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Author Topic: Why I'm not a big fan of IPA any longer  (Read 18966 times)

Offline coolman26

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Re: Why I'm not a big fan of IPA any longer
« Reply #90 on: February 08, 2018, 10:05:54 pm »
I have been brewing for over 10 years and the one style that I always go back to and brew the most is IPA. I’ve gone through phases of English, Scottish, Belgian, Sour, and German beers and I always find myself coming back to American IPA’s. It’s the one style that I never get sick of and I prefer the West Coast IPA. I’ve tried the commercial NEIPA’s and have even made some, but they seem to have hop harshness to me. I like a firm bitterness up front followed by hop/malt  flavor. Even though I brew IPA most often, I still like variety and need a break from hoppy beers.
 I think the frustration for me can come from balancing the science and art/creativity. I’m a science teacher, but the science part of brewing doesn’t interest me as much as the artistic side of creating recipes and playing with different styles, ingredients, and techniques. Science needs creativity in order to advance and creativity needs science to be grounded.
     I think some people are feeling more hesitant to post lately in fear that things will get derailed into the same debates over and over again. Sometimes you need a guy like Jim to remind us that it is still fun to be able to make our own beer at home and enjoy the rewards.


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I’ve tried to find a NEIPA that I really liked. Being in the Midwest, I do not have a lot to choose from. The ones that I have tried have not been very good. They have tasted oxidized. Maybe one day I’ll be out East and try one of the famous ones from there. I too like one that holds that bitterness.  Bitter and balance at the same time.  I  will say I make more hoppy styles. I do not buy many ipa beers. I’m sick of buying avg beer at a premium. I’ve been buying more Belgian beers lately.


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Jeff B

Offline dannyjed

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Re: Why I'm not a big fan of IPA any longer
« Reply #91 on: February 08, 2018, 10:21:15 pm »
It could be that I haven’t had a good NEIPA yet, but I’m really starting to think that it’s really not to my tastes. Let’s see if they stick around or start fading away like the Black IPA.


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Dan Chisholm

narvin

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Re: Why I'm not a big fan of IPA any longer
« Reply #92 on: February 09, 2018, 09:18:29 am »
The cloudy/milkshake thing is overdone.  But I will say that I've been drinking more IPAs since they have started to 1) focus on freshness, 2) reduce the abv somewhat to reasonable levels of historical IPAs, and 3) move a little bit away from the "bitterness masochism challenge" that was a fad for a while.

In fact, I think my go to beers now are split between medium abv late hop IPAs and Pilsners  :)

Offline bayareabrewer

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Re: Why I'm not a big fan of IPA any longer
« Reply #93 on: February 09, 2018, 09:32:03 am »
I swear these "no IBU" fruit bomb "IPA's" are for people that would rather have a wine cooler but are too embarrassed to order one  :D  :D. But seriously, tons of residual sugar, huge body, no bitterness and fruitiness out the ying yang, that sounds like Bartles and James not an IPA.

narvin

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Re: Why I'm not a big fan of IPA any longer
« Reply #94 on: February 09, 2018, 09:45:55 am »
I swear these "no IBU" fruit bomb "IPA's" are for people that would rather have a wine cooler but are too embarrassed to order one  :D  :D. But seriously, tons of residual sugar, huge body, no bitterness and fruitiness out the ying yang, that sounds like Bartles and James not an IPA.

Any specific examples you're talking about?  Obviously they exist but I think many other IPAs have improved vs 10 years ago due to better packaging/freshness, more late hops, and fewer residual sugars/crystal malts.

Offline bayareabrewer

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Re: Why I'm not a big fan of IPA any longer
« Reply #95 on: February 09, 2018, 10:26:46 am »
I swear these "no IBU" fruit bomb "IPA's" are for people that would rather have a wine cooler but are too embarrassed to order one  :D  :D. But seriously, tons of residual sugar, huge body, no bitterness and fruitiness out the ying yang, that sounds like Bartles and James not an IPA.

