bassfin - west coast ipa

Like everything in life, brewing and trends in the beer business move in waves. Styles come and go, change and evolve, sometimes gaining more and sometimes less popularity. One absolute perennial favorite, which has only briefly lost relevance since its creation in the 18th century, is the India Pale Ale. It was created to facilitate beer exports to Great Britain's colonies. The classic ale of that time didn't survive the long journey to India, Africa, or Australia unscathed, so a somewhat stronger brew was developed, which, thanks to a higher alcohol content and more hops, was significantly more aging-friendly than other styles. From an export hit, the IPA also blossomed into a local favorite in England, but briefly disappeared from the scene in the 20th century, only to be revived at the end of the same century. And not only that: the craft beer movement made the IPA more famous and popular than ever before.

In May 2025, the Bamberg-based brewery Blech.Brut launched a brand-new series that celebrates the IPA in all its facets. Bassfin is part of this series and harks back to the classic West Coast IPAs of the 1990s: This brew is richly cloudy, crystal-clear in flavor, straightforward, heavily hopped, citrusy, resinous, tropical, and pungently bitter.