Troegs Perpetual IPA

Perpetual is the best beer Troegs currently makes! It may not be a bitter hop bomp but it certainly is hoppy and delicious!

 

Nobody ever said it was a style. I certainly did not, and I don't think the brewer meant it as such. You are actually the only one that seems to think they are trying to carve a new notch. It's a pale ale. With bigger than normal characteristics. That does not make it an IPA by anyone's definition.
You asked what imperial pale ale meant to me. I wasn't correcting you.

 

Beer>>>>>>Semantics.

 

Troegs is not the first to do the Imperial Pale Ale. How about Double Dog, they call it a Double Pale Ale, same thing.

 

If "pale ale" with bigger than normal characteristics ain't an IPA than I don't know what is.

I'll say this and let it go: I'm not the one saying it's a style. I'm saying people are reading those words and assuming it means something other than IPA, which is wrong. Let's look at the facts: it's hoppier and stronger beer than their Pale Ale (HopBack). Saying Perpetual is anything other than an IPA is akin to saying there's a difference between an imperial stout and a double stout. I don't think they were trying to create a new style, I think they were just having fun with words.

My main problem is when people like those few above are trying to tell someone their expectations were off because it's an Imperial Pale Ale and not an IPA. If someone posts "Well, let's remember it's not an IPA, it's an Imperial Pale Ale, so..." you can stop reading right there, because as anything said after that is nonsense as people are assigning characteristics to a non-existent style ("Imperial Pale Ale").

 

Spreading misinformation is never a good thing. I can't think of a more appropriate forum for having a reasonable discussion about beer styles.

 

Well since you brought it up, HopBack is an amber, and their pale ale is...Pale Ale. Nugget Nectar is listed as an imperial amber, why can't Perpetual be an imperial pale? You're not trying to qualify NN as some sort of new style, despite Troegs having a weaker version in the same style as it.

 

Sigh...
I realize you have let this go and so probably will not read this but anyway--
There is no difference between an imperial stout and a double stout, agreed. That truly is semantics. What would be erroneous is saying that there is no difference between an imperial stout and a barleywine. They are two different things (designated style or not), as are an IPA and a 'big' (screw the word 'imperial'--that seems to be giving you a hang-up) pale ale.

People are assigning characteristics to a beer they tasted, not a style. That beer was named an imperial pale ale by the brewer. The brewer wins.

If you want to trot out styles as the ultimate nomenclature and disregard variation and brewer intention, I can go there. Why does the BJCP list English pale ales, American pale ales, and IPAs of all sorts in different style categories (categories 8, 10, and 14 respectively)? Your own Regent doesn't consider them the same thing. Why are you insisting they are?

And lastly, Hop Back is Troegs' standard amber, the little cousin of Nugget Nectar. Their pale ale is called, surprisingly, Pale Ale.

Now I believe I'll let it go to. Style ****'s make me weary.

 

My bad on that, their Pale Ale is called "Pale Ale." Point still stands, though.

Because there's no such thing. Not a style **** just using common sense here.

 

Looks like Leafer Madness is also an Imperial Pale Ale
http://beervalleybrewing.com/beers.shtml

 

There's no such thing as an imperial amber either, is there? Then why in the hell is that plastered on the NN bottles?

 

Agree 100%. I'm not sure how else you'd describe what an IPA is. I don't think it's being a "style ****" to say "this beer is essentially an IPA."

 

I had a Perpetual IPA Sunday afternoon at Pony Bar UES. I have a feeling this will be everywhere (hopefully) very, very soon in NYC

 

IMHO, it drinks like an IPA.

 

There's a major difference. If there were a historical and widely recognized style existed that was basically just an Amber Ale that was stronger in alcohol and flavor profile (like IPA does with Pale Ale), let's call it "Big Red" and NN was labeled an Imperial Amber and people were on BA trying to explain why someone's expectations were off because they mistook NN for a Big Red when it's actually an Imperial Amber, then I would call BS on that, too. Hope that makes sense. A brewer can put whatever they want on the bottles, it's the interpretation of that by people which I am calling into question.

The reason why BJCP has a number of different Pale Ale styles but no Imperial Pale Ale is because it would be impossible to differentiate it from IPA.

 

It's a pretty good drinking summer beer. It's not what I was expecting though...perhaps the fault is mine or the marketing. I would drink it again, especially if found on tap, I just dont think I would buy it again due to the price point and the overall "meh" I had when drinking it. I do however love alot of what Troegs does so for me, I give them a pass and credit for changing this beer to a year round one based on the public desire.

 

How much is it going for?

 

I think it was $ 10.99 a sixer at Wegmans.

 

Pretty sure that's what I paid there, too. I wonder if it was priced high where Momar42 is because it's pretty much in line with local and non-local beers of similar styles here in SEPA.

 

or maybe he hasn't had since last year when it was in bombers at wacky pricing.