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Rare Trait

Cerebral Brewing
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🌍 United States · IPA · One of 24 IPAs in hopIQ

Rare Trait is the house IPA from Denver's Cerebral Brewing, a Colorado craft standout that earned Best Beer in Colorado honors at the 2023 Axios Denver awards. It pours a luminous golden-amber with a white, pillowy head. The aroma bursts with ripe tangerine, lush mango, and candied peach — vivid, fruit-forward, and inviting. On the palate, those tropical and stone-fruit notes carry through seamlessly, supported by a clean, biscuity malt backbone that keeps everything grounded. Bitterness is deliberately restrained, allowing the hop character to shine without aggression. The finish is smooth and refreshing, with a gentle citrus fade that lingers just long enough to invite the next sip. A benchmark Colorado IPA that balances approachability with genuine craft ambition.

ABV
6.4%
Bitterness
Strongly bitter
Citrus hop bitterness
SRM
amber9
See all 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

Very 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 IPA.
Hop character
hoppy
tropical
citrusy
orange
Malt character
bready
malty
Fermentation & yeast
clean
fruity
Distinctive notes
peach
Compare with another beer →

FEATURED IN

Featured inThe Best American IPAsFeatured inThe Best IPAs in the World

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Rare Trait

Appearance

Rare Trait presents a luminous golden-amber hue that catches the light with clarity and vibrancy. A white, pillowy head forms confidently and clings to the glass with strong retention, leaving delicate lacing on each sip. The carbonation is lively but restrained, supporting a clean, inviting pour.

golden-amberwhite pillowy headclear and bright

Aroma

The nose opens with vivid tropical fruit notes—ripe tangerine and lush mango lead the charge, supported by candied peach that adds a gentle stone-fruit sweetness. Beneath the fruit sits a clean, biscuity malt character that grounds the composition without competing. The aromatic profile is fruit-forward and inviting, with no rough or aggressive edges.

ripe tangerinelush mangocandied peachclean malt

Taste

Tropical and stone-fruit flavors carry seamlessly from the nose into a well-balanced palate. A biscuity malt backbone provides structure and sweetness, keeping the beer grounded and approachable. Bitterness is deliberately restrained at 60 IBU, allowing the hop character to shine without aggression or harshness.

tropical fruit forwardsmooth malt supportrestrained bitterness

Finish

The finish is smooth and refreshing, with a gentle citrus fade that lingers gracefully. This persistent but not cloying aftertaste invites the next sip without fatigue.

citrus faderefreshingsmooth departure
87
hopIQ score
Aroma
89
Taste
88
Appearance
85
Finish
84
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Serve & Enjoy

How to get the most out of Rare Trait

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

Serve well-chilled. Session IPAs are at their best cold — the lower ABV means less warmth to balance the hops.

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.

Drink fresh. Session IPAs are brewed to be consumed young — the hops are at their best now.

Food Pairing

What to eat with Rare Trait

About IPA

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a 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 IPA

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

Other IPAs in hopIQ

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

WHERE TO BUY

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