Fruited IPA situation...

I'm a huge grapefruit fan and I absolutely love Grapefruit Sculpin. Unfortunately as much as I love the GS Ballast Points attempt at a fruity session in the Mango Even Keel is absolutely disgusting. The reduction of the flavors to make it sessionable with an added incredibly artificial mango flavor is almost intolerable. I love almost all things Ballast Point I'm borderline shocked they made this,

 

As I'm reading this thread I'm drinking a Grapefruit Sculpin. Actual fruit can impart a freshness to the beer that hops just can not. My example noted above is no exception. The grapefruit juice and grapefruit pith character that comes across is from, wait for it, actual grapefruit! I had Troegs Nimble Giant the other night and could swear the they used actual pineapple in it even though they did not. That's an amazing beer from an amazing regional brewery. Fruit additions in IPAs can certainly be overdone and verge on the level of cloying indeed. I encourage Brewers to continue to push the boundries of fruited beers to see what works (Grapefruit Sculpin) and what does not (about anything with strawberries, especially Sours, IMO). Cheers BAs!

 

On the contrary, I enjoyed the Pineapple Sculpin precisely because it thought it had a very low key pineapple flavor. In fact, I got pineapple in the nose but not a lot in the taste.

That said, I'm unlikely to return to it if given the opportunity. Why? Just because the fruit thing doesn't knock me out. Don't hate it, but I'm largely nonplussed by the trend.

 

Its hit or miss. Ill drink any beer put in front on me amd try to find the good in it. But in my opinion, my taste and preference, i do not like fruited beers of any kind. While i can drink them, rate them decently, only one ive loved in Clown Shoes Clementine. I tend to dislike 99% of them. But like i said ill drink them but if i a choice ill choose anything else over them

 

People who get irked by fruity beers need to chill and drink a cold one. Why would anyone care what taste profile another person likes?

Brewers will continue to experiment with beer. You will like some and not others. If others like what you don't, take solace in knowing that your favorite brewer is making money off those sales and can keep the doors open and continue to fund more experiments...some of which, you curmudgeons will maybe even enjoy.

If you are still unhappy, you always will be.

 

I'm a big fan of fruity IPAs and other styles. Don't be mad.

 

A natural progression IMO, an easier way to influence the process without a host of new hops. How many more piney IPAs do we need? I have to admit that fresh Grapefruit Sculpin in damn good, and I also don't get the Pineapple, if I didn't know what it was it would just be another average IPA. I'm in on the fruit, but it still needs well done, if done poorly it will just be another beer that sits and wastes away.

 

Who told you old curmudgeons want to be happy? Perhaps we enjoy being curmudgeonly.

 

I thought it was very tasty and the fruit felt natural. Did not take away from the hop aspect of the beer.

 

Imagine if they made a "Honey Pappy Van Winkle"?...I think people's heads would explode.

It's ok to think some fruited IPAs taste good. I think Not Your Father's Root Beer tastes good, tastes just like root beer. But at some point, there has to be a separation between what is a beer, and what is not. Where is that line? I don't know how Small Town makes "Not Your Father's Root Beer", but linked below is a homebrew recipe. Uses hops, malt, an ale yeast...looks like it makes a "beer" to me.

Are fruited IPAs beer? Is "Not Your Father's Root Beer" a beer? I imagine more people would argue the former is rather than the latter, but I don't see a huge difference. Who knows.

http://byo.com/soda-pop/item/1299-real-root-beer

 

Would you buy another 6-pack of this beer?

Cheers!

 

Definitely. Of course, I tend to buy a lot of different beer before I circle back again. I'm going to be in Rehoboth soon and I'm sure I'll order it on tap in the brewpub.

