New England IPA hater

[h22lude]

Sure you are....We would not expect anything different from a Patriots Fan..

10 of the top 25 beers on Beer Advocate are NEIPAs. They seem to be winning a lot. Only makes sense for a Patriots fan to go with something that is winning...

ok let's not turn this into a football thread lol

To get off football, Tree House has a lot of top 25 beers right now. For those that are skeptical, try a Tree House beer. Julius, Haze and Green are regulars and are all excellent.

 

[303Dan]

10 of the top 25 beers on Beer Advocate are NEIPAs. They seem to be winning a lot. Only makes sense for a Patriots fan to go with something that is winning...

ok let's not turn this into a football thread lol

To get off football, Tree House has a lot of top 25 beers right now. For those that are skeptical, try a Tree House beer. Julius, Haze and Green are regulars and are all excellent.

You mean, beeradvocate.com, the site that was founded and is headquartered in.............Boston???

Just kidding, just kidding, I'm sure their results aren't skewed at all.

And for the record, I really enjoy IPAs of all types: NE, West Coast, East Coast, English, etc. Just havin' a little fun. '

 

[Sbe2]

Some say that the most dangerous phrase in the English language is "We’ve Always Done It That Way."

Something to chew on...

 

[h22lude]

You mean, beeradvocate.com, the site that was founded and is headquartered in.............Boston???

Just kidding, just kidding, I'm sure their results aren't skewed at all.

And for the record, I really enjoy IPAs of all types: NE, West Coast, East Coast, English, etc. Just havin' a little fun. '

Yup that one! I actually like Beer Advocate. I take all reviews with a grain of salt as they are just opinions but it is cool to see.

Oh I know. All in good fun lol

 

[jdonley]

Where can I find said beer in the ROC?

Don't forget about Mass Riot by Prison City in good ole Auburn, NY

AJ's beer warehouse has the distribution rights to Singlecut. And I haven't had an opportunity to try Mass Riot yet, but Ben's sours are absolutely to die for. I haven't seen Prison City around Rochester to be honest. I had the pleasure of tasting their sours at the "homegrown" festival

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

I've had a ton of NEIPAs include a dozen or so Trillium and a half dozen Tree House. I've had the single cut too. Toppling Goliath has been brewing them for a long time too.

I like them and chose that for my first all grain brew with great success.

That being said, it'sjust one of a long list of styles I like. Drink (and brew) what got like. Why dis what is clearly a popular style? I don't care did sours, but I don't trash them. I'm really not sure where the hate comers from...just curmudgeons bashing the new style?

 

[Sbe2]

AJ's beer warehouse has the distribution rights to Singlecut. And I haven't had an opportunity to try Mass Riot yet, but Ben's sours are absolutely to die for. I haven't seen Prison City around Rochester to be honest. I had the pleasure of tasting their sours at the "homegrown" festival

Damn I was just there picking up some base malt. Shoulda browsed a little more.

 

[jdonley]

Damn I was just there picking up some base malt. Shoulda browsed a little more.

It always goes fast, none of it lasts more than a day. Everyone that works there is great though and if you really want to get your hands on some just call and ask when the next batch is expected to arrive, or if they will be tapping a keg of it soon.

 

[wishingiwasfishing]

For me, a few things come to mind...


I certainly remember when IPA's started picking up in popularity. It became a tough time to drink hoppy beers. It seemed every dumb a$$ brewer after another was trying to outdo each other with undrinkable bittering bombs. Now, I do love all styles of beer, and IPA's have long been a favorite...but I remember a bar, during this time period, had an IPA night. We thought great! When the list was revealed it was all DOuble IPA's, and each one was a complete bitter bomb...no balance at all.

This went on for quite some time, but the cream of the crop, in the IPA category, rose to the top. The knuckleheads dropped off and it seemed new IPA's brewed suddenly were brewed with thoughtfulness again. No, not all of them...but as a group people seemed to regain their sanity and let balance shine through.

Would I judge NE IPA's by the people going overboard with hop debris, or clouding additives? No, just as I didn't judge IPA's by the overly hoppy bitter bombs in the early 2000's.

What I like about a good West Coast IPA is the separate and offsetting balance that it has. When done well, it doesn't matter if it's ABV is quite low or getting toward the top of the range. It's constant key is balance within flavors.

But, to me, a NE IPA is about harmony of all ingredients. Haze, when done well, is just something that happens...it isn't manufactured. The harmony comes from all ingredients leading toward one final flavor...rather than nuanced. You have high residual sweetness from the grains, which lead you toward late edition, and early edition dry hops with flavors that lead right toward the (similar in flavor profile) ester let off by the yeast.

