Make IPA Clear Again

[Protos]

OK. Not hipsters. But why then we have the Mighty Triade: Hazy Hopbomb, Fruit Sour and Pastry Stout (all cult styles with the hipsters) in each and every taproom, more often than not at the expense of more traditional and more widely appealing styles? Is it because the wast majority of craft beer consumers strongly prefer those novelties? Not at all. It's because of a new marketing strategy aimed exclusively at attracting new generation as the future consumer base. Attracting by all means, even despite alienating some loyal existing consumers. Things should be going really desperate in that department if they must try so hard.
It's not because of hipsters. Or because of beer styles. It's because of a new marketing model. And it is not a good model as it greatly narrows the choise and offers what's "trendy" and what have a good chance to be mass advertised for free in social media instead of what's good.

Thankfully, for us homebrewers that's not a problem: it's we ourselves who make the choise and define the "marketing strategies" in our cellars and closets.

 

[Nagorg]

FWIW, I purposefully avoid all hazies and any beer that uses the keywords like juicy etc... Every once in a blue moon (not that Coors Blue Moon.. lol) I'll try something because I get suckered into the hype. Toppling Goliath King Sue was the latest disappointment and I was suckered into their Pompeii because it simply said "India Pale Ale"..

I'll admit that there have been a few that weren't bad; they had great aroma, flavor and enough bitterness that I thought okay this could work even though its murkfest.. But these have been exception edge cases.

Drinke'm if you want. Brew'em if you want. I really dont care that the beers exist; just drop "IPA" from the name... This madness has to stop. I know it probably wont, too much cash is being made. But I'm beyond worn out from all of it.

 

[Snuffy]

“Get off my lawn, ya crazy kids! And take that cloudy grapefruit piss with ya!”

“Back in my day, if ya wanted a REAL IPA, ya had ta sign on as a cabin boy and pitch slop buckets and peel potatoes all the way ‘round the horn before they’d letcha slurp on the rags they used to wipe up spills in the captain’s mess”.

 

[Broothru]

“Get off my lawn, ya crazy kids! And take that cloudy grapefruit piss with ya!”

“Back in my day, if ya wanted a REAL IPA, ya had ta sign on as a cabin boy and pitch slop buckets and peel potatoes all the way ‘round the horn before they’d letcha slurp on the rags they used to wipe up spills in the captain’s mess”.

Reminds me of my Midshipman days of a bygone era, one of the "Rocks and Shoals" Navy of long ago. The times of Iron Men and Wooden ships, rather than the other way 'round.

 

[Protos]

pitch slop buckets and peel potatoes

...and those cabin boys deemed unworthy to slurp on the REAL IPA rag even after rounding the horn, had to make their own "IPA", fermenting potato peels and pitching slops into the buckets.

That's how some innovative artisanal modern cloudy trendy styles were born

 

[Twinkeelfool]

It’s like just about any other food or beverage industry, and fashion. Something new comes out, people jump on board. Then it becomes the norm, so someone comes up with the next new thing. Some people will stick with it, some won’t. It’s just beer

 

[Snark_Wolf_Brewing]

Reminds me of my Midshipman days of a bygone era, one of the "Rocks and Shoals" Navy of long ago. The times of Iron Men and Wooden ships, rather than the other way 'round.

And Frogmen were real Frogmen...

 

[davidabcd]

food or beverage industry

And health supplements too--not that it's not covered under "food" but I see so much of that regarding what you're saying.

 

[VirginiaHops1]

FWIW, I purposefully avoid all hazies and any beer that uses the keywords like juicy etc... Every once in a blue moon (not that Coors Blue Moon.. lol) I'll try something because I get suckered into the hype. Toppling Goliath King Sue was the latest disappointment and I was suckered into their Pompeii because it simply said "India Pale Ale"..

I'll admit that there have been a few that weren't bad; they had great aroma, flavor and enough bitterness that I thought okay this could work even though its murkfest.. But these have been exception edge cases.

Drinke'm if you want. Brew'em if you want. I really dont care that the beers exist; just drop "IPA" from the name... This madness has to stop. I know it probably wont, too much cash is being made. But I'm beyond worn out from all of it.

It sounds like you're just really picky. What kind of IPA do you like? The old school really malty ones? If that's what you want don't buy a tall boy can with fancy graphics that says IPA, because it without question won't be one of those kind even if it doesn't explicitly state hazy or juicy. The breweries are selling what sells, and hazy/juicy IPAs are really, really popular. Almost too popular, because now every brewery has to have one on tap and alot of times they suck.

I love a west coast IPA too, and occasionally one of the old school kind heavy on the malt flavor. I guess I'm lucky that almost any IPA type will appeal to me.

BTW any IPA from TG is probably going to be of the new age variety, softer/juicier/hoppier, unless the can explicitly says west coast IPA or something.

 

[couchsending]

King Sue might be the best expression of Citra hops in a Double IPA that you can find on a store shelf anywhere in the world. They make some of the most shelf stable hoppy beer that is the true expression of the hops, not the yeast.

Pompeii is also a very good expression of Mosaic. There is no yeast interference in those beers.

I just think you don’t know what good hops actually taste like.

 

[hopfenstopfen]

King Sue might be the best expression of Citra hops in a Double IPA that you can find on a store shelf anywhere in the world. They make some of the most shelf stable hoppy beer that is the true expression of the hops, not the yeast.

Pompeii is also a very good expression of Mosaic. There is no yeast interference in those beers.

I just think you don’t know what good hops actually taste like.

Drinking a Pompeii at the moment & its spectacular!
TG is always lights out on expression of citra & mosaic.

 

[Nagorg]

They all look and taste like fruit juice to me. Y'all can have them.