 

I hear you and have no ill will/disagreement with those making or consuming but consider this-

These brewers are responding to demand as it is the popular trend/craze (and who knows how long it will last) BUT candidly for some there seems to be a loss of focus. My opinion. Especially on the local level this zeal to get on the bandwagon necessarily takes away from something. Time experimenting, time working on formulations, time to brew, etc. Some are decent but getting to the point where some are more "me too" copies of the latest trend. How many more clementine/tangerine/mandarin/blood orange IPAs/pales are going to show up? I guess you could argue the same for just another IPA/DIPA/PA but unless you are at the top of that game--perfect the basics.

And one way I have found it negative. Used to love some fresh Sculpin. Didn't care that it was 2-3$/six more. Now with Mango Even Keel, Pineapple Sculpin, Grapefruit Sculpin, Watermelon Dorado crowding the shelves, the original doesn't seem to move as fast--actually none of it does as fast--it's all older. Now with so many local great options in NC--have just left an old favorite behind because it cannot compete. It seems the falling water may ground all boats. When/if it becomes disadvantageous, it will all adjust as $$$ talks.

 

Thank the Almighty that my taste isn't as refined as many others here! I love a good fruited beer. My favorite being Deep Ellum's Easy Peasy IPA. Tangerine added. Hazy gold with plenty of floaties. Wasn't the ipa developed for the long voyages of long ago. I bet they didn't try for any particular flavor, just longevity. The nuances of hops came later as brewers discovered that they could add flavor with it. It's just beer, whether flavored with hops or fruit or both. Just enjoy! Or not!

Cheers and hoppy drinking!!

 

Yes, this is the reason, for me at least, why I'd like to see this trend dialed back a bit. The whole, "drink what you like" argument is fine, but that's why some become frustrated with these trends.

I'm not a huge session IPA guy, but I enjoy a few. Even Keel was one of them, and truly a sessionable offering at 3.8%.

I haven't seen it in months, ever since Mango Even Keel came out. I also liked Longfin Lager, but if I did see it, it was far too old. I don't need Watermelon Dorado, Grapefruit Sculpin, Pineapple Sculpin, AND Mango Even Keel crowding the shelves.

I'd be fine with just Grapefruit Sculpin (I like regular Sculpin better, but I found Grapefruit Sculpin the least offensive of their fruit IPAs) Even Keel, Longfin Lager...etc. on my local beer shelves.

 

First off I'm no expert with fruited IPAs, but for those who don't like it could it be not the fruit you don't like, but just a mediocre IPA? Poorly executed and unloved could be the Brewers fault not the fruit. Just a thought.

 

I can't speak for anyone else, but I don't believe that is the case with me. If anything I feel fruit additions would make a mediocre IPA BETTER, because I may pick up less of the base beer. Not a perfect analogy, but kind of like how a lime improves Corona.

Also, I like regular Even Keel, Mango Even Keel tasted like fruity pebbles. I didn't mind Grapefruit Sculpin, thought it was tasty enough, but I prefer regular Sculpin. I will not be purchasing Pineapple Sculpin again. Again, wasn't as good as regular Sculpin, and to be honest most of the pineapple was in the nose. Not much of the pineapple translated to the actual taste of the beer if I recall, and overall it wasn't nearly as good as regular Sculpin.

Just one man's opinion...

 

Liked Grapefruit Sculpin, Pineapple didn't do much for me, not a real fan of Sculpin. Like any beer it needs to well done and artificial watermelon is just that, it would just be terrible. Adding fruit isn't a reason to cover a bad or a sloppily made beer. But a skilled Brewer could accentuate, just like cooking, same ingredients different results with different cook. Brewers IMO would be the same.

 

I'm over it. Give me a non-fruited any day.

 

Dale, I agree with that 100%.

Grapefruit Sculpin is the 'winner' for me. I wish that other breweries could match Ballast Point in this regard.

I enjoyed drinking Sam Adams Grapefruit Rebel IPA. This beer was not 'comparable' to Grapefruit Sculpin but I enjoyed drinking it and I had a lot more money left in my wallet after purchasing this 6-pack vs. a Ballast Point beer purchase.

Read all about it:https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/new-beer-sunday-week-585.414721/#post-4751122

Cheers!