Why are VT Double IPAs so good?

good point...maybe i should delete my post

 

I agree with you up to a point. I've had Heady and a few other Vermont DIPAs a few times and they are amazing. But, I do think Overhead, Head High, 077XX, War Elephant, are fantastic also. At a certain point, I don't care if a beer is a few rating points better. I end up liking these locals better simply because I can get a fresh growler or can any time I want. Amazing plus easy access beats slightly more amazing plus pain in the ass to get every time for me.

 

If this was a sport and not a hobby this would be a different thread. Vermont would be in first place in the Eastern Division, and everyone would know it was the players, the coaches, and the care in selecting them that made a better team, and others would not argue, as standings don't lie.

Reviews though are the equivalent of standings, and Vermont IPA type beers are in first place. Why? Well, this is a case of the obvious, more talented brewers, great ingredients, better techniques, and beer designed to please the "group palate", that are more successful at doing it.

 

I say no way, so I'll bite:
Trillium
Toppling Goliath
Cigar City

 

The "New England" IPA and DIPA (inspired by Vermont) is stylistically different than west coast and even many midwestern IPAs. Look at the color for starters...they will not be amber, or even a deep gold. The malt is toned way, way down. The hops are selected to provide citrus in many cases, but not all, along with other floral or dank flavors, while minimizing actual bitterness. Heady Topper leaves me with almost zero lingering bitterness. It's the polar opposite style from say Green Flash, which feels like it is peeling the skin from my throat on the way down.

But forgetting the elite beers for a moment, the style differences remain clear when comparing say Limbo, Stoneface or Wormtowns Be Hoppy with Bells Two Hearted, Stone IPA, Hopulence, Myrcenary and even Fresh Squeezed from Deschutes. The heavy caramel malts in those beers make them very different than most of the IPAs from New England. "Better" will always be a personal thing, but I keep finding that I can't get anything I like as much as our local IPAs. Lagunitas is the only CA brewer I'm finding that attempts to make more New England style hoppy beers, and not surprisingly it flies off the shelf here.

 

I think this is it exactly for me. That soft mouthfeel with those tropical flavors is amazing.

 

I've had Hop Venom and have stated in this thread that it's my favorite DIPA from the west coast. I've also had The Brother, and sorry, but I don't think I'd consider it in the top 20, let alone better than Heady. And Blue Dot? Hop Henge? come on, now you're just fucking with me. they're like Double A compared to a World Series champion

I'm open to trying the others, but if that's your criteria for "better than Heady," not sure what to say

 

While magic certainly seems unlikely, you do have some truth in this statement. Vermont is classically a location that is extremely rural, has terrible climate and climate change, and in general not a lot of commotion or entertainment sources. Vermont natives (and there are a lot of us) have had to sustain themselves since colonization and the same can be said for beer. If a Vermonter can't find what he wants to drink, he makes it. With the lack of conventional recreation for so long, there is plenty of time to perfect your art and appreciate that of others. This, at least in my opinion, plays a huge part in Vermont's status in the craft beer arena.

 

Thanks for describing this so well. I wouldn't in any way feel qualified to even begin to suggest that there are actual quality differences between the heavy hitters from various regions, but to my palate there is a commonality to many of the newer New England IPAs that just hits the sweet spot for my palate in exactly the way you describe.

It's kind of interesting that things have come back around in a way. I remember it being a revelation to taste some of the classic west coast IPAs after cutting my teeth on the more English style ones from New England (like Harpoon or Ipswich), and then it was yet another revelation to taste the newer "VT style" offerings.

 

Its outrageous how hard Heady is to get at a bottle shop. I was in Stowe about 2 weeks ago, and every bar had it which was great. Come Friday(which is the day Stowe gets Heady delivered) it was snowing quite a bit and it was my last day in VT. I woke up at 7am and walked 2 miles to the shop that gets it. Waited about 45 minutes. The clerk was the biggest piece of crap to me every time I asked him a question. Finally the Heady showed up and they had about 8 cases. The fucking clerk goes was it worth the wait because you can only buy 1 4pk. Needless to say I was pissed/bummed/outraged. I really hope they start producing more or make it easier to get. Its ridiculous that i went through all of that for 1 4pk.

 

FTFY

 

Tree House as well. I only had three beers from them, but they were all awesome.

 

Sarcasm abounds.

 

Y'all are gonna FREAK when Tree House's Green starts trading in cans

 

So true, and the funny thing is now that so many areas are stepping up their games so well, as this thread illustrates, the time will come when these same snobby shopkeepers resenting us out of towners who come to Vermont for great beer, and pleasure to make it hard for us to get, will be wishing that we'd come back again to buy it from them, when we can stay nearer to home and get just as good or better.

 

Your argument is moot and falls on deaf ears since you've never had the aforementioned beers.

 

Hippies.

 

As much as I love Heady Topper and Lawson's (I found Mastermind disappointing and have not yet had Second Fiddle), and given that I have a second home in Vermont, I still won't get bent out of shape looking for this stuff. I'll grab Fair Maiden at the brewery which is 20 minutes from our place. Trillium and Treehouse are closer (though I haven't been to Treehouse and their hours stink) and Be Hoppy and Hopulence are so good, and always so fresh, that I have no complaints.

 

same goes for Other Half's Green Diamonds...coming to a can near you within the month (I think)!