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Great article in last weekend's WSJ about the hugely competitive market in specialty IPAs and the hops that make them unique:

IPAs for People Who Don't Like IPAs

…new "high-oil" hops. Hop acids like humulone provide bitterness and preservative value, while oils contained in the plant give flavor and aroma—Citra's orange-soda-like thiol or the clove-like caryophyllene in Apollo...Some hops go from code name to industry darling to rarity in a season. Citra took off in Sierra Nevada's Torpedo—the most popular IPA in the country—and then became nearly impossible for craft brewers to find.

I have to admit, the Wright Ave IPA from our local brewery in La Verne, CA (right next to the NHRA Winter Nationals) is possibly the best IPA I've ever had in my life. Mind you, I'm not a hop head (for that, got to Claremont Craft Ales if you can stand the political region), but this blasts everything else out of the water as far as I'm concerned, a beautiful mix of Falconer's Flight and Citra, mellow on the tongue with a deep brew to carry the load.

Yeah, this is indeed a golden time for beers, least for me, with nine craft breweries within (my) walking distance. I'm so going to enjoy Superbowl Sunday followed by the Winter Nationals while sipping that brew (and getting in about 17 miles on my feet.)