Weldwerks The Best Citra 4Pk

WeldWerks The Best Citra 4Pk is a hazy double India pale ale clocking in at 8.5% ABV, sold as a 4-pack of 16 oz cans. Brewed in collaboration with Hop Butcher For The World, this DIPA earned a 90-point score on BeerAdvocate and stands as one of the most ambitious single-hop explorations in the hazy IPA category.

Quick Facts: ABV: 8.5%  |  Origin: Greeley, Colorado  |  Style: Hazy Double IPA  |  Brewery: WeldWerks Brewing Co. x Hop Butcher For The World

Production & Heritage

WeldWerks Brewing Co. operates as an award-winning small-batch craft brewery in downtown Greeley, Colorado, where it has built a national reputation for meticulously constructed hazy IPAs. The Best Citra represents a collaboration with Chicago-area powerhouse Hop Butcher For The World, combining each brewery's individually selected Citra hop lots into a single brew. What makes this beer technically distinctive is the deployment of five different Citra hop formats in one recipe: traditional whole-cone Citra, WeldWerks-selected Citra, Hop Butcher-selected Citra, Cryo-Citra (a lupulin-concentrated pellet), Citra Incognito (a liquid hop extract), and Citra Spectrum (an advanced aromatic hop product). The result is less a conventional hop bill and more a full spectrum study of what one varietal can express across multiple processing methods.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Fresh-squeezed citrus juice and ripe pineapple dominate the initial pour, followed by waves of mango and guava. A subtle resinous pine note and a whisper of cheese-rind funk add complexity beneath the tropical fruit blast.

Taste: The entry is soft and immediately juicy with tangerine and grapefruit zest, transitioning at mid-palate to layered tropical notes of pineapple, strawberry jam, and guava sorbet. A gentle caramel malt sweetness and creamy vanilla undertone provide structure without competing with the hops.

Finish: Medium-long with a fairly drying close that keeps the beer from cloying despite its weight. Lingering citrus zest and a faint dank resin note hang on the palate, inviting the next sip.

How to Drink The Best Citra

Pour cold into a tulip glass or wide-mouthed IPA glass to release the full aromatic intensity — temperature matters here, so aim for 40–45°F rather than ice cold. This is a beer built for drinking fresh and on its own, but it also works in hop-forward beer cocktails: a Beermosa using fresh-squeezed orange juice amplifies the citrus character; a Michelada with lime, hot sauce, and Tajín creates a savory counterpoint to the tropical fruit; and a Hop Shandy blending The Best Citra with lemonade dials back the ABV while preserving the citrus profile.

Best For

• Gifting a hazy IPA enthusiast who collects limited collaboration releases
• Side-by-side tastings comparing single-hop expressions from top-tier breweries
• Celebrating a milestone with friends who appreciate high-ABV craft beer
• Adding to a curated craft beer share or bottle-swap event

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Best Citra taste like? The Best Citra delivers an intensely tropical and citrus-forward flavor profile dominated by pineapple, tangerine, grapefruit zest, and mango, supported by a soft, creamy mouthfeel and a fairly drying finish.

How does The Best Citra compare to Tree House Brewing hazy IPAs? Both breweries are considered benchmarks for the New England-style hazy IPA, but The Best Citra differentiates itself through its multi-format Citra hop approach and collaboration pedigree with Hop Butcher, whereas Tree House releases like Julius rely on proprietary house yeast and hop blends for their signature character. The Best Citra tends toward a more singular, intensely focused Citra expression rather than the blended hop complexity found in many Tree House offerings.

Is The Best Citra good for sipping on its own? Absolutely — the 8.5% ABV is well-concealed behind the juicy hop character, making it dangerously drinkable neat from a proper glass. It rewards slow sipping as the aromatics evolve as the beer warms slightly.

Where is The Best Citra made? The Best Citra is brewed at WeldWerks Brewing Co. in downtown Greeley, Colorado, in collaboration with Hop Butcher For The World, which is based in the Chicago metropolitan area.

What foods pair well with The Best Citra? Fish tacos with mango salsa mirror the tropical hop profile; a sharp aged cheddar contrasts the beer's juicy sweetness; Thai green curry plays off the citrus and pine notes; grilled shrimp with lime butter echoes the citrus zest character; and a classic smash burger with American cheese provides a rich, savory foil to the hop intensity.

What sizes does The Best Citra come in? The Best Citra is available as a 4-pack of 16 oz cans, which is the standard format for this release.

Is The Best Citra worth the price? The Best Citra positions as a premium collaboration release from two highly regarded breweries, using multiple proprietary hop products that increase production cost. Within the hazy double IPA category, it sits at the upper end of the premium tier, justified by its limited-run nature and the technical complexity of its hop bill.

Why The Best Citra?

The core differentiator here is the unprecedented use of five distinct Citra hop formats in a single beer — traditional pellets from two different selected lots, plus Cryo, Incognito, and Spectrum products — creating what amounts to a full-spectrum extraction of everything the Citra varietal can deliver. The collaboration between WeldWerks and Hop Butcher brings together two breweries with proven track records in hazy IPA production, each contributing their own curated hop selections. A 90-point BeerAdvocate score and a 4.2 rating across nearly 2,900 Untappd reviews confirm broad critical and consumer approval. For anyone serious about understanding what a single hop variety is capable of at its absolute ceiling, this is one of the most thorough answers the craft beer world has produced.