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Author Topic: East Coast vs. West Coast IPA - A Bitter Divide.  (Read 25023 times)

Offline nyakavt

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Re: East Coast vs. West Coast IPA - A Bitter Divide.
« Reply #30 on: January 22, 2010, 07:58:51 pm »
Anybody that claims there is a better DIPA than Pliny hasn't had Pliny.  I've lived on the east coast all my life, but you have to give credit where credit is due.  East coast IPAs tend to be very bitter, but come up short on flavor (generalizing, I know).  But some of these west coast guys have mastered extracting the most flavor from the hops.  The trick is getting one of these on the east coast with the hop flavor intact, usually not an easy proposition unless it's on draft.  Hop flavor leaves so quickly at elevated temperatures, I don't know why they bother shipping warm bottles to sit on warm shelves for months before purchase.

All that said, Bell's was the first IPA I could not put down.  It was on draft, and I couldn't get enough.  But this is definitely a west coast 'style' IPA even if it's brewed in Michigan, emphasizing hop flavor over and above anything else.

Offline dean

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Re: East Coast vs. West Coast IPA - A Bitter Divide.
« Reply #31 on: January 23, 2010, 04:02:24 pm »
I think you guys are right in that many of the EC IPA's are darker and maltier, but then I tried Bells and Founders, of those two I'd say Founders has a lot of Centennial hop flavor and aroma and is currently my favorite, their PA has so much aroma it smacks you in the face as soon as you open the bottle.  I don't know about Pliny and some of the other IPA's mentioned, haven't had them that I "know of".... (yet).

Offline bluesman

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Re: East Coast vs. West Coast IPA - A Bitter Divide.
« Reply #32 on: January 23, 2010, 07:17:10 pm »
The original highly hopped beer in the USA was Ballantine IPA. It's now a legend despite the fact that it has not been brewed at all since the mid 90's.

"West Coast IPA's" have a more bitter, hoppy character than other IPAs, although the east coast brewed and Ballantine IPA was just as highly hopped as (and in some cases, more highly hopped than) many "West Coast" IPAs. The hops in West Coast IPAs tend to have a citrus, grapefruit or coriander flavor, as opposed to the wood and pine accents of some IPAs brewed on the east coast.

Since the early 1980s there's been a movement toward true Craft Brewing, where "real" IPA has been brewed. The once rare style is now fairly common. At least partly because of Ballantine IPA's legendary status in American brewing, the style has been attempted in recent years by numerous microbrewers.

It all boils down to one's own personal tastes. I will try any beer once, but it's the beer that I continue to drink that I can call my favorite and that's American made IPA's.

Ron Price

Offline The Professor

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Re: East Coast vs. West Coast IPA - A Bitter Divide.
« Reply #33 on: January 24, 2010, 08:31:59 am »
...At least partly because of Ballantine IPA's legendary status in American brewing, the style has been attempted in recent years by numerous microbrewers.


Attempted is the word. 
I am forever spoiled, with Bally IPA having been my go to beer from the late 60's  right up to the mid 80's when they stopped making it to the original specs.
It outclassed every IPA being made today by any brewer, big or small.  A few have come close, and I'll keep tasting them, but I haven't handed out any victory cigars yet. ;)

Meantime, my experiments with the homebrewed version continue...
AL
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[499.6, 101.2] Apparent Rennerian
Homebrewer since July 1971

Offline Lynux

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Re: East Coast vs. West Coast IPA - A Bitter Divide.
« Reply #34 on: January 25, 2010, 03:16:10 pm »
How about Midwest IPA's? lol...

3 Floyds makes some incredibly hoppy and delicious beers in Munster Indiana.  Dreadnaught on tap is something to die for.  Their distribution is very limited unfortunately.

Founders Double Trouble is no slouch for a midwest IPA either. 

I personally think fresh Hopslam is the best DIPA ever.
A good brew will quench the parched soul

Offline blatz

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Re: East Coast vs. West Coast IPA - A Bitter Divide.
« Reply #35 on: February 02, 2010, 12:47:18 pm »
Bell's is pretty tasty as well (though from the samples I have had, its overrated - maybe its better closer to the source).

