Black Hills IPA vs Santilli: Which Should You Drink?

HOPIQ FACEOFF

Black Hills IPA

Firehouse Brewing Company

United States · American IPA

hopIQ rank #712

71%

Overall similarity

side by side, across 56 flavour tags

Santilli

Night Shift Brewing

United States · American IPA

HOPIQ TAKE

Black Hills IPA if you want bold, pine-forward attitude; Santilli if you want soft, juicy restraint. Both clock in at 60 IBUs and hover around 6–6.5% ABV, so they're actually closer cousins than they first appear—the difference is more about philosophy than numbers. Black Hills leans into that classic American IPA backbone, while Santilli feels like it's whispering rather than shouting. Pick based on your mood, not your fear of bitterness.

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WHEN TO CHOOSE WHICH

Pick Black Hills IPA when…

→You want that classic, uncompromising IPA experience without frills
→Pine and resin are your happy place on the hop spectrum
→You're eating something rich or spicy that needs a firm hand

Pick Santilli when…

→You're in the mood for hops that feel more citrus-forward and approachable
→You want bitterness without the aggressive finish
→You're drinking for flavor experience rather than full-bodied intensity

SIDE BY SIDE

	Black Hills IPA	Santilli
ABV	6.5%	6%
Bitterness	Strongly bitter	Strongly bitter
Colour	Golden	Golden
Style	American IPA	American IPA
Origin	United States	United States

WHAT IT TASTES OF

7 shared · 6 distinct

Both beers

hoppycitrusycleancrisppineybitterlight

Only Black Hills IPA

mineral

STRUCTURE — HOW IT'S BUILT

Black Hills IPASantilli

Bitterness

Body

TASTING NOTES

Black Hills IPA

HoppyCitrusyMineral

Black Hills hits you with immediate resinous pine and a dry, almost woody finish that clings to your palate. There's a malt backbone that keeps it from feeling thin, and the 6.5% ABV gives it just enough weight to feel like a proper IPA. It's the kind of beer that tastes like Firehouse knows exactly what they're doing—no tricks, no apologies, just well-executed craft.

Santilli

HoppyCitrusyClean

Santilli is more delicate than you'd expect from an IPA. The hops read as citrus and stone fruit rather than pine—there's something almost creamy about the mouthfeel that softens the 60 IBUs considerably. Night Shift's fingerprints are all over this: it's modern, balanced, and drinks way easier than its bitterness rating suggests.

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