Hoppy Blondes are Session IPAs

I'd prefer a hoppy blonde ale. I don't care much for session IPA's, and their lack of malt balance.

 

I came here to say that a Blonde is historically a Belgian style, thus the Belgian yeast is a major reason that a hoppy blonde is different from a session IPA. However, this site does not list a Belgian blonde, although American Blonde Ale is listed, and using the 'American' descriptor seems as if it is to specify that the 'American' is only one version of the Blonde style. But there are no others in the list with other countries of origin. However, many Belgian breweries do brew a blonde ale. Oddly, the BA definition of the American Blonde says it is mostly similar to a Kolsch, so go figure. Maybe because the use of Noble hops in the blonde style is a reason for this comparison.

Although the malts in a Blonde can be similar to those of an IPA, probably the country of origin of those malts, the use of Noble hops vs. popular high-alpha American hops, and the choice of a yeast that is used will keep anyone from claiming that a Blonde is the same as a Session IPA.

 

Exactly, IPA in America no longer designates a "style" It is used as a shorthand flavor descriptor, hence you get Black IPA, Belgium IPA, Session IPA, Lager IPA (IPL)... infinitum. As a flavor descriptor it is very useful and can be added to almost any other style to designate "hoppy" Sometimes a brewer will just go with the term hoppy instead but the two are interchangeable.

 

I've had it with blondes, it's brunettes for me now, I'm sure, unless . . .

 

Hill farmstead walden takes the cake for me in terms of hoppy blonde session style beers. I could, and have, crushed a 64oz growler of that with ease. So delicious!

 

FFS, not everything is an IPA.

 

I find most of NB's American-style beers to be very average and middle-of-the-road, but their sours are incredible and they have great, reasonably priced Abbey-style beers in 6 packs.

 

Nah, it's more of a Kinda Dark Reddish-Brown IPA. XD

 

Yeah, and with age it becomes a Barleywine. :-)

 

Fact. Bears eat beets. Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.

 

I like the Firestone and Lagunitas session IPAs. After reading this thread, I think I will give the hoppy blondes a try.

 

Yeah, the marketing is a huge factor. Basically anything labeled "hoppy" or "IPA" now will sell. They could call a cream ale a "corn IPA" and I guarantee you it would fly off the shelves.

 

Is Shorts Electric Mullet 'cream IPA' close enough? http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/9629/119509/?ba=tectactoe

 

Hilarious. Another question for the blurred lines category: when does a double IPA become an Imperial Pale Ale and vice versa?

 

Oh, another one of these threads where some people think brewers are marketing geniuses who are just in it to take peoples money while others complain about x random brewery being cited and another cites a brewery that no one outside of its distribution footprint can ever hope to drink unless they trade for it or visit the brewery itself. Someone else gaslights the topic entirely while another mentions something historical that is factually important but realistically just throws more dust over the issue because the lines of history have never been clear and concise other than it got brewed according to what peoples tastes were interested in drinking and that is what happened.
Must be a Monday.

 

Agree that's the way a fairly large people use IPA but it also is a misusage and often creates needless confusion, somewhat equivalent to saying any cheese in the world is just Tillamook. :-)

 

Or an "echo chamber" on the internet. :-)

 

I am pretty sure that they are beers. I am also pretty sure it doesn't matter what people call them. A local brewery (Bog Iron) makes a Hoppy Blonde that is over 7%. Lawson's makes Knockout Blonde which is quite good. Trillium has a "Kolsch" inspired beer out, Big Sprang. It's excellent, and very hoppy.

 

BBB Baby Genius and Treehouse Eureka taste nothing like any of the session IPA's I've ever had.

 

Blonde = Belgian Pale Ale