Are New England IPAs overrated?

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by MerryTapster, Jan 7, 2017.

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  1. MerryTapster

    MerryTapster Initiate (0) Mar 6, 2010 Pennsylvania

    Am I the only person who thinks these beers are good, but not overwhelmingly spectacular? I mean a lot of them taste more like a mimosa than a beer. I just see these as more of a hype type thing and it really seems to be skewing beer rankings.
     
  2. PatrickCT

    PatrickCT Grand Pooh-Bah (3,776) Feb 18, 2015 Connecticut

    You are not the only person who feels this way.
     
    MrDave, Tdizzle, sulldaddy and 15 others like this.
  3. DrStiffington

    DrStiffington Grand Pooh-Bah (3,586) Oct 27, 2010 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Shitty ones are overrated. Delicious ones are rated just right, youknowwhatimsayin?
     
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  4. MerryTapster

    MerryTapster Initiate (0) Mar 6, 2010 Pennsylvania

    I just tried a few from Mass (big boys too, but don't like to call out breweries) and while they were good, the OG New England IPA's like Heady I feel are far more superior at least from a complexity stand point. As far as cloudy turbid goes I think trillium is the only brewery on point.
     
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  5. eldoctorador

    eldoctorador Pooh-Bah (2,096) Dec 12, 2014 Chile
    Pooh-Bah

    I haven't had many. Some people have described Born Yesterday as New England-like IPA. If they are that way I'm in.

    Having said that I've had (I believe) 3 NEIPAs, all made in California. The first one Modern Times Accumulated Knowledge was super delicious. Then I've had two at Monkish brewery, and they were pretty bad, awesome nose, but very very insipid. So, I'm on the fence.

    Anyways I'm gonna try to find some more...
     
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  6. dennis3951

    dennis3951 Initiate (0) Mar 6, 2008 New Jersey

    They aren't overrated if you love them. I have enjoyed the ones that I've drank but can't see them becoming one of my favorite styles.
     
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  7. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,181) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    "I mean a lot of them taste more like a mimosa than a beer." I suspect that the two qualities of:
    • A nice velvety soft mouthfeel
    • A "juicy" quality
    are not qualities that you highly value in a beer?

    I am not a big fan of the turbid/murky/opaque appearance of the so called 'NE' style IPA but the other qualities I mentioned above are highly appreciated by me.

    So, my answer to the question is "No".

    Cheers!
     
  8. YamBag

    YamBag Initiate (0) Feb 2, 2007 Pennsylvania

    I agree 100% I've had NE IPAs from NE that are great, but have been extremely underwhelmed by local offerings. Just because a beer is cloudy doesn't make it good.
     
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  9. skleice

    skleice Maven (1,271) Aug 6, 2015 Connecticut

    It's all preference. I love NE IPA's (and not just cuz I live here). Everything else tastes grassy, syrupy and thin to me. Not to mention, that they're all fresh for me. I still like a good old school IPA from time to time, but I'm on the NE train for life.
     
  10. i_run_far

    i_run_far Initiate (0) Aug 11, 2016 District of Columbia
    Deactivated

    One could say the same for bourbon barrel aged beers, some of them just taste overwhelmingly like booze, not beer. It's really just personal preference, who cares about rankings, it's just a list of what is currently popular among those who take the time to rate/review beers. I'm just glad there are so many different styles of beer available and that there are innovative breweries out there.
     
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  11. tasterschoice62

    tasterschoice62 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,553) May 14, 2014 Rhode Island
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    To me it has less to with the appearance and more to do with the quality and if it's well made. I like the West Coast clean and crisp IPAS and also a well balanced "traditional" style with a nice malt base also. As long is there is all this to choose from I'm fine. So no.[​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG]
     
  12. TongoRad

    TongoRad Grand Pooh-Bah (3,848) Jun 3, 2004 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    I never get that mouthfeel; they are always brittle and chalky to me. Disjointed and disappointing as well. And I can get juicy in plenty of other beers. Personally, if I never have another one of these types of IPA it'll be too soon.
     
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  13. tasterschoice62

    tasterschoice62 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,553) May 14, 2014 Rhode Island
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    And then this opens a whole can of worms as discussed many times: what is considered a New England IPA. Is it just the look, feel and juicyness. Is MBC Lunch considered a NEIPA? How about Lawson's Sip of Sunshine. Both brewed in NE but without those characteristics.
     
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  14. Feel_the_Darkness

    Feel_the_Darkness Initiate (0) Oct 17, 2012 Virginia

    I don't t know, I quite like mimosas. Maybe I oughta try harder to obtain a couple of these.
     
  15. chipawayboy

    chipawayboy Pooh-Bah (1,977) Oct 26, 2007 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    The ester compounds that contribute the bulk of the unique flavor to the most "hyped" NE IPAs can be somewhat of an acquired taste IMO....especially for brewers like Trillium that are really pushing the degree of juiciness/turbidity to absurd levels. The whole experience is just so different from the traditional English IPA norm -- or the other more recent popularized variations starting w/Vinnie C and PtE/PtY -- the root of a large % of the other IPAs on the market. If it doesn't appeal to you -- your conclusion that hype is involved is certainly logical. Most of the big boys that fanned the flames on the hype are still doing it right IMO and their growth/off the charts sales for a few years running says it's here to stay. TH doing about $10M a year in direct sales from their little brewery in the middle of rural central MA w/13 employees -- think about those numbers -- bananas!!! Had this one Thurs night -- and it was spectacular....:slight_smile:
    [​IMG]
     
  16. Soneast

    Soneast Pooh-Bah (1,635) May 9, 2008 Wisconsin
    Pooh-Bah

    I'm in the same boat as a lot of you. I think some brewers focus too much on the appearance of the beer trying to make them look like a milkshake. The best brewers of this style realize it's more about the aroma, flavor, and mouthfeel. The appearance is just a by-product of the specific hops and specific yeast strain used. Honestly the appearance is a bit of a turn off for me, but I can look past that to enjoy the unique flavors and velvety mouthfeel without the face pinching bitterness that has always been associated with IPAs in the past (which I also enjoy, mind you).
     
  17. chipawayboy

    chipawayboy Pooh-Bah (1,977) Oct 26, 2007 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    agree -- the ingredients and techniques being used at MBCO to brew Lunch are way more Vinnie C inspired than Shawn H/JCT inspired IMO. Still a great brew -- just not cloudy and orange juicy.
     
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  18. Wasatch

    Wasatch Grand Pooh-Bah (5,406) Jun 8, 2005 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    I had a Double Galaxy DIPA from Hill Farmstead a few years back, awesome brew.

    Cheers!
     
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  19. Lazhal

    Lazhal Pooh-Bah (1,866) Mar 13, 2011 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Couple things to point out to anyone that had a less than favorable experience with their first or first few NE IPAs
    • Verify the beer was within one month old when you drank it
    • Don't judge the style until you've had a reasonable sample size, and at least one beer from a top brewery known for the style (Treehouse, Trillium, etc)
    There are plenty of sub-par NE IPAs these days along with the greats. If you've given it a fair shot, then go ahead and bash. We don't all like the same things, and that is a good thing.
     
  20. colts9016

    colts9016 Pooh-Bah (2,997) Jul 2, 2007 Idaho
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    I feel that east and west coast IPA's are completely different yet they are the same style. I remember a few years back about hopslam being debated and compared to other IPAs. That said both west or east coast have there ups and downs, some are good some are bad.
     
    Sheppard likes this.
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