I wish they'd all consistently use the buzz words I've learned to avoid. "Juicy", "Tropical" and sadly "Double Dry Hopped" are good indicators for "no-buy". But when they dont list these things and just say "IPA" then I'm likely to fall for it and be dissapointed. Every once in a while I actually get a non-hazy jewel labeled IPA.

Frankly I wish breweries would not associate double dry hopping with the glasses of orange juice that pours out of these things. They may double dry hop their fruit juice but double dry hopping a beer does not produce OJ.

 

[Beerstein]

I agree.

I’ve spent all summer brewing hazy’s. They are pretty conducive to low carb brewing as they hide a bit of the thinness. I’m tired of them.

I want my IBU’s back.

 

[Miraculix]

View attachment 738239
F yes!

I like myself a good ol' chunky after a hard day's work.

 

[Broothru]

Frankly I wish breweries would not associate double dry hopping with the glasses of orange juice that pours out of these things. They may double dry hop their fruit juice but double dry hopping a beer does not produce OJ.

Especially considering that Pliny the Elder is "double dry hopped". Still consider it to be the quintessential American IPA, even though hipsters dismiss it as "dated." I like to try new things as much as anybody, but disparaging the crown jewel out-of-hand just because it's been around for more than three weeks is both hypocritical and disingenuous.

I get it. Tastes change and favorites evolve. But quality remains steadfast. The first time I had PtE it blew me away, and I felt that for once the hype actually lived up to the reality. Same with the original New Belgium Ranger. I like some of the "new and (?) improved" NB Ranger series, especially Voodoo Ranger, but wish they still made the original rather than discard it when they chose to chase popular trends.

 

[bwible]

They all look and taste like fruit juice to me. Y'all can have them.

I wish they'd all consistently use the buzz words I've learned to avoid. "Juicy", "Tropical" and sadly "Double Dry Hopped" are good indicators for "no-buy". But when they dont list these things and just say "IPA" then I'm likely to fall for it and be dissapointed. Every once in a while I actually get a non-hazy jewel labeled IPA.

Frankly I wish breweries would not associate double dry hopping with the glasses of orange juice that pours out of these things. They may double dry hop their fruit juice but double dry hopping a beer does not produce OJ.

Lagunitas IPA and Hop Stoopid are about the only ones I buy anymore.

 

[Beermeister32]

Orange juice is cheaper, maybe they’d be happy starting out with OJ rather than malt and hops.

 

[davidabcd]

Orange juice

OJ + Vodka

 

[bwible]

OJ + Vodka

Looks about the same in the glass too

 

[bwible]

 

[Protos]

Chunks of clams and hearty potato, really?


...and they didn't believe me when I disclosed the origin of some modern trendy murky styles...

 

[davidabcd]

Looks about the same in the glass too

I still haven't tried a NEIPA (I think that's what they are) but it does look like that.

 

[crusader1612]

They all look and taste like fruit juice to me. Y'all can have them.

I wish they'd all consistently use the buzz words I've learned to avoid. "Juicy", "Tropical" and sadly "Double Dry Hopped" are good indicators for "no-buy". But when they dont list these things and just say "IPA" then I'm likely to fall for it and be dissapointed. Every once in a while I actually get a non-hazy jewel labeled IPA.

Frankly I wish breweries would not associate double dry hopping with the glasses of orange juice that pours out of these things. They may double dry hop their fruit juice but double dry hopping a beer does not produce OJ.

Gotta say I'm really enjoying the whiny cry baby traditionalists, "why is my IPA hazy" Waaaa.

 

[bwible]

Gotta say I'm really enjoying the whiny cry baby traditionalists, "why is my IPA hazy" Waaaa.

Why wasn’t my hazy ipa labelled “hazy” so I knew not to buy it?

 

[VirginiaHops1]

I have to admit it's gotten a little wacky, and I'm usually in the head car of the haze train. I was at my local bottle shop the other day in the mood for a west coast IPA and I was searching the shelves with all the new stuff, and it was like 80% hazy IPAs. I did finally find a WCIPA to take home

 

[bwible]

I have to admit it's gotten a little wacky, and I'm usually in the head car of the haze train. I was at my local bottle shop the other day in the mood for a west coast IPA and I was searching the shelves with all the new stuff, and it was like 80% hazy IPAs. I did finally find a WCIPA to take home

They are all mostly in cans now, all with ridiculous names and equally ridiculous labels. Like I said, all I ask is they properly label the beer so people know what it is they are spending their money for and won’t be disappointed when they get it home. “IPA” means 27 different things now. Put the word “hazy” or “NEIPA” somewhere on the real estate of the label. I really don’t think that’s much to ask.

 

[SanPancho]

They are all mostly in cans now, all with ridiculous names and equally ridiculous labels. Like I said, all I ask is they properly label the beer so people know what it is they are spending their money for and won’t be disappointed when they get it home.

SICKLY SWEET/ THROAT BURNING "juicy" IPA, made with "rotten fruit and dying flowers" anyone?

 

[hopjuice_71]

I LOVE a good WCIPA and they are my go-to beer.. ..but I have made some pilgrimages from the west coast of Canada to Vermont and had some AMAZING NEIPAs. Not all hazies are created equal.. ...many are truly outstanding.... ..

 

[wepeeler]

There are bad versions of every style. If you haven't had a good hazy ipa, you've been tasting the wrong ones #hazeboi

 

[moinkyschmoink]

There are bad versions of every style. If you haven't a had a good hazy ipa, you've been tasting the wrong ones #hazeboi

Absolutely there are. We're all adults, we shouldn't be tricked into buying things we don't want. It's a minefield. Maybe they should lose the established "IPA" style label and call it oj n crud? Then we know what we're getting? OJC.