Let's Remember Some Beers (In Memoriam: Old IPAs)

[Kentucky1]

Zombie Dust.

Yes, it’s listed as a Pale, but it’s 6.2% and basically an ipa. It’s still an amazing beer.

I just wanted to reminisce about how hot it once was. Getting growlers of it (for a very short time) was almost like a DONG back in the day. They when they started bottling you could get a case of it for $30. And trade that case for almost any beer back in 2012/2013. I’ve got a dozen stories of people pulling whalez with a simple ZD case.

Cenotaph

 

[yeahnatenelson]

Zombie Dust.

Yes, it’s listed as a Pale, but it’s 6.2% and basically an ipa. It’s still an amazing beer.

I just wanted to reminisce about how hot it once was. Getting growlers of it (for a very short time) was almost like a DONG back in the day. They when they started bottling you could get a case of it for $30. And trade that case for almost any beer back in 2012/2013. I’ve got a dozen stories of people pulling whalez with a simple ZD case.

I distinctly remember the buzz around what was then called Cenotaph* -- presumably a Bolt Thrower reference. At the time they weren't even publicizing that it was (at least then) a single-hopped Citra IPA.

Something to consider: it used to be the case that brewers wouldn't divulge what hops went into their prized IPA's. Now, of course, it's an elemental part of their marketing. Three Floyds is still very old-school in that sense.

This is off-topic, but remember Hell's Black Intelligencer?


*ed. note: per the BA listing date Zombie Dust has been around for eight years, JFC I feel old...

 

[SeaWatchman]

Used to crush the above pretty regularly.

 

[steimie]

Back in the day, MarkIntihar used to regularly send me boxes of Columbus IPA and Head Hunter. Both were so good.

 

[yeahnatenelson]

Used to crush the above pretty regularly.

I think about this beer a lot, strangely. Probably haven't had it more than a few times as it never distributed to Chicago, but it was always a much appreciated trade extra.

So often when I drink a hazy/juicy IPA for the sake of keeping an open mind and for fear of becoming old-man-yells-at-cloud I wish more breweries would make something like Columbus IPA.

 

[cneville1]

I think about this beer a lot, strangely. Probably haven't had it more than a few times as it never distributed to Chicago, but it was always a much appreciated trade extra.

So often when I drink a hazy/juicy IPA for the sake of keeping an open mind and for fear of becoming old-man-yells-at-cloud I wish more breweries would make something like Columbus IPA.

I had one of these this weekend, in fact. Still as good as I remembered. Perfectly balanced beer.

 

[yeahnatenelson]

I had one of these this weekend, in fact. Still as good as I remembered. Perfectly balanced beer.

That's encouraging. I see that they also started bottling Bodhi, which I remember being one of the few growler-only DIPA's that lived up to the local hype.

 

[yeahnatenelson]

Another now out-of-style IPA that comes to mind is Lone Pint Yellow Rose IPA. This feels like one of the last talked-about non-hazy IPAs in beer circles prior to the onset of Global Juicening.

I remember really loving it when I could get it, but after chatting at my local bar with some visitors from the DFW area it sounds like quality has since taken a noticeable downturn.

 

[user 311355]

A thread to commemorate the palate wreckers.

These were wild in like 2006.

 

[tosh1]

I am still drinking the best IPA that the world moved on from.

 

[CSO]

Abrasive in a dirty glass (circa 2014) blew away any contenders. Did a blind tasting of HF Abner, Pliny, Heady, and Abrasive with a few mid-level beer idiots. Abrasive was the unanimous number 1.

 

[KevSal]

View attachment 7222

Abrasive in a dirty glass (circa 2014) blew away any contenders. Did a blind tasting of HF Abner, Pliny, Heady, and Abrasive with a few mid-level beer idiots. Abrasive was the unanimous number 1.

yea i couldn’t wait for this guy every year, so damn good fresh. is it still bangin?

 

[yeahnatenelson]

View attachment 7222

Abrasive in a dirty glass (circa 2014) blew away any contenders. Did a blind tasting of HF Abner, Pliny, Heady, and Abrasive with a few mid-level beer idiots. Abrasive was the unanimous number 1.

