Märican Biere Bought and Drunk...

Sierra Nevada very clearly indicates that Hoppy Lager is not a German Pilsner:

From the Sierra Nevada Hoppy Lager neck label: “This hop-heavy beer combines the intense citrus and floral hop flavors with the clean, classic malt body of a hearty blonde lager for a crisp but aggressive take on the India Style Pale Lager.”

Cheers!

 

Eeew -- errgh -- aaagh -- skewered by Horzempa again -- I apologize as I thought Mr. HerrB was talking about the Nooner Pilsner. Good thing someone infallible and omnipotent is always on the lookout.

Still doesn't take away my opinion that the Hoppy Lager is not a traditional beer of any sort and, as has been said, is a chore to drink.

 

First one goes down easy. Fourth one...not so much.

 

Honest question, though: how many 7%+ ABV brews go down easy on the fourth one? I'm biased, in that I rarely enjoy drinking four+ brews of any style. (Though, obviously, the lower gravity stuff tends to go down easier.) Too much beer gets me bloaty!

 

FWIW, I didn't personally perceive the 7% in this beer; it drank real smooth to me.

Cheers!

 

The first one went down extremely easy, so maybe I fooled myself into thinking the other three would. That said, the luster had already begun to wear off by beer #2.

 

If you can find a single, I'd say by all means give ita try. That first one is pretty magical...

 

Keep in mind that this was over the course of an entire afternoon and evening. I will say as well that until more "craft" brewers figure out how to make a beer that balances flavor with drinkability, they are going to have a very tough time winning over the BMC crowd, as most of them seem to like extended periods of drinking enjoyment. I'll even give them a hint: it starts with mastering the base styles....

 

Haha, not surprised by your prescription. Not that I disagree, per se -- would love to see more lower gravity stuff, from lagers to blonde ales and everything in between.

Technically, though, you never answered my question How many 7%+ ABV brews go down easy on the 4th one. Whether it's Celebrator or Union Jack, the fourth one probably ain't going down all that easy, no? And I use those two as examples of brews I heartily enjoy!

 

I've had a number of German-brewed pale bocks/Maibocks in that ABV range that go down quite easy, even past half liter #4. Duvel is another. A number of Gueuzes fit, too. I could go on...

EDIT/NOTE: I don't mean to imply that SN doesn't know how to brew base styles; they do amazing things with the barest-bones of base malts. It's just that the IPL style seems intentionally built on a weak malt backbone in order to really showcase the hops. But the initial hops blast/flavor doesn't hold up well over multiple pints, and I think therefore the style will never lend itself to longer sessions. That said, I'll be looking for the first "session IPLs" to start hitting shelves any day now.

 

Yowza, different strokes, I guess. Four 12oz bottles of Duvel? No thanks. The epitome of gut bloat! Gueuze? Just had an utterly delightful bottle of Drie Fonteinen OG recently, and there's no way I could've done more than a 750ml (and that's max -- I wouldn't even prefer to drink that much). Again, different strokes, I suppose.

 

Guess so. Spent many a lazy afternoon/evening in Belgian cafes (outdoor and indoor) sipping on Gueuze and/or Duvel in that quantity. Pours of each are .25 l over there, so I guess that helps avoid the feeling of being too full. FWIW, when I met one of the brewers at Cantillon back in the 90s, he spoke of days when he'd drink "10, 12, 14 Duvel."

 

Crikey, he's got far more tolerance than I do -- I'd be downright sloppy at that point.

I could see those .25L's helping out for sure -- besides, it helps those of us with the variety itch scratch it if so desired At any rate, I again acknowledge that I'm not your typical drinker. After a pint or two at a bar, I'm happy to switch to water, coffee/tea, etc.

 

Four in a row would be tough for me to manage, but feasible. Sorry for the expression, but this beer is what it is. It's a hop-forward beer with a clean, lager malt base fermented on a lager yeast strain. SN wants to showcase the hops without the added IBUs.

FWIW, I'm working my way through my second six-pack of SN Hoppy Lager. Not sure if I'll pick up another sixer unless a fresh batch shows up on the shelves. Regardless, it's a nice, change-of-pace beer. If you're a hophead and a fan of the hoppier SN beers, then seek it out. If not, maybe purchase a single and see how you like it. Prost!

 

“….this beer is what it is.” And let me add: it is exactly as advertised by Sierra Nevada; an India Style Pale Lager.

Cheers!

 

Totally agree.

When I first had it, my thoughts were that it was every bit as good as Jack's Abby's IPL Hoponius Union. And that the first one was perilously drinkable. Since I had only gotten the single JA before (and really enjoyed it), I suppose I just wanted to see what the beer tasted like after pint #3 in a session. Turned out (for my palate at least...or what was left of it) that the initial drinkability and perceived balance didn't hold up.

As you say, "It is what it is." I had just hoped that it was a little more than that....

 

I purchased a 6-pack of Jack’s Abby Hoponius Union last year; on the 6-pack carrier it states: “IPL – Wicked Hoppy Lager.”

I enjoyed drinking every one of those 6 beers but I consumed them on six separate drinking occasions. I really don’t know what I would think about Hoponius Union if I consumed 3-4 of them on the same day/evening; it would not surprise me that I might think differently of this particular beer if I did.

Cheers!

 

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/26520/120928/

Jack's Abby did it awhile ago....and I must say it's a deliciously hoppy beer for 3.8%.

I heard it was about 17. Much like you, I also consumed my fair share of Cantillon Gueuze in Belgium, their "Classic Gueuze" was my session beer of choice while staying in Brussels.

Admittedly, "Hoppy Lager" was the first IPL that truly struck me as different than an IPA. But not in a good way. I may be stealing this from @Domingo but I feel the lager yeast cleans up a hop forward beer too much. It has those crisp, clean lager characteristics, but I feel the lager yeast suits a more balanced hoppy beer, like a German pilsner. When the malt side of the equation is simply there to balance out the massive amount of hops, it just does work as well.

And so far, the ratings bear this out. IPAs FAR outrank IPLs on this website in terms of ratings. Therefore, the consumers on Beeradvocate at least, prefer the use an ale yeast to showcase hops. Kiwi Rising is the top IPL and it would barely crack the top 30 IPAs, and it's a double IPL. It wouldn't even crack the top 50 double IPAs.

 

You know, that might actually be it. There is something missing in the balance here after a few -- perhaps it does need that fruitier, estery ale yeast to make it work. Will be interesting to compare with their new IPA when it hits shelves around here.