Sam Adams Rebel IPA?

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Homercidal

Homercidal

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Saw this at a store the other day and am kind of interested in it. I ended up buying something else, but from what I read on reviews, I think it might not be too bad of an IPA.

I like that they changed up the label from their usual, but SA beers are a crapshoot for me. I am usually not terribly fond of them, but they have a few gems.
 
My beer store had singles for <$2, so I couldn't resist, but I haven't tried it yet and now I have a cold, so it might be a couple days before I try it.
 
They're trying to outcompete Lagunitas Sucks with it. There was some twitterflack between the respective owners over it with both sides getting a little sandy about it.

Sam Adams has also been mostly miss for me on the beer likes dartboard. As much as I like Utopias, it's hardly a go-to beer. Lagunitas produces at least four or five beers that I consider very good (Brown Shugga, Sucks, Hairy Eyeball, Hop Stoopid).
 
aiptasia said:
They're trying to outcompete Lagunitas Sucks with it. There was some twitterflack between the respective owners over it with both sides getting a little sandy about it.

Sam Adams has also been mostly miss for me on the beer likes dartboard. As much as I like Utopias, it's hardly a go-to beer. Lagunitas produces at least four or five beers that I consider very good (Brown Shugga, Sucks, Hairy Eyeball, Hop Stoopid).
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I agree. Little Sumpin' Sumpin' is a nice beer.
 
I thought it was pretty good. I'll agree they don't really make a bunch of good stuff. I'd still have some Boston lager over a lot of other things out there.
 
Lil Sumpin Wild is even nicer.

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I had one earlier today, and it really was pretty decent. I'm not into IPAs as much as other styles, but I found it pleasant. That being said, I had it on tap, and I almost always like beer from a keg better than bottled beer, and I always like the Sam Adams offerings more when they are out of a keg.
 
I'd say it was better than a lot of the other things on draft at the place I had it. However Long Trail just came out with their Limbo IPA which is even more fantastic, IMO.
 
BeerGrylls said:
I'd say it was better than a lot of the other things on draft at the place I had it. However Long Trail just came out with their Limbo IPA which is even more fantastic, IMO.
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I agree, That Limbo IPA from Long Trail was excellent! Prob one of their best offerings.
 
I went to my local bww ordered alaskian ipa and they had replaced it with rebel ipa on tap. I thought it was pretty good stuff. Haven't tried the bottles yet.
 
Almost all hoppier beers from sam adams have been sub par in my opinion, so imagine my surprise when I was at a local eatery with a not-so-good beer selection and I stumbled upon this. Waitress didnt know what they had so I told her to bring me any ipa they had on tap. Tasted it, said wow, what's this? She went back and asked the bar tender and sure enough it was sam adams rebel ipa. First time I had ever even heard of it, but I was pretty impressed.
 
Ok, so if I remember I will pick up a sixer while my daughter has her flute lesson tonight. I got a double batch of rye pale ale on top. one tap fermented with S-04 and the other with US-05. Both are under hopped and cloudy. I'm considering buying a filter and making a hop tea to try and save them. The gelatin didn't appear to a darn thing for them.
 
My issue with Rebel IPA is that it is trying to be something that it is not. It is labeled as a "west coast IPA" but with only 45 ibu it is extremely tame. Generally, a west coast IPA is going to be in the 70-90 ibu range Really SA is doing more of what they have always done: try to bring not craft beer drinkers to the craft side. I don't think this is wrong, but it is an issue when they have intentionally brewed a beer that I would call a strong pale ale and labeled it a wet coast IPA. Even their videos on the website have people praising the beer for not being a hop bomb, well guess what...west coast IPAs are hop bombs! I tried it at my local growler shop in a tasting flight with 4 other IPAs and it was the least hoppy beer I tried in terms of bitterness and aromatics. I don't think it's a bad beer, but it is trying to be something that it is not, which is a shame because I'm sure if SA through caution to the wind they could produce some stellar IPA.
 
