Monkish Whip Appeal
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Tasting Notes
Whip Appeal pours from a brewery known for densely hopped, hazy double IPAs, and this one leans hard into tropical and stone fruit territory — think mango, ripe peach, and a wave of citrus zest on the nose. The body is full and almost creamy, a hallmark of Monkish's oat-forward grain bills, which soften what would otherwise be a sharp bitterness from the hop load. Flavor-wise, there's papaya and passionfruit up front with a subtle dankness underneath, and the 10.5% ABV is genuinely well-hidden — unusually so for the strength. The finish lingers with a mild resinous warmth rather than a hard boozy bite.
About the Brewery
Monkish is based in Torrance, California, and has become one of the most sought-after hazy IPA producers on the West Coast since shifting its focus from Belgian-inspired beers to New England-style IPAs around 2017. Their releases routinely generate long lines and sell out quickly, driven by a prolific and creative naming scheme — almost exclusively hip-hop and R&B references. They're widely credited with bringing serious NEIPA culture to the Los Angeles area and maintaining an unusually high floor of quality across a massive rotating catalog.
Food Pairings
The beer's tropical fruit intensity and full body work well with spicy Thai curry, where the sweetness of mango and peach notes temper the heat without disappearing into it. A rich, fatty dish like pork belly or carnitas holds its own against the beer's weight and complements the resinous, dank undertones. Aged cheddar or a sharp gouda provides a salty, crystalline contrast that makes the fruity hops pop. Grilled shrimp with a citrus-forward marinade echoes the beer's own citrus zest without competing. If you're going dessert, a mango sorbet or passionfruit tart mirrors the hop-derived fruit character in a way that feels intentional rather than accidental.
Style Guide
American Double or Imperial IPAs take the base IPA concept and push the hop load, malt backbone, and alcohol well past conventional limits — typically landing between 8% and 12% ABV with bitterness and aroma dialed to maximum. The style emerged in the early 2000s as American craft brewers began competing to produce the most intensely hopped beers possible, with Dogfish Head's 90 Minute IPA and Russian River's Pliny the Elder becoming early benchmarks. Where a standard IPA aims for balance, a double IPA often foregrounds hop intensity above everything else, supported by a bigger malt frame to keep the structure intact. The hazy or New England interpretation of the style, which Whip Appeal represents, trades aggressive bitterness for softer, juice-forward hop expression and a fuller, less attenuated body.