Chicagoland NE IPAs (2018)

I think Edbeerd has had a few too many Tree Houses already today!!!

 

What's a Doubleganger? Sounds dirty

 

Not sure if that was a troll attempt, but I had full, fresh cans of all 7 Tree House and Trillium offerings I mentioned a few posts ago.

Personally, Juicy was way better than Green, Vicinity, Galaxy DH Fort Point, and Doppelganger. I guess that makes me a clown...

 

I don't think anyone's a clown, it's just a difference of opinion. But it's such a big difference that it still kind of shocks me when I hear some of the people on here talk about NEIPAs. I didn't even think Juicy was the best beer Shaun made, much less lapping Treehouse and Trillium.

 

I'm not trying to troll, but am being overly aggressive and certainly wont claim i'm always right.
Its the constant homeristic comments on how Chicago NEIPAs are better than Tree House that get frustrating to hear. It's just not been my experience.
I'll put the clown outfit on myself when you can help me pinpoint the better Chicago Neipa than Tree House Doubleganger, Very Hazy, or Juice Machine?

 

True story: I've never had a TH beer. Who can help me with that? I'll pay/trade.

 

We're just giving you shit because that's such a subjective statement. In my opinion, Juicy blows Doppelganger out of the water - and statements like that differ from person to person. It's perfectly fine if you think Doppelganger is better than anything from around here, it's just a little silly to call people clowns if they don't feel the same way...

 

I feel like the guys brewing good NEIPA's should just have a password or special handshake. They'd send some over to another hazebro.

 

I don't see rampant homerism in here.

^Speaking of Homerism.... Sounds like you have a preference for DOUBLE NEIPAS. So for those of us that prefer something with a bit more subtlety than an 8%+ bomb we couldn't say that we prefer a local NEIPA to it? I guess that makes me a fraud and we look forward to reading your sequel to The Illiad.

 

He's saying Doubleganger, not Doppelganger. 2 different beers (and Doubleganger is incredible, while Doppelganger is average).

 

No pay or trade, ask Treehouse to send you some for the blind tasting and in exchange you can let them know where they finished.

 

Ehhh...I don't know how I feel about that. I'm sure they don't give a fuck about me and unless it was for major publication I doubt they would even respond.

 

I should be getting some within a month. I'll send you a message when I do.

 

So, I missed a few posts, but I'll summarize for anyone else that doesn't feel like reading everything (and there seem to be a lot of you!):

1. Everybody's a clown
2. @BJP hasn't had a Treehouse beer, yet makes one that I like better (apparently that makes me a clown). Someone get the dude some.

 

Fair enough. I'll say then if my favorites from the area beat out even average offerings from Tree House, it's a sign that that they're close to being on the same level.

 

http://thehopreview.com/blog/new-england-in-chicago

Just out of curiosity, what NE IPA at GABF made you a believer?

 

Respectfully, I disagree, but that's because I really don't care much for Tree House. I've preferred every Forbidden Root NEIPA to any TH beer I've had (including Juice Machine, King Julius, Very Green, etc.). My opinions on Tree House are well-known, so I don't want to get into a thing about it, but I am just stating that there are those of us who do prefer some stuff made here to so-called "bests" like Tree House.

That said, I don't think Forbidden Root (Chicago's best in my opinion) is quite as good as Trillium's best (NE's best to me, besides Hill Farmstead), so we are in vague agreement. They are closing the gap for sure though.

And I'm no homer. I'm from Wisconsin originally, and I'm a known Half Acre, Revolution, Three Floyds hater (not really, but I definitely don't think they're all "OMG so amazing"), and I used to be quite critical of Forbidden Root.

Alchemist isn't really NE style, more of a progenitor really, but they stand out as distinct from what we now know as the style. I love them, I just don't think that they quite qualify given how bitter and somewhat West Coast they can be. Sorry, just a nitpick.

 

Weldwerks Juicy Bits

Roger and I were posted up at the bar at Freshcraft. It was there we set a goal to make a beer better than that.

We failed, a lot, but our shit keeps getting better every batch. It's not dumb luck at this point. Now it's time to pick the profile and dial it all in.