1. Rye hopper - French Broad Brewing Company Asheville, NC - 5.9%
The strong Rye gives this brew a nice dimension of spice. The Rye is so strong that it almost overshadows the bittering hops but they manage to shine through. Don't let that scare you away though. This is not a heavy beer. It is refreshing but it has a strong bite that you have to be ready for. If you are a lover of red wine with a nice tannin bite then I'm guessing you will like this brew.
2. Ranger IPA - New Belgium Brewing
This IPA is surprising. It is not as strong on the hop as many IPAs that I have had. That makes for an interesting drinking experience. I find myself taking larger than normal mouthfuls of this brew and pushing it to the back of my tongue where the sour/bitter taste buds are. My instinct is to really "chew" on this beer. As IPAs go I wouldn't rank this one highly. My reflex to work for a strong flavor from this beer makes for an interesting drinking experience but the fact that I have to work for it brings it down a bit in my mind. If I was going on straight drinkability I would rate this one higher. The work for the flavor in this brew means that I could throw a few of these back without any trouble. If you are really into IPAs then choose something else but if you are not then this is a good IPA to pick as it probably won't overwhelm your palate as some other IPAs might.