Can you get THA on draft? It's crack. Not "like crack" - I'm pretty sure they actually use crack rocks in the whirlpool.

okay - so this weekend I had the opportunity to chat with Larry for 20 min or so this weekend and have a few taster glasses full of 2HA - I must say, it is exponentially better than the bottles I have had - though the ambience of having the guy who started the company pour you a few and shoot the breeze about brewing might have heightened the experience.  

I still say there are quite a few IPAs I prefer, but I think 2HA on draft may have just cracked my IPA top 10 list.

But I'm sorry, Lynux, the Hopslam we had, while good, just can't hang with PTE.
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Offline Lynux

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Re: East Coast vs. West Coast IPA - A Bitter Divide.
« Reply #36 on: February 02, 2010, 03:21:33 pm »

Quote
But I'm sorry, Lynux, the Hopslam we had, while good, just can't hang with PTE

Blasphemy!   ;)
A good brew will quench the parched soul

Offline tankdeer

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Re: East Coast vs. West Coast IPA - A Bitter Divide.
« Reply #37 on: February 02, 2010, 04:08:53 pm »
I had a Pliny with my fish and chips for dinner last night. Surprisingly a perfect match up. And simply delicious.  ;D
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Offline bluesman

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Re: East Coast vs. West Coast IPA - A Bitter Divide.
« Reply #38 on: February 02, 2010, 07:15:13 pm »
Interestingly enough...Vinnie Cilurzo is regarded as one of the most innovative microbrewers in the country. He’s often credited with inventing the Double IPA.

During a recent interview, when Vinnie was asked..."How did you get into brewing, and how did you come up with the Double IPA?"

His response was..."I went into it after working in my parents’ wine business. I guess you could say I’ve been around yeasts all my life. I kind of invented the Double IPA at the (now-defunct) Blind Pig in San Diego, where I worked prior to Russian River Brewing Company. I did it mainly because the equipment we had there was so rustic that if there were off flavors, the hops would cover them up.

In other words it was an accident of sorts.
Ron Price

Offline nyakavt

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Re: East Coast vs. West Coast IPA - A Bitter Divide.
« Reply #39 on: February 03, 2010, 06:32:05 am »
okay - so this weekend I had the opportunity to chat with Larry for 20 min or so this weekend and have a few taster glasses full of 2HA - I must say, it is exponentially better than the bottles I have had - though the ambience of having the guy who started the company pour you a few and shoot the breeze about brewing might have heightened the experience.  

I still say there are quite a few IPAs I prefer, but I think 2HA on draft may have just cracked my IPA top 10 list.

But I'm sorry, Lynux, the Hopslam we had, while good, just can't hang with PTE.

Hoppy beers are best as fresh as possible, and I've had the same experience with 2HA.  I had 2HA on draft first and couldn't put the freaking glass down.  I got a sixer from the store and thought it was 'ok', but couldn't hold a candle to the draft example.  Time and temperature really wreak havoc on hops.  Even my 2HA clone, it was great after about 2 weeks, but when it sat in the warm closet for 2 more weeks it just wasn't as good.

BTW, I've heard Vinnie pulled Pliny from the shelves of Beverages and More (one of the largest bottle shop markets in CA) because they could not promise to keep the beer cold until sale.  If you're going to compare IPAs from coast to coast, you must do it on draft as kegs are generally a little fresher and have been kept colder than the sixer on the warm shelf in the bottle shop.  Bottles are ok if you know they were well handled.  That may be part of the reason East Coasters say they prefer EC IPAs, they are just fresher.  West Coasters say it because it's true  8)

Offline dean

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Re: East Coast vs. West Coast IPA - A Bitter Divide.
« Reply #40 on: February 03, 2010, 08:18:33 am »
I guess I have to agree that WC likes hoppier beers at least comparing them to my own taste.  I like a beer to have some malt flavor in its backbone or it tends to be too harsh for my liking.  The reason I don't like Founder's Pale Ale (which only has 35 IBU's) is because it comes across harsh with little or no maltiness (probably no crystal used in it is my guess) so it seems harsh at 5.4% abv.  I suppose WCer's would like it though?

I really need to try some other brewerys other than Founders...  :D  I do but there aren't many that are offered back here in the sticks or they're like buying gold jewelry.   :(  Some of the others that I have tried seem to be too malty for my taste.   :-\