Chicagoland NE IPAs (2018)

I think I'll put them in tiers

Tier 1 - They've got it down
1. Forbidden Root 2. Corridor

Tier 2 - Once consistent, watch out
1.Hop Butcher 2. More 3. Mikerphone 4. Noon Whistle

Tier 3 - Not worth trading for, but good
1. Hailstorm 2. Maplewood 3. Marz

Tier 4 - needs work
Illuminated

Edit: Solemn Oath probably in tier 2 somewhere. Their first attempt was really close to being awesome

I also think Hop Butcher is quickly moving into tier one. Just hoping their transition to miskatonic doesn't hinder their recent progress

 

Sketchbook canned Insufficient Clearance today. $10/4pk They said it'll hit distro too.

It's a good little beer and clocks in at 5% which is nice. Seems overcarbed, but maybe that's on purpose because of the canning? I wouldn't put it at the top of the list, but the value is solid.

 

I agree with that. Corridor is my current go-to and they seem to have hit the ground running since the original SqueezIt. They are also most consistent for me as well from beer to beer. Cosmic Juicebox was definitely my favorite thus far.

I want more Galaxy hopped beers from Corridor! Galaxy! Galaxy! Galaxy!

 

I actually think Noon Whistle is extremely consistent, that's what impresses me about them. Their highs aren't as high as Squeezit, but I've only had one beer out of the 8 or 9 gummies that I didn't like.

 

I agree with the tier concept. Forbidden Root and Corridor have established themselves at the top for me as well. I'd cautiously put More into the top tier since Shaun had no issues with consistency at RAM and have very little doubt that he'll get back to that level soon.

I haven't had a beer I enjoyed by Hop Butcher since the first Galaxy Bowl. Mikerphone and Noon Whistle would fall into Tier 2 and that's where my purchasing line is drawn. I don't really purchase anything else below that. I find it on draft or taste it at a share.

I don't drink all that often and have access to east coast hops fairly easily so honestly, it's not even so much about those breweries/beers - it's just that I have limited fridge space and limited drinking time so I have to choose wisely.

 

What? Miskatonic as in the brewery in darien?

 

I traded for a can of skrap metal because of the reviews and it was good. I stopped purchasing hop butcher the past 4 months because of their inconsistency. Will be curious to see if their next offering is solid or a miss

 

I enjoyed Unwind Your Mind a lot as well

 

What do you mean by transition to miskatonic? Sorry im out of the loop

 

my apologies before, was just a bit confused on your wording. I mostly agree with your rankings, but would put More in tier 1, and drop noon whistle to Tier 3.

i haven't had enough hop butcher to form a strong opinion, but i found skrap metal to be too bitter on the back end. perhaps it's the hop profile? i've found that beers with el dorado or amarillo hops just don't do it for me.

haven't been able to try triptych, but they're another spot that's getting good buzz.

 

By the way, I'm not sure if it's merely a coincidence or something more, but with the last 2 Gummy cannings that I bought from Noon Whistle (Banter and Vortex), it turns out that the second cannings from the same run were superior to the first. This suggests that letting the beer mellow a bit before canning lets the beer hit its sweet spot.

 

Are we going to start re-doing the personal rankings every 10 pages or so?

I'm extremely pumped about getting a 4-pack of Snoochie last night. We showed up at FR at 6:50 on Tuesday, only to find out they sold out just about 10 minutes prior. Thankfully I got a good pour of it on tap while the keg line was having issues, and it's phenomenal - I hope the cans are just as good!

 

Im curious where transient falls on that list but ill decide for myself properly this weekend. I make the trip out there for sours as well.

 

I found this to be the case especially with Noon Whistle beers. I got Giggle Gummy on draft the day of the tapping, and although it had a very nice tropical aroma and initial taste, there was a very harsh/chakly/earthy end to it. Didn't particularly care for it. But I did end up getting a couple of crowlers of it anyway because I anticipated it 'mellowing' after a few days. I had one after 5 days and it was soooo much smoother and better. That harsh earthy taste completely disappeared.

 

They wouldn't make the list - as this thread is "Chicagoland NE IPAs (list)", and Transient isn't Chicagoland

 

yeah @beardown2489 you can't just drop a bomb like that and leave! we need details!

 

Sorry you missed the cans man. That's why it is good we send some to distro and there are two chances at getting some cans. Pretty confident you'll love the cans as much as the draft! Cheers!