shannon Ely
The Doppler Effect at Final Gravity Brewing Co. (Photo by Stephen Clatterbuck)
Southern Virginia Sales Rep, Old Bust Head Brewing Co.
“The Doppler Effect by Final Gravity. Super juicy up front [with notes] of mango and passionfruit, and low enough bitterness to make the beer approachable, with a lovely hoppy grapefruit finish. At a 7 percent ABV, Doppler Effect is easy enough to savor without getting too tipsy.”