I'm not sure what will happen to NE IPA's in the future...I think I get what some are going after, flavor wise, and I like it. What will it become? Who knows...perhaps it will drop off the face of the earth. I hope not. What it does remind me of is biting into a nice fresh, well managed piece of fruit. You've got all the flavors, sugars, gasses, etc...it all meshes into one flavor of a over ripe peach. It's not completely separate, it's in harmony. If NE IPA brewers are smart about their flavors I'd like to see smart use of a bittering technique that gives you the bitter of a ripe piece of fruit.

Beer, yum!

 

[65C]

I certainly remember when IPA's started picking up in popularity. It became a tough time to drink hoppy beers. It seemed every dumb a$$ brewer after another was trying to outdo each other with undrinkable bittering bombs.

if I'm drinking a lot of one thing - I find an occasional extreme citrus a nice break - but can't drink them all night

I've not (knowingly) had an NEIPA yet but quite a few Cloudwater etc. I keep meaning to make an effort to find one on draught - the thing is - when I read the descriptions - it sounds like everything I am currently trying to eliminate from my brews - in fact I've got a feeling a recent summer lightning disaster I had might have won an NEIPA award - the hot S-04 blew out so many fruits it was like tropical bubblegum and never cleared

 

[Yesfan]

It's not my all time favorite style (plus I've not had a lot of examples yet either), but I tried one in FL when visiting my brother that I loved a lot, so I guess I'm a fan.


I'll drink any beer out there if it's good. I'm not a style dependent drinker.

 

[chickypad]

Brewing one right now! Yum, yum, yum I say. Of course I am just loving on them to be cool. You see, as a life long geek now middle aged with grey hair I'm still not over all that painful high school clique stuff. It's crazy how after 30 yrs of drinking beer and 10 yrs brewing I still can't figure out what I like on my own. Have to wait and see what the next big trend is, that's me! Sad.

 

[day_trippr]

I find Heady/Banger/Julius/Sunshine/etc to be fabulous beers.
I'm a post-lupulin shift hop head and I have to say the whole neipa paradigm (combined with the lodo thing) has revved up what was becoming almost routine.

I always had the "juicy" thing going, growing Chinook/Centennial/Cascade going on six years now and having to find ways to use them all (has to be post-boil lest the IBUs hit stratospheric levels). But now there's a legit style to match and refined methodology to give me a leg up on producing a delicious and durable brew.

I have a Heady Topper and Focal Banger clone and a Galaxy near-IPA on tap (along with a Trappist, ESB and chocolate stout) and when the ESB kicks in a few days my Julius clone will go on-line...

Cheers! (I'll be in Hop Heaven if anyone needs me )

 

[murphyslaw]

i find heady/banger/julius/sunshine/etc to be fabulous beers.
I'm a post-lupulin shift hop head and i have to say the whole neipa paradigm (combined with the lodo thing) has revved up what was becoming almost routine.

I always had the "juicy" thing going, growing chinook/centennial/cascade going on six years now and having to find ways to use them all (has to be post-boil lest the ibus hit stratospheric levels). But now there's a legit style to match and refined methodology to give me a leg up on producing a delicious and durable brew.

I have a heady topper and focal banger clone and a galaxy near-ipa on tap (along with a trappist, esb and chocolate stout) and when the esb kicks in a few days my julius clone will go on-line...

Cheers! (i'll be in hop heaven if anyone needs me )

+1

 

[Homercidal]

Had an IPA from Starving Artist in Ludington this past week. Didn't know it was a NE IPA until it arrived. I just wanted to try their beer.

Was pretty good, and didn't taste like the 9% beer it claimed to be!

I've been enjoying the taste of these NE IPAs without the bitterness of the usual IPAs. It's a nice change of pace.

 

[chickypad]

anyone know of any examples of this style that i can purchase on the west coast? can't seem to find 'em. but maybe i'm not looking in the right spots.


J.

Try Ale Arsenal in San Carlos, usually at least 1 or 2 on tap. Look for breweries like the previously mentioned Alvarado street, Fieldwork (Pulp, Galaxy Juice, Orchard street) or the proprietor's Alpha Acid Brewing.

 

[Eucrid]

I've had quite a few bad ones, they looked and tasted awful. I don't mind the haze but a lot of the poor examples have stuff floating in them and I can't be dealing with that.

Having said that I've had a couple of nice ones too so its more a case of ****ty brewing than the style itself being bad. The ones I liked were a bit more bitter too. Thats the great thing about beer though, you can change things to suit your tastes. So next week I shall try brewing an NEIPA to my own personal preference.

