Buck Wild Brewing West Coast IPA

Gluten Free IPA Brewed In California

It’s time to update a review for one of my favorite West coast breweries! Today we’ll be looking at the Buck Wild West Coast IPA, brewed in a dedicated gluten free facility in Oakland California. Buck Wild is one of the first gluten free breweries I ever loved. They have gone through many transformations over the years, including transitioning their brewing operations to a dedicated gluten free facility and opening a taproom for beer lovers like you and me!

The recent version of Buck Wild Brewing’s West Coast IPA features Citra, Mosaic, and Meridian hops. Doesn’t get more West coast style than that. This beer is packaged in 12 ounce cans, sold in 4-packs and enjoys an ABV of 6.3%. It’s brewed on malted millet, rice, and buckwheat.

Check out the pour video below to see what it looks like as it hits the glass. Keep reading to see my review of this version, and beyond that you’ll find my earlier review of the West Coast IPA.

The 2021 Taste Test

Buck Wild West Coast IPA

The new West Coast IPA pours wiht a golden color and a frosty head that takes it sweet time bubbling down. The beer has moderate clarity, allowing lots of shapes and light through–but not quite clear enough to read through.

It’s aroma is packed to the brim with citrus and pine, all the usual characteristics you might expect from a Citra/Mosaic/Meridian hopped brew. It smells very bright and juicy. This gluten free IPA has fantastic glass appeal, and it’s making me thirsty.

The taste reveals a flavor profile to match the aroma. The first sip showcases its citrus hops, light-ish body and lovely carbonation–which comes across very fine, texture-wise. Then a bit of malty sweetness kicks in as it rolls through the palate, arriving at the rest of the hop profile, which is a bit more pine-like, maybe even slightly minty.

The Buck Wild West Coast IPA is very drinkable with a fairly mellow bitterness–as West Coast IPAs go. It’s a bit more sweet and a bit less bitter than I would have predicted from the aroma. But it’s refreshing and very bright in it’s flavor qualities. I don’t taste much of the bitterness during the sips, but it builds gently on the palate afterwards.

I think anyone who typically opts for Pale Ales would enjoy this IPA. It’s certainly very flavorful, and has more malt presence than many of our other PNW IPAs. It think this beer would make a great thirst-quencher on the river. (Can you tell I’m already dreaming of summer?!)

Stay tuned for some more Buck Wild Brewing beer reviews coming soon, and be sure to check out their new taproom if ever in Oakland. Be sure to say hello for me! Keep scrolling to read up Buck Wild’s past release(s) of the West Coast Style IPA.

The 2020 Taste Test

Buck Wild West Coast Style IPA

This is my final review of the Buck Wild Brewing flagship lineup. Today’s pour is of the West Coast Style IPA. This IPA is actually a rotating series offering. Today we’ll be looking at the West Coast IPA but the *latest* release is a Session IPA.

If you’ve been following along with my Buck Wild posts, you know that this is one of four flagships offered by this California brewery. They also package a gluten free Kölsch, Pale Ale, and Amber Ale. Buck Wild isn’t new to the gluten free beer scene, but they do have a brand new brewhouse! All of these beers are packaged in 12 oz. cans and are brewed in their brand new dedicated gluten free brewery.

The Buck Wild Brewing West Coast Style IPA has a 6.3% ABV. It’s brewed on several gluten free malts including millet, rice, buckwheat, and rolled oats. (Be careful here if you don’t tolerate oats well.) Check out the pour video below, and stick around until the end of the review for additional links to other Buck Wild Brewing reviews.

The Taste Test

Gluten Free West Coast Style IPA

This Buck Wild IPA pours with a deep sunset orange color and a beautiful head that lasts quite awhile as the beer sits. Its clarity is moderate and the beer looks very gold when held up to the light.
The aroma teases me with pine trees and citrus hops, which surprises me none as this was labeled a “west coast” IPA. Here’s to hoping those aromas carry on through the flavors.

My first taste reveals a hop-forward flavor with lots of pine and grapefruit. The body is medium and the bitterness starts out quite light, but builds to a moderate level within a few sips.

The first sip plants you smack dab in the middle of the Pacific Northwest pine forests with hop flavor. As this gluten free IPA moves through the palate you notice a smooth body and a gentle onset of bitterness that carries you right through to a dry finish. The hop flavor leans heavier towards the resign and pine than it does the citrus that you pick up on the nose. I love the hop profile of this IPA, in both aroma and taste.

This West Coast IPA has fantastic visual appeal, even half way though the beer. A galaxy of foam still adorns the top and what’s left of the head paints the glass with every sip, lingering for some time, giving this IPA a very frosty appearance.

I recently reviewed their gluten free Kölsch and I have to say, Buck Wild Brewing is doing a damn fine job on their head retention. Overall, this is a great IPA that rests on the more moderate side of PNW intensity. Meaning, it’s not a hop bomb and it’s pretty easy drinking for a West Coast IPA, but it still packs a bitter pinch and all of that classic PNW hop character that we love so much.

This is probably my second favorite year-round offering by Buck Wild Brewing, right after their gluten free Kölsch—which seriously won me over earlier this week. You can read THAT review here.

Afterwards, be sure to check out the other two Buck Wild Brewing reviews, one for the gluten free Pale Ale and the other for the gluten free Amber Ale. All of their flagships are brewed in a dedicated gluten free brewery, so they are as safe as it gets for gluten free beer lovers.

P.S. Like what I do for the gluten free beer community? Consider buying me a beer for my efforts! ;)

Buck Wild Brewing West Coast IPA