Oliphant Variety IPA 12Pk

Oliphant Variety IPA 12Pk is a mixed 12-pack of craft IPAs from brewer-owned Oliphant Brewing in Somerset, Wisconsin. Known for its 25 rotating taps and an experimental approach to brewing, Oliphant has built a loyal following in the Upper Midwest for hop-forward beers that favor drinkability over aggression — a philosophy that extends into this curated variety pack.

Quick Facts: Style: IPA Variety Pack  |  Origin: Somerset, Wisconsin  |  Format: 12-Pack  |  Brewery: Oliphant Brewing

Production & Heritage

Oliphant Brewing is a brewer-owned and brewer-built operation in Somerset, Wisconsin, founded by Matt Wallace and Trevor Wirtanen. The brewery runs 25 rotating taps and has earned a reputation for experimentation across styles rather than narrowing its focus to a single flagship. Their IPA lineup draws on New England and West Coast traditions, with expressions like Zwub — a hazy, New England-style IPA carrying a 3.9 rating on Untappd across more than 325 reviews — serving as a benchmark for the brewery's hop-driven range. This variety pack spotlights that breadth, offering multiple IPA expressions in a single format.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Drawing from Oliphant's known IPA range, expect bright tropical fruit, citrus peel, stone fruit, and resinous hop character. Mango, peach, and lemon are recurring aromatic signatures across their hoppy beers.

Taste: The brewery's IPAs tend toward citrus fruit and light sweetness on the entry, transitioning to a juicy mid-palate that stays approachable. A subtle pithy quality and balanced malt backbone add structure without tipping into heavy bitterness. Individual beers within the pack will vary, giving drinkers a range from hazy and soft to more assertively hopped.

Finish: Oliphant's IPAs generally close clean with moderate bitterness and lingering tropical fruit. The overall impression is smooth and drinkable, rewarding repeated sips rather than punishing the palate.

How to Drink Oliphant IPA

Pour into a tulip glass or standard pint glass at cellar temperature (45–50°F) for the fullest aroma. Each beer in the pack may respond differently to glassware and temperature, so experimenting is half the fun.

For cocktail-curious drinkers: an IPA Shandy pairs well with fresh lemonade and a citrus-forward Oliphant IPA; a Hop Drop blends IPA with grapefruit juice and a splash of simple syrup for a refreshing riff; and a Michelada-style build using a hoppier selection from the pack, lime, hot sauce, and Worcestershire delivers unexpected depth.

Best For

• Introducing friends to a craft brewery's IPA range without committing to a single style
• Backyard gatherings where variety keeps different palates satisfied
• Gifting a hop-enthusiast who appreciates small-batch Midwest brewing
• Side-by-side tastings to explore New England versus more traditional IPA approaches

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Oliphant IPA taste like? Oliphant's IPAs lean tropical and citrus-forward with a soft, juicy body and moderate bitterness. Flavors of mango, peach, lemon, and light malt sweetness are characteristic of the brewery's hop-driven beers.

How does Oliphant compare to other Midwest IPAs? Oliphant favors approachability and balance over extreme bitterness, placing it closer to the hazy, New England-influenced school than the aggressively bitter West Coast tradition — similar in spirit to breweries like Indeed or Modist in the Twin Cities corridor, though Oliphant's small-batch scale allows for more frequent experimentation.

Is Oliphant IPA good for craft beer beginners? Yes — the brewery's IPAs emphasize juicy fruit character and restrained bitterness, making them a welcoming entry point for drinkers exploring the IPA category for the first time.

Where is Oliphant IPA made? Oliphant Brewing operates out of 350 Main Street, Suite 2, in Somerset, Wisconsin, a small town in the St. Croix River Valley near the Minnesota border.

What foods pair well with Oliphant IPA? Grilled burgers or bratwurst match the malt backbone; spicy Thai curry plays off the tropical hop aromatics; fish tacos with mango salsa echo the citrus and stone-fruit notes; sharp cheddar contrasts the soft body; and wood-fired pizza with fresh basil complements the herbal hop undertones.

What sizes does Oliphant Variety IPA come in? This product is packaged as a 12-pack; individual can or bottle sizes may vary by release, with 12 oz and 16 oz being the most common formats in the brewery's distribution.

Is Oliphant Variety IPA worth the price? Oliphant positions as a craft-tier brewery with limited distribution, and the variety pack format delivers strong value for drinkers who want to sample multiple expressions without buying full six-packs of each.

Why Oliphant Variety IPA?

Oliphant Brewing's defining strength is range — with 25 rotating taps and a commitment to experimentation, the brewery produces more IPA variations than most operations its size. This variety pack distills that exploratory spirit into a single purchase. Zwub alone, with its 3.9 Untappd rating across hundreds of reviews, signals the quality bar for the lineup. For drinkers in Wisconsin and the broader Upper Midwest, this pack is one of the more efficient ways to experience a genuinely brewer-driven, small-batch IPA program.