 

[eyebrau]

I haven't read through the whole thread, but IMHO, NEIPAs are like Playskool "My First Craft Beer". I know they aren't necessarily easy to make. Not saying they are. But I've had a couple (though, admittedly, none from New England), and while I get the juicy thing and they do taste a lot like juice, to me, it's not really beer-like at all. Reminds me of Leinie's Summer Shandy. It's a beer for people who don't like beer. Like a wine cooler is to wine. And as far as home brewing? I'm frankly afraid this craze is going to drive the prices of hops through the roof and trigger another dry spell of finding no good hops on the shelf. The absurd amount of hops being used in the NEIPAs is appalling. Just my $0.02.

 

[day_trippr]

[...]But I've had a couple (though, admittedly, none from New England)

Could be a problem right there. But...

and while I get the juicy thing and they do taste a lot like juice, to me, it's not really beer-like at all.

I suspect if you were to define your "beer-like" a lot would be clear...

Cheers!

 

[h22lude]

Could be a problem right there. But...



I suspect if you were to define your "beer-like" a lot would be clear...

Cheers!

Agreed on both statements. Having a bad example of a NEIPA isn't how the rest of the NEIPAs taste. That would be like ranking pilsners based on Miller Lite. Grab almost any NEIPA from New England and I bet OPs mind will change.

I'm not really sure about it not tasting beer-like. That is just silly to me.

 

[chickypad]

... it's not really beer-like at all. Reminds me of Leinie's Summer Shandy. It's a beer for people who don't like beer.

Eww gross. If you think NEIPA's taste like Leinie's summer shandy you haven't had a good one. If you don't like them fine, but your "beer for people who don't like beer" theory is obviously nonsense, look at all the experienced brewers here who do like them.

 

[rhys333]

I dislike them on principle. Senseless excess and waste, but each to their own. I also believe beer is more than hops, hops, hops. Just my opinion btw folks, so no need to shout me down.

Edit: missed the "no" in my last sentence.

 

[chickypad]

I dislike them on principle. Senseless excess and waste, but each to their own. I also believe beer is more than hops, hops, hops. Just my opinion btw folks, so need to shout me down.

See that's the thing. You say that, but you I don't think you really believe it. Why is it senseless and excess if it's something we enjoy? I agree with you that beer is not all hops, hops, hops. Sometimes I want a big roasty stout. Or a nice mild. But sometimes I want hops, hops hops. I also have to say I've "wasted" more money/ingredients on some of the west coast IPA and imperial stout recipes I've made than on the NEIPA's. Is that excessive to you too?

Anyway, as could be predicted we appear to be disintegrating into stupid, petty bickering so I'll bow out. Sorry OP, I think you posted an honest opinion and question without attacking others who don't share your tastes. Hope everyone has a good beer week, drinking what they enjoy.

 

[rhys333]

Of course I believe "each to their own", or more precisely that people are entitled to hold differing opinions (without being shouted down). I hope everyone feels the same.

 

[Raoul_Duke_PhD]

I dislike them on principle. Senseless excess and waste, but each to their own. I also believe beer is more than hops, hops, hops. Just my opinion btw folks, so no need to shout me down.

Edit: missed the "no" in my last sentence.

Looking at them makes me cringe. I also like a fair amount of bitterness in my hoppy beers; it balances out for me.

 

[OswaldvW]

A question to those who don't like the looks of a NEIPA:

Do you feel the same way about witbiers and Hefeweizen styles? Those are really cloudy looking.

 

[h22lude]

I dislike them on principle. Senseless excess and waste, but each to their own. I also believe beer is more than hops, hops, hops. Just my opinion btw folks, so no need to shout me down.

Edit: missed the "no" in my last sentence.

Dislike them on what principle? lol They use too many hops? So then you don't like any DIPA because NEIPAs aren't the only beers that have a good amount of hops.

I find it funny that people are actually mad at the amount of ingredients breweries use. What about a barrel aged stout with an OG of 1.100? You upset about the amount of grains needed to achieve that OG?

 

[Raoul_Duke_PhD]

A question to those who don't like the looks of a NEIPA:

Do you feel the same way about witbiers and Hefeweizen styles? Those are really cloudy looking.

Yeah, but they are actually styles that have been around long before us. NEIPA is a fad.

 

[OswaldvW]

How long does something have to be around until it is no longer a fad? The NEIPA has been around for a couple of years now. If you count Heady Topper, Sip of Sunshine and Tree House Haze, those have been around for awhile. Heady's been around since 2003.

 

[marjen]

For me I LOVE NE IPAs. Since I started home brewing over the winter that is all I have made. Not all are created equal, I personally love Trillium the best but there are other good examples out there. Its beer that taste really, really good, whats the issue?