Beer Review: Leaf Seeker IPA by Troegs Independent Brewing

Happy National IPA Day, everyone!

You know, there’s no shortage of IPAs in the world. From the hazy juice bombs of New England to the palate-wrecking resin bombs of the early West Coast era, we’ve seen the IPA evolve into a hundred sub-styles and “IPA-adjacent” beers. But every once in a while, a brewery takes a classic template, sharpens the edges, and gives you something that makes you remember why you fell in love with hops in the first place.

For me this National IPA Day, that beer is Leaf Seeker IPA from Tröegs Independent Brewing.

I got to try this for the first time at Ffej of July just a few weeks ago, and went out and got me a can of it, it definitely deserved to be drank again!

(See our article: Troegs Brewing Releases Leaf Seeker IPA to Replace Hopora)

Beer Review

Leaf Seeker is replacing Hopora in the Troegs Brewing release schedule. Let’s see if it lives up to the replacement and deserves its own spot on the calendar!

First Impressions

Crack open the can, and it’s like you’ve just walked into a Pacific Northwest hop farm mid-harvest — dank pine needles under your nose, sticky citrus oils clinging in the air. The pour is a crystal-clear golden amber, with a lively white head that sticks around just long enough to leave a lace map of your drinking pace. No haze, no murk — this is a beer that wears its West Coast style on its sleeve.

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Aroma & Flavor

Leaf Seeker IPA is all about balance without losing the bite. The aroma jumps with bright grapefruit, orange zest, and mango from the Citra and El Dorado hops, grounded by earthy, resinous pine from Chinook and CTZ. The first sip leans crisp and bitter up front — a throwback bitterness that makes your tongue sit up straight — but the bitterness doesn’t bulldoze. The malt backbone, courtesy of Pilsner and Vienna malts, keeps things grounded with a lightly biscuity sweetness that fades into a dry, lingering finish.

It’s 6.4% ABV, but drinks lighter, thanks to a snappy, clean body. That’s dangerous on a warm August afternoon.

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Seasonal Vibes

Leaf Seeker is a fall seasonal, but it’s debuting just in time to bridge the gap between late summer patio sipping and crisp autumn evenings. I can already picture drinking this while watching the leaves just start to turn, hoodie on, fire pit crackling. The name isn’t just clever branding — it feels like the kind of beer you’d bring along on a road trip through the Appalachian backroads when the foliage hits peak.

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National IPA Day Context

Today is National IPA Day, so I’ve been running through my mental catalog of IPAs I’ve loved over the years — Heady Topper, Pliny, Bell’s Two Hearted, Tröegs’ own Perpetual. Leaf Seeker doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel, but it polishes it until it shines. It’s proof that a clear, bitter, West Coast IPA still has a place in 2025, even in a haze-heavy market.

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Final Thoughts

If you’ve been craving a clean, hop-forward, no-nonsense IPA with just enough nuance to keep it modern, Leaf Seeker should be on your radar. On National IPA Day, it feels fitting to celebrate with a beer that respects the roots of the style while still feeling fresh and relevant.

Untappd Rating: 3.75 / 5 – Crisp, piney, citrusy, and a perfect seasonal sipper.
Global Untappd Rating: 3.83 (as of 8.7.25)
Would I Drink Again? Absolutely — especially outdoors in the fall.

For More Information on Troegs Independent Craft Brewing

According to Untappd, Troegs Independent Craft Brewing is a regional brewery with 164 unique beers listed (despite their being over 500 Scratches). (A lot of vintage and variants get consolidated into single unique listings as well.) They have 2.4 Million ratings and a global average rating of 3.79 (as of 8.7.25). Their Untappd bio reads:

“Founded in Pennsylvania in 1997 by brothers John and Chris Trogner, Tröegs Independent Brewing is driven by a sense of adventure and curiosity. Our brewery has been built by family, friends and kindred spirits who share a love of great beer. Together, we all make Tröegs. You might know our Perpetual IPA, the best-selling IPA in Pennsylvania. Or the dark, malty and crisp Troegenator. You may have come across such iconic beers as Nugget Nectar or Mad Elf in your beer travels. Perhaps you’ve been lucky enough to try one or two of the hundreds of experimental Scratch Series beers we’ve brewed over the years. Whether you’re already a member of our extended family or you’re just getting to know our brewery, there’s always something new to discover with Tröegs.“

You can find them at the following social media pages:

• Troegs.com (Official Website)
• Troegs Independent Craft Brewing (Facebook)
• Troegs Independent Craft Brewing (Instagram)
• Troegs Independent Craft Brewing @ Twitter
• Troegs Independent Craft Brewing (Untappd)

More Troegs Independent Craft Brewing Related Articles

Looking for more Troegs in your diet? Here’s some other Troegs Independent Craft Brewing related articles we’ve written:

