Grimm of the Future

I hate the term VT-style IPA. Just because breweries in VT have produced 3 good IPAs (HT, DS, Second Fiddle) doesn't mean that Vermont has its own style. So fucking ridiculous. NY is making better IPAs than VT at this point.

 

If people can use "West Coast" IPA, then I don't see a reason why "Vermont" can't be used. "So fucking ridiculous" is actually a "so fucking ridiculous" statement. It's "arguable," at best.

By the way, the list includes:
Hill Farmstead's hoppy (many!)
Second Fiddle
Mastermind
DS (and Lawson's other hoppy)
Heady
Focal
Crusher
Fair Maiden
Pieces of Eight

As much as the NY scene has changed in the last few years and how this is even a conversation is great, but we simply don't make better IPAs than VT. We just don't.

 

It has already hit the city...they had it on at blind tiger last week. would expect to see more distro shortly. didnt love it to be honest.

 

Wish there was an unlike button for posts like this. Hf makes more world class ipa's by itself than the west coast. What are these NY ipa's that are better than vt? We've had some decent stuff recently but I haven't found anything that really compares. If Grimm is going to take a shot at bringing those here I really hope it turns out well. It will save me some gas money.

 

Way off. NY is making good IPA's as of late but nowhere near VT. VT has been doing it a lot longer and deserves the term VT style IPA.

 

So how is a VT style IPA distinguished from a West Coast IPA? If you hand me a beer and ask me to identify the style I am pretty sure I could identify it if it was a West Coast IPA but what would be the distinguishing characteristics of a VT style IPA?

 

Less bittering hops, more late hop additions, dry-hopped. Result is a more flavorful and aromatic beer that does not have to compete with the bitterness so actually hop flavors from high alpha acid boutique hops(Citra, Mosaic, Galaxy, Riwaka, Simcoe, etc.) can show thru in the form of lemon peel, grapfruit, orange, mango, blah blah blah.

 

So the usual west coast IPA is Golden-Orange in color, a bit of malt balance to it, and lots of citrusy and sometimes piney hops. Examples would be Sculpin, Stone IPA, Green Flash West Coast. There are definitely exceptions too. VT or New England style IPAs as I sometimes see them called are usually very light in color, often cloudy, with juicy tropical and citrusy hops, sometimes piney. Examples would be many Lawson's, The Alchemist stuff, Hill Farmstead Edward/Susan/single hops, Trillium, Tree House, New England Brewing. There are exceptions to this too. Pretty general here, but I think that covers it, West coast are a little darker in color, little more malty/caramel flavor, less juicy quality (sometimes).

 

Difference in appearance of Susan
Vs.

 

Interesting distinction, but I have recently had some beers from Beachwood and Noble that seem to fit this description. I see your point but I wonder whether the term VT style IPA will catch on. I like the style a lot but I have a hunch the term will wind up in the same place as the term Cascadian Dark Ale.

 

Telekinesis bottles just landed at Beer Culture.

 

Not sure I agree that NY is making better IPAs (though they are very good), but totally agree about the term VT-style IPA. Essentially some California breweries took the style in a new direction a few years back, and then some breweries in VT did the same more recently. Doesn't mean a brewery in any part of the country cannot potentially compete and/or make something equally good

 

I agree with most here - my favorite NY ipas are Tesseract, AGE, and Flower Power and while I like them a lot, they are on a second tier compared to the likes of the stuff coming out from VT.

 

@JoeGrimm : Is A.A. Gradient a variant of Gradient, or is this a double entry? http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/32893/167969/

 

There appeared to be about 5-6 bottles of Telekinesis in the cooler at Milk & Hops. They also had it on draft.

 

Broadway Dive has Gradient and Telekinesis.

 

Had the Telekinesis at Proletariat last night. Good stuff!

 

Goddamn Susan, she is so fine.

Seriously I am a native New Yorker (32 years in Manhattan) but I haven't had a NY IPA as good or better than Susan...or HT, DS, Society and Solitude 4s or 5s or Abners or Ephraims or Doublle Citra and probably not even Fiddlehead stuff. OH is coming on but in my opinion nothing I've had so far is as good as the aformentioned beers.

 

Hey y'all!
We made this new BA account for Lauren and me to both post from. We just got back from CBC in Portland. Telekinesis AND Forcefield are out in the city right now. Very psyched about both of these.

On the question of VT-style IPA's... We really mean it as a shorthand for a different take on how to formulate an IPA. Here's what we have in mind to consider something more VT style than west coast style:

-absence of caramel malt sweetness
-unfiltered
-less bitter, more juicy/fruity late hop character
-use of a fruity, ester producing yeast instead of neutral california ale yeast

 

I had Forcefield about a week ago and it was pretty amazing. So juicy. I'd use the word luscious.

@Grimm_Artisanal_Ales any plans to can/bottle this bad boy?