I love IPAs. I also can’t stomach several in one drinking session anymore. The intensity of the flavors and hop-bill typically restricts me to a small pour or one sole can at a time. It’s a common occurrence for many beer drinkers today. Craft brewers continue to push the limits on flavor in IPAs, ramping up the ABV and ingredient list while lowering the drinkability in the process. Every IPA has a place, but I’ve increasingly found that Session IPAs continue to gain more space in my beer fridge than their hoppier counterparts. One new addition that I’m dedicating shelf space to is Oskar Blues’ One-y hazy session IPA. 

Oskar Blues Brewery makes heavy-hitting IPAs. Their recent Can-O-Bliss IPA Series and Steep Coast Mountain Double IPA Series are well-crafted, but One-y might be my favorite of the bunch. When I first picked up a can (thanks to OB for the samples), I was immediately drawn to the label art. Oskar Blues’ labels always seem to standout on-shelves, but the hyper-fluorescent green and yellow stripes that adorn the One-y can make it hard to look anywhere else.

That said, the bright colors on the can leads to an even brighter beer. At 4% and 100 calories, it would be easy to lower your expectations towards what this beer can offer flavor-wise. More hops and higher ABV typically means bigger flavors. That’s not the case with One-y. The beer is dry-hopped with El Dorado, Comet and Citra hops; Mosaic and French Aramis hops are added to the whirlpool for good measure. The result is clear when you crack the lid on the can. Huge hits of hops, citrus, and a bit of dankness waft oft, showcasing the myriad of hop varieties used in creating this beer. 

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Pouring it into the glass is the next test for a beer dubbed as “low cal, high haze” on the packaging. Again, One-y passes with flying colors, pouring a light gold that settles with a bit of head and fully visible haze. Although it’s enticing to drink this one straight from the can, I recommend pouring it out into a glass to get the full hazy picture One-y presents. 

With the smell and sight locked in, the ultimate test remains in flavor. Many brewers brew a session or lower-ABV IPA these days. While I love these session beers, I love some more than others. Founders All Day is the staple for session IPA given the intensity of hop flavors the brewers were able to wrap into a lower-calorie session IPA. Getting heavy-hitting hop notes in a lighter beer is difficult, which is why session IPAs executed perfectly move product and boost sales for brewers. One-y could be that bellcow for Oskar Blues. 

The flavor is excellent. The aroma of hops and citrus lead into big waves of bright fruit on the palate. The hop flavor is prominent but not overly-bitter. Instead, the primary flavor is citrus–orange peel, peach, lemon and even a bit of mango–that lead you through the drinking experience here. You even get a bit of herbal essence that livens up the beer. Letting this one warm up ripens up those fruit flavors even more and is highly recommended. 

True to Session IPA form, One-y is incredibly easy to drink and finish multiple cans of it in one sitting. While the beer boasts the type of hop complexity that you’d expect in a more intense Double IPA, there’s little to no bite on the finish and zero cloyingness. It’s clean, compact, and flavor-forward. 

One-y is a beer I’ll be adding to my standard drinking rotation. At just 100 calories, it satisfies that IPA itch really well and makes drinking several both an easy and enjoyable drinking experience. One-y is available now across Oskar Blues’ national distribution footprint on draft, in six-packs and in 12-packs of 12-ounce cans. Cheers!

*Feature image courtesy of Oskar Blues Brewery

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