Let's talk about hops/American IPA

1. They don't resemble the original IPA very much anymore. Perhaps 20 years ago they did.

2. It's an overly complicated name. They're not Indian, they're not even necessarily pale.

3. There are better descriptors of what they are.

4. As the styles evolve, the name will disappear anyways - I hope.

 

Very true, but almost all styles are evolved in some way, shape, or form, especially in the US. It's kind of the result of continual innovation and experimentation, but where does one draw the line between an evolving style and a new style altogether? It's a semantics game. I'm not saying it's right or wrong, but it's a complicated issue.

They were called that because they were shipped for the long voyage to India...I'm sure you already know this, and if you do, you should know why they're called that.

Perhaps...but see my first reply.

Maybe. I don't know. I don't really care that much. Regardless of whether the IPA name stays or goes, it's inevitable that something catchy will stick. That's human nature.

 

Sadly, the only beer I've had that uses Huell Melon hops is Blue Moon White IPA, although I did like that. There's also Mandarina Bavarian hops, which I haven't had yet either, but I hear they're more forthrightly citrusy than you would expect from a German hop.

 

Nice link. There are some German craft beers that use those hops, had a Germna breweries IPA that used some. But let's face it, a big portion of those go to the USA.

I've had all of them, in single hop beers, and in combination. Ordered by my personal preference.

Mandarina Bavaria- citrusy, can be a mandarin orange character. Brewed 2 Homebrews with it, like it a lot.
Hüll Melon - I get the melon, pretty nice.
Hallertau Blanc - The white wine character is there, but not over the top.
Polaris - minty with wintergreen, an enigma for me, not sure if I would home brew with it. AA is >20%.

Had a pale ale at Sunriver Brewing near Bend, that had the first three in it, and I really liked that beer.

 

No worries about disagreeing with me, heck, I'm not sure I even entirely agree with my entire post. I THINK it may trend this way, I wouldn't be shocked if it didn't.

I agree with you, but remember, IPAs and craft in general still do not make a large portion of what the country drinks. IPAs are projected to make up 25% of all craft beer sales in 2015. That's maybe 2-3% of the beer being consumed in the US. And many of the best selling craft beers are still not IPAs.

That being said, pilsner as a style is on the rise in craft beer. Here's a snippet from the debut article for Goose Island's Four Star Pils.

“When a category is up 127 percent, you pay attention... According to IRI... the craft pilsner category has added more than 317,000 cases year-to-date (through Aug. 9). Only four other categories – IPA, Variety, Fruit/Veggie/Spiced beer and Pale Ale– have added more incremental volume in 2015.”

While this is true, wine comes in 750 mL bottles that are meant to be shared. And wine is then poured in 3 - 5 oz. aliquots, so it's treated like a beverage that is higher in alcohol (around 12%).

Beer comes in 12 oz. cans (and many are in 16 oz. cans) and is served in pints. It's a volume drink. I realize some craft beer comes in bombers and 750 mLs, but this isn't the best selling format(s).

There's a good reason why All Day IPA became Founder's best selling beer. One is that it's hoppy, the other is that it's 4.7% ABV and comes in 15 packs.

I have had many beers from Trillium, their hoppy beer is quite good! But I think you're confusing bold with complex. I feel IPAs, while delicious, are straight forward. There's a multitude of flavors from the hops, but many of those hoppy beers from Trillium have their malt profiles buried.

I would never put a Galaxy Dry Hopped Fort Point Pale Ale next to a Rochefort 10 and call the former complex. I have to sit down and slowly sip a Rochefort and take my time to pick up on the range of subtle flavors in that beer. I know exactly what's going in the dry hopped pale ale right away. And it's good!

 

Like I said, there is some wintergreen in there too. When I had it, I was thinking of breath mints, or certain chewing gums.

 

I think we are just in the beginning of the golden age of beer. Craft is spreading and with it innovation. However, craft is still far from mainstream even here in the US. The shift to more hop flavor forward offerings, versus in your face bitterness, will make craft more appealing to the masses. Bitterness is an acquired taste, we are genetically predisposed to preferring sweetness. The shifts we are seeing now to fruity IPAs is going to aid in crafts expansion.