Any specific examples you're talking about?  Obviously they exist but I think many other IPAs have improved vs 10 years ago due to better packaging/freshness, more late hops, and fewer residual sugars/crystal malts.

these neipa that use super fruity hop varieties, super fruity, low attenuating yeast and high chloride water. It makes for a fruity and insipid drink for my tastes. They taste like wine coolers.

Big Monk

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Re: Why I'm not a big fan of IPA any longer
« Reply #96 on: February 09, 2018, 10:31:31 am »
I swear these "no IBU" fruit bomb "IPA's" are for people that would rather have a wine cooler but are too embarrassed to order one  :D  :D. But seriously, tons of residual sugar, huge body, no bitterness and fruitiness out the ying yang, that sounds like Bartles and James not an IPA.

Any specific examples you're talking about?  Obviously they exist but I think many other IPAs have improved vs 10 years ago due to better packaging/freshness, more late hops, and fewer residual sugars/crystal malts.

these neipa that use super fruity hop varieties, super fruity, low attenuating yeast and high chloride water. It makes for a fruity and insipid drink for my tastes. They taste like wine coolers.

Any specific examples? I've had some from Hill Farmstead, Trillium, etc. that are obviously crafted very well and taste great. Obviously you get turds as outliers but the well made versions are worth seeking out.

Offline bayareabrewer

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Re: Why I'm not a big fan of IPA any longer
« Reply #97 on: February 09, 2018, 10:40:00 am »
I swear these "no IBU" fruit bomb "IPA's" are for people that would rather have a wine cooler but are too embarrassed to order one  :D  :D. But seriously, tons of residual sugar, huge body, no bitterness and fruitiness out the ying yang, that sounds like Bartles and James not an IPA.

Any specific examples you're talking about?  Obviously they exist but I think many other IPAs have improved vs 10 years ago due to better packaging/freshness, more late hops, and fewer residual sugars/crystal malts.

these neipa that use super fruity hop varieties, super fruity, low attenuating yeast and high chloride water. It makes for a fruity and insipid drink for my tastes. They taste like wine coolers.

Any specific examples? I've had some from Hill Farmstead, Trillium, etc. that are obviously crafted very well and taste great. Obviously you get turds as outliers but the well made versions are worth seeking out.

I was up in Sonoma recently and went to two different highly regarded breweries that make the neipa style. Both tasted fruity, sweet and insipid. I also went to an award winning brewery on my way to Tahoe that makes the style and same thing, fruity, sweet and insipid. I just don't like the style, its imbalanced, sweet, fruity and not very drinkable. 

Big Monk

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Re: Why I'm not a big fan of IPA any longer
« Reply #98 on: February 09, 2018, 10:52:41 am »
I swear these "no IBU" fruit bomb "IPA's" are for people that would rather have a wine cooler but are too embarrassed to order one  :D  :D. But seriously, tons of residual sugar, huge body, no bitterness and fruitiness out the ying yang, that sounds like Bartles and James not an IPA.

Any specific examples you're talking about?  Obviously they exist but I think many other IPAs have improved vs 10 years ago due to better packaging/freshness, more late hops, and fewer residual sugars/crystal malts.

these neipa that use super fruity hop varieties, super fruity, low attenuating yeast and high chloride water. It makes for a fruity and insipid drink for my tastes. They taste like wine coolers.

Any specific examples? I've had some from Hill Farmstead, Trillium, etc. that are obviously crafted very well and taste great. Obviously you get turds as outliers but the well made versions are worth seeking out.

I was up in Sonoma recently and went to two different highly regarded breweries that make the neipa style. Both tasted fruity, sweet and insipid. I also went to an award winning brewery on my way to Tahoe that makes the style and same thing, fruity, sweet and insipid. I just don't like the style, its imbalanced, sweet, fruity and not very drinkable.

Availability of the actual Northeastern examples in other parts of the country presents sort of a conundrum: It forces people to drink less accomplished and well crafted versions of the style because they just can't get their hands on the most well made examples.

I'm not a huge fan of them to be honest, but the few authentic examples from Hill Farmstead, Trillium, Alchemist, etc. that i had a chance to try were all well crafted and pretty tasty.

