Colorado’s Oskar Blues Brewery is launching a new rotating IPA series it calls its Mutant IPA series, which will feature the “latest mutations in hops and hop technology.” The first in the series is Western Mutant West Coast IPA, which aims for a fresh take on the west coast style variant.

Here’s the press release:

Oskar Blues Brewery announces the release of Western Mutant West Coast Style IPA (7.0% ABV), a freakishly hoppy beer that presents the latest evolution of flavors in the West Coast IPA style. Western Mutant is the first in a new series of Mutant IPAs, all of which will showcase the latest mutations in hops and hop technology from the hop-obsessed at Oskar Blues. Western Mutant West Coast Style IPA is now available nationwide on draft and in 6-packs of 12 oz. cans.

IPAs were not born in the West, but they did evolve there in the 90’s with new American hop flavors of citrus and pine. West Coast IPAs featured an invigorating bitterness and a crystal clear appearance (imagine that). These vanguard IPAs soon traveled east, conquering the whole country and evolving along the way. With Western Mutant, Oskar Blues set out to mutate IPAs back, while pushing the style forward with new, freaked-out hops. Western Mutant West Coast IPA, featuring spicy Akoya, zesty Saphir, citrusy, piney Simcoe and tropical, white-wine-like Nelson Sauvin hops, digs deep to find IPA’s roots while reaching new heights of hopped-up weirdness.

“Hops are life at OB. When your flagship is the voluminously hopped Dale’s Pale Ale, you better bring it when you’re developing a new IPA” said Juice Drapeau, senior head brewer at Oskar Blues Brewery’s Lyons, Colo. pilot brewery. “Western Mutant takes West Coast IPAs to another level with cutting-edge hop varieties taking you on an epic flavor journey with bitterness and balance.”

Western Mutant West Coast IPA is a new-school take on an old-school style. Its zesty bitterness, clarity, and flavors of grapefruit and pine will seem familiar to West Coast IPA fans, but deeper aromas of papaya, gooseberry and peach may surprise. These tropical notes are balanced with a honey-like malt sweetness that finishes clean with a clear crispness.

Change is the only constant in IPAs, so seek out the Western Mutant before it evolves again. Find it near you via the beerfinder. New Mutant IPAs will be arriving soon.

Something tells me a number of IPA substyles will get the “Mutant” treatment though as yet no word on what the planned release schedule looks like.