Chicagoland NE IPAs (2018)

Anyone try the triple from Une Annee?

On another note, I miss the old days of only having to check this thread for haze news. It was nice to have it all it one place.

 

If you don't follow, I'm sorry to hear that. I'll break my thoughts down a bit further so that you can understand.

My point is: there could be many reasons why some breweries' offerings like Monkish or Tree House sell out and why they are wildly successful. Your opinion that it's because it's strictly because of hype and lack of competition because they are not in a 'mature market', like Chicago, could very well be incorrect and is an opinion that I disagree with.

My opinion and why I disagree with you, is that Monkish (being in greater LA area) and other successful and highly sought after breweries in New York, Boston, Portalnd(Maine), examples I used in my previous post, are all in mature markets because of number of breweries they have in their metropolitan area, and yet they still have offerings of NE Style IPAs which consistently sell out at a very fast rate despite the competition. To me, they simply make very good beer that a large number of people want, as indicated by the sheer number of ISO threads asking for offerings from those breweries. Does hype play a part in why they sell out? Yeah, it always does. That's not breaking news. But to say that if Monkish was dropped into Chicago that they all of a sudden wouldn't sell out because of Chicago's mature market competition, I flat out disagree with.

As for Tree House being an hour away from Boston.... I guess. Barely any different than if someone from Chicago drove to some of the breweries in the Chicago suburbs (Hailstorm, More, etc... depending on where you lived). You could put Tree House into any 'mature market' city, and I would bet they sell out fast. If you put them in the Chicago, they would probably sell out even faster than they do now.

 

One can always dream...

 

My opinion is kind of between @HouseofWortship and @eifster82
I definitely believe Treehouse would prosper anywhere and that they are not 100% hype because their beer quality has matched expectations to most. However, I also feel that if Treehouse were to put out a beer such as Son of Juice (I use this because most BA's have said it is solid, but it is no Treehouse not even close) it would get more hype than Son of Juice itself because their name is Treehouse.

 

Here's the thing....

YOU guys make the TH, Trill, Monkish, etc. breweries. Well, you and the people that will pay/trade you to buy the beer for them.

Step 1 - the brewery has to make good/great unique (in quality or concept) beer.
Step 2 - consumers line up for a chance at a limited supply (builds hype, which builds demand, rinse/repeat)

The issue with Chicago is that more than one brewery* came out with "good" NEIPAs in a relatively short time.

*RAM had a moment. But an untimely brewer departure and rapid adoption of the style tempered the demand.

To date, there is a limited amount of Chicago haze chasers. The lack of a clear "winner" further dilutes that attention. My guess is that when the haze chaser group grows and a brewer puts out a beer that trades well out of the region, you will get your "Treehouse".

 

FB tells me that Triptych is doing another release of Wake Up Neo on Friday. Not sure what and/or when that means for the Chi area, but something to be on the look out for...

 

Once more of the good ones coming out of Chicago see cans, they'll be an uptick in trade value, imo. An uptick in trade value will create more demand/lines.

 

I don't think any CHI brewery could possibly be Treehouse - the market is just different now that the style already exists, many are producing it and iterating on it, but they are not the original pioneers. Their beer could be much better than TH, it still wouldn't be the same brewery or have quite the same impact.

That said, I'd just be happy if I could reliably get some good NEIPA that is widely distributed and easy to get in the craft aisle in normal liquor stores outside of Chicago and a few of the closer burbs.

 

I have to disagree that Tree House wouldn't sell out in Chicago. I'd line up every damn time, and I don't think I'd be alone...

 

Yes and no. You hit the market maker on the head (Treehouse NEIPA is kind of like GI with BCBS or FFF with Zombie, something people go nuts for though in many cases there are now comparable offerings that are accessible). I think Treehouse would sell out in the short term here, but once everyone has tried their offerings they wouldn't move as fast. Too much competition. The convenience of drinking local. Why commute to get Treehouse if you could get something comparable closer (as many people on here are saying some of the offerings are as good).

