White IPAs: Failed Experiment or Too Early to Tell

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by spoonhawk, Oct 20, 2013.

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  1. lightman1

    lightman1 Zealot (595) Oct 19, 2013 Arkansas
    Trader

    About 10 minutes ago, my wife walked in with 2 New Belgium Accumulations that my son sent me. The label reads White India Pale Ale, but calls it a Winter Seasonal. I'll give it a taste test, tomorrow. Lightman1
     
  2. MooseBoose

    MooseBoose Initiate (0) Jun 6, 2007 Wisconsin

    I hate em. JMO
     
  3. Jgrody

    Jgrody Initiate (0) Sep 5, 2013 California

    Hess Flightpath for Bottle craft, white IPA. It was AMAZING
     
  4. TommyLiam

    TommyLiam Initiate (0) Jun 10, 2013 Arizona

    I don't hate them but I don't remember the last time I spent money on one either.

    I'd say that White IPAs are less an unique experiment than a sideshow in the great hop wad that everyone is shooting off in the US. People will hop the shit out of anything they can these days because hop heads will drink almost anything with enough hops in it. You could bottle fermented dog shit and mustard gas and still sell it, as long as it had 87,000 lbs of quintuple hopped Simcoe and Cascade rammed into dry hop tanks and whirlpool gizmos. Enjoy by yesterday.

    Like most sub-styles of so-called "IPA" there are some good ones and some really bad ones and a whole lot of stylistic space in between most of them. I think it'll probably fall off but you never know. Once US brewers convince themselves they can make good beers reminiscent of classic Belgians with having to call them "Belgian style" then the scene will open up some.
     
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  5. Dupage25

    Dupage25 Savant (1,020) Jul 4, 2013 Antarctica

    Don't know; never had one. I am mildly curious to try one but to be honest, I feel like most hop varieties would completely destroy the base wit unless it was completely post-boil hops (meaning it was nothing but dry-hopped, no bittering). And even there I think it would be extremely hard to make the spices even noticeable.

    Also, let's be honest: most wits could have all of their hops removed and nobody would miss them. In fact, I think the historical wits that inspired the modern ones were hop-free. Some of these beers probably don't even measure 10 IBU. So let's say you could get the hops noticed by bumping it up to 20 or 30 IBU's. How many people here would consider a 20 IBU beer an anything-IPA? And if it gets any higher, will you even be able to taste the coriander and orange peel (and if you can't, then it really isn't "white" right)?


    Yeah, this is my thinking too. Beers like Little Sumpin Sumpin really do not taste appreciably different from an IPA. Actually, that particular example is indistinguishable from an IPA. Hell, let's just be blunt---it is an IPA.

    White IPA has to mean a spiced hoppy beer which is as light-bodied as a wit (within reason). Otherwise, it's just an IPA with a special grain added in, like oatmeal stouts or rye porters. In order to be white it has to resemble a white ale.
     
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  6. russpowell

    russpowell Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,256) May 24, 2005 Arkansas
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Loved the collab#2
     
  7. Givemebeer

    Givemebeer Savant (1,195) Apr 6, 2013 Vermont

    Thats how I feel about every Saranac beer. Decent. Nothing great, but not often bad.
     
  8. elNopalero

    elNopalero Grand Pooh-Bah (4,568) Oct 14, 2009 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    If 'White IPA' means 'Belgo-IPA' then I'm sold.
     
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  9. drewone

    drewone Pooh-Bah (2,199) Sep 18, 2006 California
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    First thought was white dog - I think one of El Segundo best beers. Not a fan of Belgian yeast with IPA's.
     
  10. TruePerception

    TruePerception Initiate (0) Aug 30, 2013 California

    I've only had two: Chainbreaker, and one from Black Diamond (Concord, CA). I thought they were pretty good, actually. Not great, but better than most IPAs I've tried.
     
