10 Barrel Brewing has spent the past few years refining how it talks about hops, not just in the glass but in its portfolio. The Bend, Oregon-based brewery’s HopBurst category represents a deliberate reset around highly aromatic IPAs that emphasize late-stage hopping to deliver intensity without excess bitterness. Within that family — which also includes Apocalypse West Coast IPA, Camp Coldie Northwest IPA, Juicy Drama IIPA, Cloud Mentality Hazy IPA and Apocalypse NA IPA — All Ways Down stands apart as a clear, high-octane Double IPA designed to prove that bold does not have to mean punishing.
All Ways Down is built on a hop bill that includes El Dorado, Bravo, Simcoe, Mosaic and Azacca, chosen for their ability to deliver citrus, tropical fruit, pine and resin. But the beer’s business value to 10 Barrel extends well beyond its recipe. It is a case study in how a lifestyle-driven specialty beer can evolve into a near-flagship SKU when consumer demand, internal strategy and brewing discipline align.
“All Ways Down started life as one of those ‘for the moment’ specialty beers — something brewed to match the energy of 10 Barrel’s action-sports DNA rather than to fill a long-term portfolio slot,” a 10 Barrel Brewing Co. spokesperson told Brewer in an email exchange. “It was originally tied to the brewery’s snowboard and ski culture: a big, clear, high-octane DIPA designed for events, athlete collabs, and the brand’s mountain-town identity.”
In its early phase, the beer was intentionally ephemeral. It functioned as a brand amplifier rather than a volume driver, built to show up at the right places with the right people.
“In that phase, it functioned almost like a lifestyle accessory — bold, fun, a little reckless, and meant to be enjoyed in the same environments where 10 Barrel built its reputation,” they said.
The shift from specialty release to permanent portfolio member came only after the hype wore off and the data stayed strong.
“A brand earns a permanent place only when it proves it can deliver steady velocity, strong distributor support, and repeatable consumer demand long after the initial hype fades,” the spokesperson wrote. “It also has to fill a unique strategic role in the portfolio, one that no existing SKU covers.”
While haze-forward IPAs and lower-ABV hop beers crowded shelves, the brewery identified a gap for a clear Double IPA that delivered intensity without sweetness or aggression. That gave All Ways Down the nod.
“From liquid to marketing, All Ways Down had an instant following and really exemplified 10 Barrel culture,” they said.
That clarity helped justify All Ways Down’s inclusion in the HopBurst relaunch in 2023, which involved both refreshed packaging and recipe refinements. Internally, those decisions were not driven by a single metric.
“Breweries almost never rely on a single signal when deciding whether a beer needs a recipe refresh,” they said. “The decision usually comes from a convergence of performance data and sensory evaluation.”
Sales velocity, distributor feedback, internal tastings and consumer response all factored into the decision. The goal was not reinvention but refinement.
“When retooling a brand, our focus is on making the brand exciting new consumers while maintaining its integrity for existing customers,” they said.
From a brewing perspective, the HopBurst technique underpins that balance. The approach emphasizes amplified late additions in the boil, whirlpool and dry hop to drive aroma and flavor while keeping bitterness in check.
“A modern, balanced Double IPA like All Ways Down works because it shifts most of its hop load into the whirlpool and dry hop, creating a huge flavor without harsh bitterness,” the spokesperson said. They pointed to late-stage hop saturation as the most impactful lever for achieving drinkability at higher ABV.
“Focusing on late-stage hop saturation is the single most effective way to make a clear, intense, highly drinkable DIPA,” they said, adding that newer hop products can “drastically improve flavor and aroma contributions in the finished beer, without the bite.”
That philosophy also guided how the brewers managed palate fatigue during development.
“The key to All Ways Down’s balance wasn’t any single lever like bitterness or gravity — it was how the brewers layered late-stage hop additions to maximize aroma and flavor intensity without pushing palate-fatiguing bitterness,” they said.
As part of the HopBurst family today, All Ways Down occupies a narrowly defined but strategically important lane.
READ MORE: 10 Barrel Launches Revitalized Hopburst IPA Collection
“All Ways Down earns its place in the HopBurst family because it fills a lane that no other IPA in the lineup truly occupies,” the spokesperson said. “A clear, high-ABV, late-hop-saturated Double IPA that delivers intensity without haze, sweetness, or punishing bitterness.”
That clarity has helped prevent SKU creep while still allowing the brewery to showcase range within a single category. The beer’s evolution also reflects a willingness to move away from earlier iterations when needed.
“All of the changes we have made to All Ways Down have been to drive the consumer experience with this brand,” they said. “Finding ways to make the beer very approachable for Double IPA and getting the most out of the hops we are using to create amped up and unique flavor and aroma.”
All Ways Down offers a reminder that portfolio growth does not have to mean constant novelty. When a beer clearly fills a strategic role, delivers repeat demand and aligns with brand identity, it can evolve from a marketing moment into a mainstay.