 

Hull Melon, Polaris, Mandarina Bavaria and many others- stuff like that is becoming kinda popular in a certain scene in germany, and yes not only in Ales, but in Lagers and Hefeweizens as well.
While I'm not too fond of Helles with modern hops I had, I love Mandarina Bavaria in Hefeweizens..

And yes, all in all, american style IPAs are becoming the "default" "craft" beer. Which kind of upsets me, personally. While I do, and always have, like some american-style IPAs every now and then, the concept of "MOAR HOPS" and "only american style IPA is true IPA, british beers below 4%abv shouldn't be called IPA" annoys the hell out of me. I am also afraid of a world in which globally beer geeks only want US style big,loud,flashy beers and don't pay attention to local beer culture and the awesome beers that lie within anymore. And I see that is kinda what is happening in germany right now to some degree.

Belgian brewers for instance are, in my opinion, way more "inclusive" in adding new hops and styles to their way of brewing and don't treat anything IPAish as totally seperate from traditional brews, as the germans sadly often tend to do-not all breweries, mind, but some, and esp. the costumers..

 

I've been craving apas/ipas all winter long (traditionally the heavier style months) so I don't think my love for the hops is going anywhere. I love how i can thoroughly crush even a double in 10 minutes after a long day at work, whereas a stout would take more like 45 min. The american apa/ipa is the perfect combo of crushable and flavorful.

 

Fresh Union Jack is indeed awesome, but I'll challenge you @TongoRad, if you can get to the Philly area do yourself a favor and pick up some Fat Heads Head Hunter. It blows away Union Jack. Have you ever had it?

 

Speaking for myself, I couldn't imagine getting bored with hop-tastic beer. From a growth perspective (popularity, not production per se) I wonder if defining hop regions like grapes (I guess they are defined sort of?) may intrigue buyers. Southern hemisphere, and to dial in even more - Australian or New Zealand style IPA should be a thing, as would a German IPA. Go ahead and re-designate American IPAs by region as well w/ West, East and Third coast as style designators. Looking outward for the greater good of craft beer, it's not really what we think but rather what folks not currently in the "scene" would think and react to. I could easily see a flicker of romanticism in the exotic from an unknowing consumer's thinking when investigating hop driven beverages specifically noting their origin as being from somewhere they are not.

 

Yeah, I got a six in a trade once. Loved it! I could definitely see myself toggling between the two.

Good to see it's in the Philly area, I just thought it was in the western part of the state. If it gets to the Lehigh Valley then I can easily grab a case. Thanks for the heads up.

 

@cavedave , you should be on the lookout for Victory's CBC draught beers. From their website:

They feature these hops in a variety of styles. I've had a couple of them over the years and they are worth a shot. Regarding Mandarina Bavaria, a few years ago, one of their CBC beers was Mandarina Best Bitter. As a big fan of Uncle Teddy's Bitter, in this particular instance, my personal reaction to that CBC beer was that they destroyed a good bitter.

 

Keith, I am also a BIG fan of Head Hunter. For the past month or so this beer has been a 'regular' at TJs Everyday and I have been ordering it every time I go there. According to one of my local beer retailers bottled Fat Heads is scheduled to arrive sometime in April.

Cheers!

 

I want a Snozberry-flavored single hop beer.

 

I think I have been circling around this conclusion about the citrusy dry-hopped IPA trend for a quite awhile, but could never put it into words as well as you just did.

What's not to like about a citrusy dry-hopped IPA? They are great, I buy them fairly regularly for myself, and I understand why there are so many on the market. However, I generally know what I'm in for before these sorts of beers even touch my lips, and I'm rarely surprised by any nuances of flavor in them. If I want complexity I'm reaching for another style, but there are times I just want that straight forward juicy IPA.

 

Thanks! I think I fumbled with my words/description a bit personally, but I'm glad you understood it.

It's the dry-hopping (and the excess to which they're dry hopped) that is really at the forefront in terms of flavor for my palate. For example, if it's dry-hopped with Galaxy, that is a very dominant flavor in the beer.

This doesn't hold true for all IPAs though. A less bold and dry hopped IPA such as Celebration, that's more balanced, is a bit more nuanced to me.