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Top Gun IPA

Blind Tiger Brewery
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🌍 United States · West Coast IPA · One of 33 West Coast IPAs in hopIQ

Blind Tiger's San-Diego-styled West Coast IPA — aggressive hopping, resinous piney character, firm bitter finish. A Topeka brewpub doing what the West Coast used to do best, back before hazy took over. Top Gun is straightforward: clean malt, big hop punch, dry closer. Kansas West Coast, unabashed.

ABV
7%
Bitterness
Strongly bitter60 IBU
Resinous hop bitterness
SRM
golden7
See all West Coast 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

Assertively bitter and very dry.

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 West Coast IPA.
Hop character
hoppy
piney
resinous
Malt character
malty
Fermentation & yeast
clean
Distinctive notes
hazy
Compare with another beer →

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Top Gun IPA

Appearance

Golden-amber body with bright clarity and visible carbonation. White head forms with moderate retention and leaves a delicate lacing on the glass. The beer presents a clean, well-defined appearance typical of the West Coast IPA style.

golden-amberbright clarityfine carbonationmoderate head retention

Aroma

Assertive hop character dominates the nose, with pronounced piney and resinous notes that recall classic American Cascade and Centennial profiles. Clean malt underpinning provides a subtle grainy sweetness without competing. A dry, woody edge cuts through, reflecting the beer's firm bitterness to come.

resinous pinenoble hop characterclean graindry wood

Taste

Entry is crisp and malt-forward, offering a light caramel sweetness that quickly gives way to aggressive hop bitterness. The mid-palate shows good body and hop intensity without harshness, with the piney, resinous character fully expressed. The finish dries rapidly, leaving a sustained bitter edge that lingers cleanly.

hoppy punchpiney finishdry mouthfeelfirm bitterness

Finish

Long, dry finish with a lingering resinous bitterness and no cloying aftertaste. The hop character persists throughout the aftertaste without becoming astringent.

long dry finishpersistent bitterness
82
hopIQ score
Aroma
85
Taste
84
Appearance
80
Finish
78
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Serve & Enjoy

How to get the most out of Top Gun IPA

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 Top Gun IPA

About West Coast IPA

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a West Coast 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 West Coast IPA

hopIQ matches by flavor profile — not just style label. A beer with the same resinous, hoppy, piney character as Top Gun IPA will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.

Other West Coast IPAs in hopIQ

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

WHERE TO BUY

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