• Troegs Brewing and Wigle Whiskey Team Up to Bring Peach Whiskey Back
• Troegs Independent Craft Brewing Adds 1,628 Solar Panels To Their Brewery
• Beer Review: Double Blizzard (Troegs Independent Craft Brewing)
• The Mad Elf Gets a Face Lift – Troegs Independent Craft Brewing Changes The Mad Elf’s Look
• Troegs Brewing Releasing Cordial Elf
• Beer Review: Double Nugget Nectar (Troegs Independent Craft Brewing)
• Beer Review: Grand Cacao (Troegs Independent Craft Brewing)
• Beer Review: Scratch 417 (Orange Lemon Peel) (Troegs Independent Craft Brewing)
• Beer Review: Haze Charmer (Troegs Independent Craft Brewing)
• Beer Review: Scratch 400 (Pre – Prohibition Lager) (Troegs Independent Craft Brewing)
• Multiple Beer Review: Scratch 394, Scratch 395, Scratch 396, and Mad Elf (Troegs Independent Craft Brewing)
• Two Beer Review: Fresh Fest and Trail Day Pale Ale (Troegs Independent Craft Brewing)
• Multiple Beer Reviews: Fest Lager, Scratch 385 – Krausened Dunkel Lager, and Scratch 386 – Tangerine Passionfruit Guava Tart Ale (Troegs Independent Craft Brewery)
• Beer Review: Fuzzy Nudge (Troegs Independent Craft Brewing)
• Multiple Beer Reviews: Scratch 382 – Blackberry Lime Tart Ale, Scratch 383 – Hazy IPA (Citra, Galaxy & Simcoe), Dear Peter, and Naked Elf (Troegs Brewing Company)
• Multiple Beer Review – Brewery Flight (Troegs) – Beers – Scratch #379 – Krausened Keller Pilsner, Scratch #378 – DIPA, Scratch #377 – Oat IPA, and Scratch #376 – Passionfruit & Guava Tart Ale
• Beer Review: Scratch 375: Coco-Nator (Troegs Independent Brewing Company)
• From Philly to Pittsburgh: Pennsylvania’s Top Craft Breweries You Must Visit
• Hershey Bears Celebrate Calder Cup Championship at Troegs Brewery
• Troegs Brewing Company Adds Hopora IPA to Their Seasonal Hop Cycle Series
• Beer Review: Tropical Stout (Troegs Independent Brewing and Windy Bridges Brewing LLC)
• Oktoberfest Lager Returns to Troegs Independent Brewing (Troegs Independent Brewing’s Oktoberfest Lager Has Returned)
• Tröegs Hop Cyclone Releases Today
• Master of Pumpkins Returns for 2023 with Over 3,000 Pounds of Fresh Local Pumpkins
• The Naked Elf Returns for 2023
• Troegs Announces Gingerbread Cookie Stout
• Troegs Brewing Adding Graffiti Highway IPA and DIPA
• Bourbon Barrel Aged Triple Nator Releasing at Troegs Brewery
• Enchilada Stuffed Peppers and Sunshine Pilsner
• Troegs Brewing to Release Second Cut in Spring 2024
• Troegs Brewing Releasing Cyclops Teardrops This Thursday
• Hops and Vines for Hunger Kick-Off Event at Troegs Brewery
• Mad Elf Set to Release on October 9th
• Troegs Independent Brewing is Releasing Scratch 500 and Scratch 501 – Double Perpetual IPA and Triple Perpetual IPA
• Tröegs Independent Brewing Mad Elf Grand Cru Returns In Limited Cork and Cage Bottles
• Tröegs Brewing Releasing the Most Wonderful Beer of the Year Sampler on Monday
• Recipe: Crispy Beer Roast Turkey (using Troegenator)
• Troegs Brewing Releasing Night Gazer Stout
• Nugget Nectar Is Being Released the Day After Christmas
• Troegs Brewing to Release Sunshine Salt and Lime Lager in 2024
• Troegs and Patagonia Collaborate for Kernza Lager Release
• Troegs Brewing and Dewey Beer Releasing a Collaboration – Adventure Was Promised
• Troegs Brewing Releases Field Study Summer IPA
• First Cut – Mango IPA – Is Coming Out on Thursday February 22nd
• Troegs Brewing Releasing Leisure Cruise
• Troegs Brewing Teaming Up with Warwick Farm and Free Will For Releases
• Troegs Brewing, AntiFragile Brewing, Sworn Brewing, and Warwick Brewing Team Up for Storm the Field IPA
• Troegs Brewing and Tonewood Brewing Collaborate for Brothers Gotta Hug
• Troegs Brewing Creating Super Duper Juicer
• Troegs Brewing Releasing Second Cut Mango Double IPA
• Bikes and Brews Returns April 27th
• Troegs Brewing Releases 15 – Can Summer Variety Pack
• Hopora Returns for July 2024
• Troegs Brewing is Releasing Oktoberfest on August 5th
• Troegs Brewing to Release Double Perpetual IPA on August 19th
• Troegs Brewing and Sloop Brewing Collaborate on Sloop John T
• Unearthing the History of Harrisburg Brewing: From Barnitz to Troegs
• Troegs Brewing is Bringing Back a Fan Favorite – Java Head Stout
• Nimble Giant Set to Return on June 5th
• Leaf Seeker IPA: Tröegs Brewing’s Bold New West Coast-Style Seasonal Beer
• Beer Review: Leaf Seeker IPA (Troegs Independent Brewing)

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