The big thing between our market with Treehouse as a market maker with their NEIPA is that MA residents were raised with that as the how an NEIPA should taste. Anything different isn't as good. In Chicago we have so many nascent NEIPAs popping up that there isn't an agreeable right answer for "this is the best." When you didn't have any competition like Treehouse for the style you could become the benchmark. When you have as many consumer choices as the fledgling market in Chicago the consumer has more options to learn their NEIPA preference- one person may say it has to have more bitterness, one person may say it needs rye, or lactose, etc. We are trying to define our style of the NEIPA with way more options than MA had.

How long did HA's newest one last? I'm under the impression they haven't been moving new ipas as quick as of late, but I admit I could be wrong.

 

I guess my point is, I feel Tree House (and to a similar, slightly lesser degree, Monkish) make superior products to anything we get here.

Drinking local is one thing; drinking the absolute best IPA's in the world is another.

I don't expect everyone here to agree with me, of course, but I think enough people would that they would sell out pretty much every time.

 

I had a bottle last night and was not too impressed. No discernable hop profile and a not pleasant sweetness (and I am typically a fan of sweeter ipas).

 

My own viewpoint through a rather fond memory....story time......

Last August my girlfriend and I took a trip to the northeast. I recall almost a year ago today, my first (and only) time to Treehouse in Monson, MA. This was the first item on our agenda when we landed in Boston on a wednesday, which we all know is/was Treehouse canning day. Literally obtained the rental car, and headed west to Monson first thing. The caveat to this is my girlfriend and I never had a hazy beer prior, so to see a line of that magnitude at the time of our arrival was quite jarring. I recall specifically, I purchased 8 "haze" and 8 "doppelganger". We preceded to leave and about a mile or so down the road pulled off into an offshoot forest preserve parking lot. Popped the haze first, then doppelganger. I recall distinctly the aromatics that filled our nostrils, and simultaneously the entire rental car. Guava, papaya, etc. The taste was like nothing we had ever experienced, certainly not hailing from Chicagoland at the time. Such a soft mouthfeel, creamy/milkshake like almost. In the midst of this expereince, my girlfriend, (who by her own admission was previously an avid Coors drinker), turned to me and said "I understand the hype, this is like a tropical smoothie". I believe I muttered out, "yes, with 7% alcohol".

Later in our trip, Trillium released ther renown "Headroom". I recall venturing to their fort point location, purchasing a few cans, and sitting on some random bench near Fenway Park, enjoying what many believed to be Trilliums "best" offering. Two hours fresh mind you. As people, some of our fondest memories in life are ones that create nostalgia, that warp us back to a time/setting almost instantaneously. This to me, is why I hold Treehouse/Trillium in the pantheon that I do, and I would imagine the same may hold true for others. Up until my trip, I didnt have any offerings in the beer world that were on par, and yes, the specific beers were amazing, but combined with the "experience" is why I can reflect on it and almost immerse myself back to that time.

Fast forward a year later, and look at the scene now...the haze craze. Its quite amazing if you take a step back and see how this manifested itself over only a years time. My overall point is this....do I think some of these hazy beers in Chicagoland are on equal footing taste wise with what I experienced a year ago, and having had plenty of Treehouse/Trillium since? I would honestly say yes, specifically Corridor/Forbidden Root/Old Nation. However, as previously stated, I personally believe the nostalgia that Treehouse/Trillium created (at least in my experience) somewhat inflates the hype train. Having an amazing experience, along with enjoying a wonderful beer, sticks with you. As they always say, you never forget the first one.

 

I think FR and Corridor are on par or better than Trillium, though that could be ease of access speaking over taste at this point. But, the first time I had Bright and Green, it was a religious experience. I haven't had that recreated since. I hope someone in Chicago can do it.

Also, son of juice got Indiana distro through Whole Foods, so I grabbed a 4 pack. It's a GREAT hazy IPA, but I don't think it can be considered an NEIPA.

 

Know how I know it is a NEIPA? My GF loves it and she doesn't like hoppy beers.

 

Well, she likes at least one.