On a related note, this used to be pretty damn good:

 

[sherm10161]

Speaking of wet hopped beers... This beer still bangs when fresh. Unfortunately, it seems like it sits on the shelf a lot of places. Hopefully it's all gone by the time next year's comes out.

 

[mjohnson171]

Another now out-of-style IPA that comes to mind is Lone Pint Yellow Rose IPA. This feels like one of the last talked-about non-hazy IPAs in beer circles prior to the onset of Global Juicening.

I remember really loving it when I could get it, but after chatting at my local bar with some visitors from the DFW area it sounds like quality has since taken a noticeable downturn.

Can confirm quality has gone down. I used to love that beer. My annual trips to Dallas would include as much LO Hefe and Yellow Rose I could stomach and Yellow Rose quality seems to have been on a decline the last 2 years.

 

[BeersMorgan]

hill farmstead Nor ftw!

some of those you might still be able to get. stone irs? blighs, drie og? you must have ran into those guys since yea

sounds like kern is doing some distro down south, hasn’t made it up here, got the hook up from BigFrank, but their other cans make it up this way

The Stone was the BA IRS they rebrewed as Fyodor's Classic but I never bought it. I think I've had a taster of Bligh's at a share but not positive so I didn't cross it off. Same with Oracle I'm think I had it but not positive.

Unfortunately never had OGV. Drie OG is one of my favorite beers but never come across the Vintage.

 

[BadJustin]

Used to crush the above pretty regularly.

I still grab Flower Power when I see it fresh, no regrets.

 

[lambandtunaphish]

Speaking of wet hopped beers... This beer still bangs when fresh. Unfortunately, it seems like it sits on the shelf a lot of places. Hopefully it's all gone by the time next year's comes out.

Pretty sure one of my local stores still has 2017 bottles on the shelf. Don't think they even bought any 2018 bottles.

I always thought the price for Harvest Ale was a little high (at least in CT), but that was before the $16+ four pack ruined my life.

 

[yeahnatenelson]

Speaking of wet hopped beers... This beer still bangs when fresh. Unfortunately, it seems like it sits on the shelf a lot of places. Hopefully it's all gone by the time next year's comes out.

Pretty sure one of my local stores still has 2017 bottles on the shelf. Don't think they even bought any 2018 bottles.

I always thought the price for Harvest Ale was a little high (at least in CT), but that was before the $16+ four pack ruined my life.

Harvest Ale was always priced high for what it was, about the same pricing as for KBS, but it's not something I ever remember fretting about because at best I might've been able to buy ONE bottle at $7. Just like KBS, in the course of one year it went from a beer being allocated by the single to stacked cases at the supermarket.

 

[yeahnatenelson]

This was always my hop harvest seasonal must-have:

 

[sherm10161]

This was always my hop harvest seasonal must-have:

I still buy bombers of this when it comes around.

Also just bought a bomber of reasonably fresh Dreadnaught. Probably the only two IPA bombers I still buy (albeit on very limited occasions).

 

[PHBoiler]

Used to be something I would search for on downstate IL road trips

This was one I used to trade for:

 

[yeahnatenelson]

This was one I used to trade for:

What was the other super hype IPA from NEBCO? Fuzzy Baby Ducks?

 

[PHBoiler]

What was the other super hype IPA from NEBCO? Fuzzy Baby Ducks?

Yes for sure. Had to go to my buddy's house once he finally traded for a growler years ago. Much like Bad Boy. I ended up with a couple cans from a BIF a year or so ago. FBD still on point.

 

[CSO]

yea i couldn’t wait for this guy every year, so damn good fresh. is it still bangin?

It's actually been a little while since I last had it, but yes, still amazing. While a bunch of my old go-to IPA's are no longer go-to's, Abrasive holds up beautifully.

 

[flexabull]

Kind of amazing to think that this was one of the red hot hyped up IPAs back in the day and now it turds it up everywhere.

It used to be really good, I assume it's not anymore, but I wouldn't know since I haven't bought any in years.

