Blood Orange IPA vs Susan: Which Should You Drink?

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Blood Orange IPA

Innis & Gunn

Scotland · American IPA

hopIQ rank #2541

85%

Overall similarity

side by side, across 56 flavour tags

Susan

Hill Farmstead Brewery

United States · American IPA

HOPIQ TAKE

Blood Orange IPA if you want citrus that feels like a flavor addition rather than the beer's backbone, Susan if you want hop character that stands on its own terms. Both clock in at nearly identical ABV and IBU, so the real difference is philosophy—Innis & Gunn leans into the fruit as a friendly entry point, while Hill Farmstead lets the hops do the talking without a safety net. Neither is better; it's whether you're in the mood for a flavored experience or a pure hop showcase.

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WHEN TO CHOOSE WHICH

Pick Blood Orange IPA when…

→You want something approachable that doesn't require hop literacy
→Early in the night when you're not ready for heavy hop complexity
→You actually like fruit-forward beers and aren't pretending otherwise

Pick Susan when…

→You want to taste what the brewer is actually thinking about hops
→You're comparing IPAs and need a baseline of hop-forward character
→You prefer dryness over sweetness in your beer

SIDE BY SIDE

	Blood Orange IPA	Susan
ABV	5.6%	6%
Bitterness	Strongly bitter	Strongly bitter
Colour	Golden	Golden
Style	American IPA	American IPA
Origin	Scotland	United States

WHAT IT TASTES OF

11 shared · 3 distinct

Both beers

hoppycitrusyfruitytropicaljuicybitterorangepineycleancrisp

STRUCTURE — HOW IT'S BUILT

Blood Orange IPASusan

Bitterness

Body

TASTING NOTES

Blood Orange IPA

HoppyCitrusyFruity

Blood Orange IPA hits with immediate citrus peel—bright, almost candied on the front. It's not subtle about the orange; you know what you're getting in the first sip. The body is lean and clean, which actually works in its favor because the fruit doesn't get bogged down. There's a modest bitter finish that feels more like a polite suggestion than a statement, which means this drinks easy and fast. Perfect beer if you're not looking for anything to puzzle over.

Susan

HoppyCitrusyResinous

Susan opens with a more classic IPA nose—piney, resinous, with some floral notes underneath. The flavor is drier than Blood Orange, with a slightly more textured mouthfeel despite the similar ABV. The bitterness lingers longer and feels more integrated into the whole package rather than tacked on at the end. This one rewards paying attention to it; there's more going on the longer it sits in your mouth.

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