Offline denny

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Re: Why I'm not a big fan of IPA any longer
« Reply #99 on: February 09, 2018, 10:59:27 am »
I swear these "no IBU" fruit bomb "IPA's" are for people that would rather have a wine cooler but are too embarrassed to order one  :D  :D. But seriously, tons of residual sugar, huge body, no bitterness and fruitiness out the ying yang, that sounds like Bartles and James not an IPA.

Any specific examples you're talking about?  Obviously they exist but I think many other IPAs have improved vs 10 years ago due to better packaging/freshness, more late hops, and fewer residual sugars/crystal malts.

these neipa that use super fruity hop varieties, super fruity, low attenuating yeast and high chloride water. It makes for a fruity and insipid drink for my tastes. They taste like wine coolers.

Any specific examples? I've had some from Hill Farmstead, Trillium, etc. that are obviously crafted very well and taste great. Obviously you get turds as outliers but the well made versions are worth seeking out.

I tend to agree with bayareabrewer on this, and here are some of my examples....https://www.experimentalbrew.com/blogs/denny/oh-say-can-you-see-through-your-beer
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Offline narcout

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Re: Why I'm not a big fan of IPA any longer
« Reply #100 on: February 09, 2018, 11:04:36 am »
I was up in Sonoma recently and went to two different highly regarded breweries that make the neipa style.   

Which ones?  I'm heading up there in a few months and wouldn't mind giving them a taste.
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Offline bayareabrewer

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Re: Why I'm not a big fan of IPA any longer
« Reply #101 on: February 09, 2018, 11:55:55 am »
I was up in Sonoma recently and went to two different highly regarded breweries that make the neipa style.   

Which ones?  I'm heading up there in a few months and wouldn't mind giving them a taste.
Henhouse brewing, and I think the other was called spotted goat or something like that. Both seem to be well regarded breweries, I just really don't like the taste of that style. I appreciate the art of making them, just not the end result, I need crispness in my IPA. If you are near auburn Moonraker brewing pretty much exclusively makes that style of beer, Knee Deep brewing in Auburn has a huge tap list of many different styles as well. Where are you in the bay area, I can give you some good suggestions

Offline bluesman

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Re: Why I'm not a big fan of IPA any longer
« Reply #102 on: February 09, 2018, 02:09:04 pm »
I think we're witnessing an evolution of the style.  Not to say the style we've historically come to love and enjoy is evolving, but a new breed of IPA's is coming into fruit-ition (lol...no pun intended).  It's becoming hip.  There are so many breweries moving toward this new-found style, and the beer consumer seems to be embracing them.  It's hard for me to wrap my brain around this trend or fad or...., but it's definitely happening.  Love it or leave it....it's reality.

I think a few cans just exploded as I was typing this post.  ;D
Ron Price

Offline denny

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Re: Why I'm not a big fan of IPA any longer
« Reply #103 on: February 09, 2018, 02:11:05 pm »
I think we're witnessing an evolution of the style.  Not to say the style we've historically come to love and enjoy is evolving, but a new breed of IPA's is coming into fruit-ition (lol...no pun intended).  It's becoming hip.  There are so many breweries moving toward this new-found style, and the beer consumer seems to be embracing them.  It's hard for me to wrap my brain around this trend or fad or...., but it's definitely happening.  Love it or leave it....it's reality.

I think a few cans just exploded as I was typing this post.  ;D

Out here, it's a passing fad already.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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Online hopfenundmalz

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Re: Why I'm not a big fan of IPA any longer
« Reply #104 on: February 09, 2018, 03:48:39 pm »
I think we're witnessing an evolution of the style.  Not to say the style we've historically come to love and enjoy is evolving, but a new breed of IPA's is coming into fruit-ition (lol...no pun intended).  It's becoming hip.  There are so many breweries moving toward this new-found style, and the beer consumer seems to be embracing them.  It's hard for me to wrap my brain around this trend or fad or...., but it's definitely happening.  Love it or leave it....it's reality.

I think a few cans just exploded as I was typing this post.  ;D

Glad to see you checking in, Ron.
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