Next Round: The pursuit of hoppiness

Big, bold, hoppy beers have a massive following, and brewers continue to experiment, coaxing new expressions from that key herbaceous ingredient.

One outcome is a growing number of lower-alcohol ales that boast big hop flavor. At the same time, other hop-heavy beers achieve tasty results by balancing other ingredients with culinary precision.

The result means more stops on your search for the perfect quaff:

Flying Dog Easy IPA (out now in the mid-Atlantic and elsewhere by May 15, on draft and in six-packs, flyingdogbrewery.com). This fresh, lemongrassy India Pale Ale has a formidable and unique bitterness – Flying Dog says a proprietary hop blend is used – but a low-alcohol profile at only 4.7%.

Originated as a staff-chosen, limited release beer, Easy IPA will now now available year-round. And, as with other Flying Dog beers, the label features eye-catching, iconic artwork created by Ralph Steadman.

Goose Island The Ogden (available nationally, on tap and in four-packs, gooseisland.com). The beloved brewer offers a visa to those who have yet to explore the Belgian Tripel, a classic beer style. A spicy, yeasty aroma with hints of bubblegum and banana greets the nose here.

STORY: New trends in craft beer

The time-honored sweetness and complexity of the style gets a twist from this beer getting a dose of Citra hops near the finish of its fermenting process. The Ogden, named after the first mayor of Chicago, increases in flavor as it warms, as does the evident heft of its 9% alcohol level.

Terrapin Hopzilla (available regionally 11 states and Washington, D.C., terrapinbeer.com) Just in time for the latest cinematic iteration of Godzilla – out Friday and evidently an improvement over the 1998 sequel –comes this Athens, Ga.-based brewery's double India Pale Ale. (So-called DIPAs deliver bitterness and booze levels that surpass typical IPAs).

Despite the beer's monstrous name, you need not flee to salvage your taste buds. Hopzilla doesn't devast! ate your palate with overpowering hoppiness, despite its whopping 110 IBUs (International Bitterness Units, a measurement of bitterness) – a typical IPA comes in at about 55 to 70, according to The Oxford Companion to Beer by Garrett Oliver, brewmaster for Brooklyn Brewery.

The traditional English malt used helps achieve a harmonic caramel, nutty aroma and taste. And there's a citrusy essence from the Citra dry-hopping, done here as was done with The Ogden. Even with the 10.7% alcohol level, this is a smooth sipper.

Next Round will take a regular look at new and recently released craft beers. If there's one on your radar, or if you have suggestions or questions, contact Mike Snider via e-mail. And follow Snider on Twitter: @MikeSnider.