Contender American IPA vs Windmills IPA: Which Should You Drink?

HOPIQ FACEOFF

Contender American IPA

Boxing Cat Brewery

China · American IPA

hopIQ rank #130

84%

Overall similarity

side by side, across 56 flavour tags

Windmills IPA

Windmills Craftworks

India · American IPA

HOPIQ TAKE

Contender American IPA if you want bright, snappy citrus punch that hits fast, Windmills IPA if you want something with more backbone and staying power. Both clock in at essentially identical ABV and IBU, so the real story is execution—one's built for immediacy, the other for depth. You're not choosing between styles here; you're choosing between two breweries' takes on the same formula.

See what fits your taste

Build your Beer DNA

hopIQ scores every beer against your palate, not the average drinker's.

WHEN TO CHOOSE WHICH

Pick Contender American IPA when…

→You want immediate gratification and citrus-forward flavor
→Quick session drinking where crispness matters
→You prefer hops that announce themselves upfront

Pick Windmills IPA when…

→You want to sit with a beer and let it reveal itself
→You appreciate resiny, slightly piney hop character
→You prefer balanced bitterness over sharp citrus

SIDE BY SIDE

	Contender American IPA	Windmills IPA
ABV	6.6%	6.5%
Bitterness	Strongly bitter	Strongly bitter
Colour	Amber	Golden
Style	American IPA	American IPA
Origin	China	India

WHAT IT TASTES OF

9 shared · 3 distinct

Both beers

hoppycitrusyresinousfruitytropicalpineybittercleancrisp

STRUCTURE — HOW IT'S BUILT

Contender American IPAWindmills IPA

Bitterness

Body

TASTING NOTES

Contender American IPA

HoppyCitrusyResinous

Contender leads with this sharp grapefruit-and-lemon attack that doesn't waste time. There's a clean, almost lean quality to it—the kind of IPA that tastes like it was designed to cut through a crowded bar or pair with spicy food. The finish is crisp and doesn't linger, which works in its favor if you're looking for something session-able at 6.6%. It's direct without being one-note.

Windmills IPA

HoppyCitrusyResinous

Windmills feels slightly fuller in the mouth, like there's more malt sweetness underneath the hop character. The bitterness has more texture to it—less of a spike, more of a wave. There's a slight resinous quality that suggests they're balancing their hops differently, letting the bitterness unfold rather than announce itself. It's the kind of beer that actually tastes better as it warms up a few degrees.

Find beers like Contender American IPA

View alternatives →

Find beers like Windmills IPA

View alternatives →

← All comparisons