Beer of the Week: Graves House

From the Beer Writer: In the beginning, West Coast IPAs were pine-tar in nature and bitter enough to be described as sinister. And that’s how IPA-drinkers liked it. Or at least that’s what they said they liked as they dared brewers to add more alpha-acid-rich hops to the kettle to up the IBUs (international bittering units) to unforeseen heights. For years, brewers obliged, but then something happened. A new generation of beer-drinkers who weren’t privy to the bravado and extremism of the aforementioned hops arms race came along. All they wanted was good, flavorful, balanced beer, and a lopsidedly bitter IPA did not fit their palates. Resultantly, the pendulum has swung the other way over the past decade or so, to the point where almost any bitterness is too much for sensitive taste buds, hence the rise of hazy IPAs and the like. Of late, brewers have been going the throwback route, crafting West Coast IPAs that pack some hoppy punch, but unlike back in the day when it was all or nothing, these modern numbers have just enough bite to properly represent the style while still allowing fruit, pine and other hop-borne flavors to shine. Such is the case with this week’s featured beer, Graves House. The flagship IPA from new arrival South O Brewing, it’s profile leads with peach, apricot and orange-zest followed by a pithiness that’s present but not overdone. This beer exhibits muscle, but more importantly, restraint.

From the Brewery: “When developing the recipe for this West Coast IPA, I wanted it to be a reflection of our brewery, approachable and for everyone. San Diego has some of the best IPAs in the world, so I wanted to create a West Coast that would have the right amount of hop character for an introduction to the beer style, however have some malt complexity that even the most seasoned IPA drinker could enjoy. Using some Old World bittering hops, along with Citra, Mosaic and Cashmere, we balanced out this IPA as an easy-drinking 6.8% ABV (alcohol-by-volume) beer. Our West Coast is named after an iconic Oceanside house in downtown called ‘Graves house’, which is named after Dr. Henry Graves, who built it in 1887. It’s one of the oldest houses in Oceanside. Today, the house is commonly known as the ‘Top Gun house’, because it appeared in the 1986 blockbuster movie of the same name as the home of character Charlotte ‘Charlie’ Blackwood, who was played by Kelley McGillis. You can now find it as a new ice-cream store in downtown Oceanside!”—Maurey Fletcher, Head Brewer, South O Brewing