 

[yeahnatenelson]

Oh, Sculpin...

I hope it's still good. I have no idea, as I don't think I've encountered a fresh pack in a few years.

 

[jbeezification1]

Another now out-of-style IPA that comes to mind is Lone Pint Yellow Rose IPA. This feels like one of the last talked-about non-hazy IPAs in beer circles prior to the onset of Global Juicening.

I remember really loving it when I could get it, but after chatting at my local bar with some visitors from the DFW area it sounds like quality has since taken a noticeable downturn.

Yellow Rose is still a banger don’t let the DFW homies ruin it for you. I honestly don’t even know if Lone Pint sends it to DFW.

Another regional Pliney killer was Southern Star 2012 Pro-Am. They later repackaged it as Valkyrie and it was never the same.

 

[flexabull]

Oh, Sculpin...

I hope it's still good. I have no idea, as I don't think I've encountered a fresh pack in a few years.

I remember being excited to try it when I went to a wedding in San Diego back in 2011. I even brought bottles back home to share with my friends. Now I can walk to my nearby grocery store and find expensive outdated dusty six packs on the shelves.

Sigh...

 

[jmgrub]

Does Bear Republic still brew Racer X? And does Alesmith still do Yulesmith?

 

[flexabull]

And does Alesmith still do Yulesmith?

 

[furley]

this was the first hoppy beer i ever drank. been quite a while since i've had one.

 

[PHBoiler]

I remember that 3 week wait about 6 or so years ago when you'd be on high alert for a new batch of Ninja v Unicorn bombers. Some stores would get one case. You'd have the hard decision between drinking one or sending it away to the waiting list of folks that wanted anything from Pipeworks. Then the Ninja series followed. Citra Ninja was crazy hard to find. I think maybe Galaxy Unicorn was the hardest of the Unicorn series.

Now you just know whenever you need a DIPA you can find NvU sitting on shelves and it's typically fresh unless you're at some hole in the wall.

 

[gregkoko]

Used to be something I would search for on downstate IL road trips

This was one I used to trade for:

Schlafly TIPA still ****s. Brought in that and Prima Pils for my wedding in 2017 and wound up going through like three cases of it after

 

[Beer4B]

Got a big stainless steel growler of this beast back in the day...drank it in 30 mins on accident it was so good.

And the OG for me that blew my mind, good old Heady and friends

 

[gregkoko]

This was the first one for me. I remember having Sam seasonals in college, then splitting a sixer of DFH 60 minute with someone, but after that I found my first true beer love. I bought so much of this **** when I graduated in 2007 and had a disposable income.

 

[lb304854]

Got a big stainless steel growler of this beast back in the day...drank it in 30 mins on accident it was so good.

Societe was the best San Diego brewery I visited in 2013. Everything on tap was great. Don't hear anything about them now. I hope they're still succeeding with the locals making crazy good old school pales and IPAs.

 

[Beer4B]

Societe was the best San Diego brewery I visited in 2013. Everything on tap was great. Don't hear anything about them now. I hope they're still succeeding with the locals making crazy good old school pales and IPAs.

2013 for me too: I had a single full day in San Diego and time to hit one spot so we went to Toronado. What an amazing tap list for a non-west coaster. The Pupil stood out even amongst others I was more hyped for.

If they've changed I refuse to hear it.

 

[thebandit1]

This was the first one for me. I remember having Sam seasonals in college, then splitting a sixer of DFH 60 minute with someone, but after that I found my first true beer love. I bought so much of this **** when I graduated in 2007 and had a disposable income.

I’ll piggy-back to add this:

Completely blew my mind when I had it in the mid-2000s. I still remember paying like $45 for a case and thinking how nuts it was considering Coors Light was $16 for a thirty pack.

 

[purephase]

This was the first one for me. I remember having Sam seasonals in college, then splitting a sixer of DFH 60 minute with someone, but after that I found my first true beer love. I bought so much of this **** when I graduated in 2007 and had a disposable income.

This was an early favorite of mine too. I felt like one of the only people who was sad when it was replaced with Dirtwolf. Haven't tried it since it was brought back though.