ram5ey said:
My issue with Rebel IPA is that it is trying to be something that it is not. It is labeled as a "west coast IPA" but with only 45 ibu it is extremely tame. Generally, a west coast IPA is going to be in the 70-90 ibu range Really SA is doing more of what they have always done: try to bring not craft beer drinkers to the craft side. I don't think this is wrong, but it is an issue when they have intentionally brewed a beer that I would call a strong pale ale and labeled it a wet coast IPA. Even their videos on the website have people praising the beer for not being a hop bomb, well guess what...west coast IPAs are hop bombs! I tried it at my local growler shop in a tasting flight with 4 other IPAs and it was the least hoppy beer I tried in terms of bitterness and aromatics. I don't think it's a bad beer, but it is trying to be something that it is not, which is a shame because I'm sure if SA through caution to the wind they could produce some stellar IPA.
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Yeah, I kind of figured that would be the case. Most of the macro beer companies have a HUGE skew in their descriptions when compared with bjcp guidelines, and most people's tastes tend to sit on the high side of the guidelines (due to craft breweries pushing the limits), so I kind of assumed the SA IPA would be tamer than I am used to.

They are a big craft beer company with a LOT of reach. It would be a disservice to non craft beer drinkers if they tasted a West Coast IPA made by SA out of sheer curiosity and then got turned off because it was too bitter and nasty. They want to draw in people who are used to some of their other flavors and not scare then away.
 
When you do a factory tour and finish in the sampling room, they usually will try out some experimental beers on you. They give you a scorecard and ask you to rate them. I have to believe that rebel is the result of many such panels and market research studies. This is the beer that 'we' want. I don't mean that disparagingly. They are the largest craft brewer, and need to cater to a comparatively large audience.
 
Stopped at a bottle shop while my kid was having her flute lesson. Planned to pick some of this up, but they did not allow breaking apart 6-packs and there was a good number of other beers in the singles section that I wanted to try, so this week I just filled a 6=pack holder with other beers. I think I can probably hit a restaurant or a different bottle shop to try one or two.

In other related news, OddSide Ales had a beer called Hop Gobbler that I really wanted to try, but same rule against breaking 6-packs applied to that as well. The clerk was a really cool guy and we talked about our Jeeps and homebrewing and I did not want to get him in trouble.
 
So, I finally got to try this the other day. I was out busting up the ice at the end of our driveway and poured a glass to take out with me.

I liked it! Ok, so I don't think I'd call it a West Coast IPA, but it wasn't as malty as, say, Bells Two Hearted. I liked the mix of hops and it was bitter and hoppy enough to be called an American IPA, even if it wasn't close to overdoing it. Just a good, solid, AIPA. I'd easily choose this over many of the fake craft beers on tap at a BW3 or Applebees or whathaveyou.
 
I picked up a sixer of Rebel a few days ago. I must agree that it's not a true West Coast IPA; but truth be told, I think it's my favorite of all of the SA.

Now about that; when I first got into craft brewers SA was always my go to.. loved it. As my palate has developed I don't buy a lot of them anymore. But, let's all be honest. Go to Texas Roadhouse or Outback, etc. and you might have exactly one craft brew on tap and if that's the case, it's likely SA. So, you may not like it, but it's still out there spreading the word.
 
I'm drinking one now, and I have to say it's par for the course. I think SA with their market share and profits should do some R&D on new proprietary hops instead of riding on coattails.
 
I had it on tap last week and it was a bubble gum bomb, just horrible. Ive got the same reaction from a few others. But thats what I get for giving their crap another chance.
 
I've always loved most the Samuel Adams brews, but I just can't justify it anymore. The last year has been hit our miss and I've just gotten too many oxidized beers. Others were simply mishandled.

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I tried it. It wasn't all that bad. As someone else had mentioned it is a little on the tame side. Also someone else had mentioned having tried/ recommended Long trail limbo. I think its one of the best ipa's Ive ever had and the best beer they have made to date...
 

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