Is this just a rebranding of the IPL? I came across this article, and the authors somehow wrote all those words without once mentioning IPLs.
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No mention of crystal malt? I personally don’t consider the modern takes of “West Coast IPA” proper ones as they usually don’t have any or have very little crystal malt. I know it is popular to hate crystal malt, but I will always associate proper West Coast IPA with piney-resiny hop profile, amber color and solid caramelly malt backbone (all of those are related to crystal malt in some degree). But a lot of modern takes of “West Coast IPA” don’t have any of those characteristics, and for example if they have piney-resiny hop profile, it just feels wrong without crystal malt.
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Seen enough of those even in good ole Yurp here. Basically IPL with more west coast hoppiness rather than the fruity stuff. Can be great.
And agreed that modern west coasts completely loses its point sometimes. The reason, however, why it lost popularity is crystal malt TBH, as it was overdone, and combined with travel, was a symbol of garbage imports (here). The modern ones do avoid it, but try to go the way of the dank at least, however, many fail by, well, making it a dank hazy without bitterness, losing almost any connection with the original, and not improving things. They can still be done without crystal malt, and maybe be better for it, as long as everything else is on point.
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