  11. Jake1605

    Jake1605 Initiate (0) Nov 24, 2009 Missouri

    I don't care for the style, but New Belgium Accumulation was very nice.
     
    nickapalooza86 likes this.
  12. geocool

    geocool Savant (1,209) Jun 21, 2006 Massachusetts

    Why is it that if we don't like a beer (or a style) then it's "inferior" or "failed"? Why can't we just say "I don't care for it, but obviously others do"?
     
  13. DrStiffington

    DrStiffington Grand Pooh-Bah (3,586) Oct 27, 2010 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Raging Bitch would beg to differ.
     
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  14. Skye1024

    Skye1024 Initiate (0) Oct 3, 2009 Indiana

    What, if any, is the difference between white IPAs and Belgian IPAs? I can only think of one beer I've had that was branded a white IPA(White Hatter) and I didn't care for it, but really like most of the Belgian IPAs I've had(Raging Bitch, Sumpin Wild to name a few).
     
  15. nc41

    nc41 Initiate (0) Sep 25, 2008 North Carolina
    Trader

    I don't like black IPAs either, sublimely self righteous is the exception
     
  16. ballenc

    ballenc Zealot (609) Sep 17, 2006 Minnesota

    If we're talking Belgian IPAs, I have really enjoyed the ones I've tried: Green Flash Le Freak, Raging Bitch, Chainbreaker, and Little Sumpin Wild (which I will be drinking in a few hours once the NFL games start)
     
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  17. stella77artois

    stella77artois Initiate (0) Nov 4, 2010 New York

    Saranac's White IPA and SA's Whitewater IPA are good IMO. Others I've had have been meh.
     
  18. Dennoman

    Dennoman Initiate (0) Aug 20, 2011 Belgium

    I've had some killer white IPA's, including homebrew. Any "genre" is as good as the best example you've tasted of it.

    Trashing an entire beer subtype or concept/idea just because you've had some terrible beers that would qualify as such is just completely ludicrous to me. Beer is so versatile, you'll always find some kind of configuration that works.

    Fuck, it's an IPA. When in doubt: more hops, right?
     
    ThirstyFace likes this.
  19. TickleMeTony

    TickleMeTony Initiate (0) Sep 18, 2013 Colorado

    Chainbreaker was severely disappointing in my opinion. I loved the idea of a white IPA or a "wit" IPA but upon drinking was let down by the results! The idea is there, and valid, but the way of perfecting it, and taking these belgian IPA's to the next level, is far from here.
     
  20. LambicPentameter

    LambicPentameter Initiate (0) Aug 29, 2012 Nebraska

    I've always considered "White IPAs" to be a subset of Belgian IPAs. To me, they are like hopped-up takes on the classic Belgian Witbier style--the witbier spices are what make it "white" as opposed to just an IPA with a large wheat component to the grain bill. But since it's technically not it's own style, the beers that fit in this "hoppy wit" characteristic seem to be listed under two different styles--American IPA or Belgian IPA:
    • Deschutes Chainbreaker (Belgian IPA)
    • Anchorage Galaxy (Belgian IPA)
    • Boulevard Collaboration No. 2 - retired (Belgian IPA)
    • New Belgium Belgo - retired (Belgian IPA)
    • Boulevard Reboot (American IPA)
    • New Belgium Accumulation (American IPA)
    • Sam Adams Whitewater (American IPA)
    Then you have the variety of Belgian IPA that is more of a hoppy Tripel, with lots of fruity phenols and yeasty characteristics to complement the aggressive hop profile. While I love these beers, I don't think "white IPA" is an accurate description of how they taste:
    • Green Flash Le Freak
    • Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel
    • Lagunitas Little Sumpin' Wild
    • Flying Dog Raging Bitch
    • Piraat
    • Anchorage Bitter Monk
    • Sam Adams Grumpy Monk
    I enjoy both takes on the style, and like all of the beers I listed (in both lists) to varying degrees, so I have a hard time declaring the style a failure.

    It would be nice if those posters who have noted that they don't think the style is working (including the OP) would list some of the beers they've had in the style so that we can know from whence their experience comes...
     
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