[skyler]

I was thinking recently about how our understanding of "IPA" changing has been written about and discussed at length, and how that has altered the taplist at so many places with "Hazy IPA" being so stubbornly popular. Yet the idea of altering recipes (due to changes in customer tastes or to cut costs) has been going on a lot longer. Seeking out the "original Sculpin recipe," for example, is one way we see this. Another thread I encountered discussed Fuller's ESB recipe having changed a lot, and someone in the discussion shared that they brewed both the older (I think mid-'80s) recipe and the more recent recipe and found the current version much better.

I was wondering how many craft beers have changed and how many were made better vs worse by the recipe change. Here's a short list, with my personal opinion. Does anyone have any others?

• Ballast Point Sculpin changed a few years ago and got noticeably worse
  
• Ninkasi Total Domination changed, dropping Centennial hops and replacing them with Crystal when the brewery got bigger (a while back) and got noticeably worse
• Stone IPA and Pale had a bit of a PR event out of changing their recipes and both got much worse, particularly Stone Pale Ale
  
• Sierra Nevada Pale Ale switched to all-cascades recently and I think it's actually a little better now
• Russian River Pliny the Elder dropped the mash hops and switched to using extract for bittering and I didn't notice a difference
  
• Mendocino/Hopland Red Tail Ale changed steadily (not sure how/why) after the brewery went public and it ultimately became pretty awful. I haven't seen it on shelves in years and the once-venerable brand may have been discontinued -- their website hasn't been updated since 2017.
• Green Flash West Coast IPA changed after the brewery was acquired and the new recipe was so reviled that it was changed back

[hopfenundmalz]

When I toured Mills River they were brewing Pale that day. The hops listed on the dry marker board were not the ones on the web site. That was mentioned online by others. This was added to the ingredients list around that time-
"Brewing is as much art as science, and all beer specifications and raw materials are subject to change at our brewers' creative discretion."

Other beers have improved through process changes. On a Bell's tour they said a brewer had hired on from another brewery, suggested some changes to Lager of the Lakes, and it was a noticable improvement. Don't ask me what was changed, don't know.

[ravenwater]

Boulder Beer's Hazed and Infused was a beer I found to be scrumptious - loved it from the first time I tasted it and I drank it fairly often - I lived in Colorado until recently and Boulder beers were readily available. Some time went by when I hadn't had one then bought a 6 pack and discovered they'd clearly changed the recipe, and for my tastes it was clearly not as good. I stopped buying it. I can't say precisely what shift they made in ingredients or process but the hops flavors were not as delicious and it had lost some of the depth of maltiness that I loved about it. Sad loss for me!

[fredthecat]

yep, definitely. i always worry about american hops that hadnt used in years, as ive found some change a lot based on their source and lol.. "vintage"

i hadnt had mill street in a decade, came back to find it has become awful. i wondered if my taste buds had changed.. it was purchased by inBev since having tasted it.

[EllerslieLiquorCentre]

Well ,A greater part of Craft beer will generally leave congeners and other preparing leftovers unfiltered in light of the fact that it can prompt more extravagant and bolder tones, fragrances and flavors. Be that as it may, these same elements can lead to hangovers worse than mass-produced brews.

Well, if you are talking about the craft beer then, recently i have try Monteiths black beer (https://ellerslieliquorcentre.co.nz/product/monteiths-black-6pk/) it was so amazing!!!

[redrocker652002]

When Lagunitas sold out to Heineken I noticed the IPA wasn't as good.  But, that could be just me because I honestly cannot stand Heiniken beer anyway.  LOL.  Lagunitas was my go to for a lot of years too. 

[redrocker652002]

I am also wondering if Russian River is getting ready to sell to somebody bigger.  I have seen their beers around more in both chain store (WineandMore) and at my local market.  I sure hope not, as Blind Pig and they have another that escapes me right now, that I really like. 

[reverseapachemaster]

I am also wondering if Russian River is getting ready to sell to somebody bigger.  I have seen their beers around more in both chain store (WineandMore) and at my local market.  I sure hope not, as Blind Pig and they have another that escapes me right now, that I really like.

With the production facility in Windsor they have been able to substantially increase their footprint but they remain deliberate about where the beers go and the conditions for their sales (any hoppy beers must be stored cold at all times). If they intend to sell they are going about it all wrong. If sale was in mind they would drop the restrictions and sell to everybody to jack up the valuation.

[redrocker652002]

I am also wondering if Russian River is getting ready to sell to somebody bigger.  I have seen their beers around more in both chain store (WineandMore) and at my local market.  I sure hope not, as Blind Pig and they have another that escapes me right now, that I really like.

With the production facility in Windsor they have been able to substantially increase their footprint but they remain deliberate about where the beers go and the conditions for their sales (any hoppy beers must be stored cold at all times). If they intend to sell they are going about it all wrong. If sale was in mind they would drop the restrictions and sell to everybody to jack up the valuation.

Good, I just found another of theirs I really like.  But I think I have to go to the brewery to get it.  Oh well, road trip and a nice lunch in the future.

[narvin]

Maybe we changed, man...