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Critical Thinking

Tap Social Movement
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🌍 United Kingdom · American IPA · One of 388 American IPAs in hopIQ

Tap Social's hop-forward IPA — named after Oxford's most celebrated academic virtue. Tropical and citrusy with clean bitterness. The IPA of one of England's great university cities.

ABV
5.5%
Bitterness
Strongly bitter
Citrus hop bitterness
SRM
golden6
See all American IPA alternatives →
How it drinks· Its pace, balance and relationship to the style.
Pace
sessionsipper
Balance
malt-ledhop-led
Style expression
textbookdistinctive
Taste structure· The backbone of the beer, regardless of style.
Body
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
drysweet
Bitterness
mildbitter
Texture
crispcreamy
hopIQ take

Dry and assertively bitter.

A trim base, a hop-led finish — the classic setup for a hop-forward beer.

Wider bands mean we're less certain about the exact position.
Character· What makes this beer itself — not just another American IPA.
Hop character
hoppy
citrusy
tropical
Fermentation & yeast
clean
Compare with another beer →

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Critical Thinking

Appearance

Pale golden in colour with excellent clarity and fine carbonation visible throughout the glass. A bright white head forms readily and clings to the glass with crisp lacing, characteristic of a well-crafted IPA.

pale goldenbright claritywhite headfine carbonation

Aroma

The nose leads with assertive hop character — tropical stone fruit and citrus peel dominate the front, with notes of passionfruit and grapefruit. Behind the hops sits a restrained, clean malt foundation that doesn't distract from the primary hop expression.

tropical fruitcitrus peelpassionfruitclean malt backdrop

Taste

Entry is crisp and refreshing, with tropical and citrus hop flavours immediately evident on the palate. The mid-palate sustains the hop character without becoming aggressive, while a clean bitterness builds steadily toward the finish — balanced rather than harsh, with a dry, thirst-quenching quality throughout.

hop-forwardtropical citrusclean bitternessdry finish

Finish

The finish is dry and lingering, with citrus bitterness fading gradually into a clean, mineral aftertaste. No cloying sweetness remains.

drycitrus bitternessclean aftertaste
82
hopIQ score
Aroma
84
Taste
83
Appearance
85
Finish
79
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Serve & Enjoy

How to get the most out of Critical Thinking

Serve at 8–11°C
Refrigerate, then rest 2 min

Serve at 8–11°C for the best flavour balance and aroma expression.

Tulip glass
Recommended for this style

The curved shape concentrates hop aromas and supports a thick head. Essential for aromatic ales and IPAs where the nose is half the experience.

Store in a cool, dark place. Check the best-before date on the label for guidance.

Food Pairing

What to eat with Critical Thinking

About American IPA

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a American IPA?

IPAs are hop-forward ales with 5.5–7.5% ABV and IBU 40–70+. Bold hop aroma — citrus, tropical, resinous — with firm bitterness and a dry, clean finish.

Finding a similar American IPA

hopIQ matches by flavor profile — not just style label. A beer with the same hoppy, clean, tropical character as Critical Thinking will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.

Other American IPAs in hopIQ

Explore all American IPA beers in hopIQ →New to American IPA? Read our guide →Browse United Kingdom beers →