Chicagoland NE IPAs (2018)

I've always thought the JIL love was a tad much, but I think that's more to my tastebuds, and thinking DIPA of this style can get cloyingly sweet.i think the FR and prosper stuff surpass it.

However, I'll ride for Flightless being the best beer of the style to not come from the breweries that all aspire to.

 

Flightless is killer, best IPA Transient makes.

 

I agree with this. I think their beers are very enjoyable, but not quite yet mind blowing. I look forward to their hazy progression as well. Haha!

Also the food there is really good!

 

Anyone get a chance to try Illuminated Fruit Slave yet?

 

They've been kind and given me a chance to do some brewing with them this summer. Had a good bit of it while pouring at the Great Taste and I've been digging it. Tropical fruit and citrus, soft but not thick, enough bitterness to keep a balance with the sweetness.

 

Yep, had a bottle with my family on Saturday. Fruity & not bitter, which I like, but the mouthfeel wasn't as "pillow-y" as I like and the finish was a bit off, although this may have been by design...it was a little like gum that had lost it's flavor!

 

a little late to the party but I have to admit, I am really enjoying Shploing. As others have stated it has a heavy mango presence but I definitely get a biscuit quality and the sweetness is on-point. I was hesitant to pick up a 4-pack but I am glad I did, its interesting.

Hubbards Cave IIIPA however was a disappointment. It wasn't awful, but I wouldn't buy another. Too syrupy, I enjoyed the dank characteristics but it was hard to put down.

Going to do my best to get a few crowlers of Highway to Haze. We have been really spoiled in Chicago lately with the offerings Corridor and FR have been putting out lately.

 

Will be heading to Corridor this evening with the girlfriend to try out this Highway to Haze. Looking forward to it based on early reviews.

 

I suppose I was an early adopter of midwest NE IPAs and had had a good bit of stuff that was much better (Narrow Gauge, Galaxy Bowl, some of Mike's stuff)... JIL was just not on the same level as those.

 

That's funny. I actually thought the original JIL was better than all of the beers you mentioned.

 

I had the batch of JiL that hit Chicago last December and it was decent. Definitely not on the level of FR and Corridor's current offerings.

 

I really enjoyed the first Galaxy Bowl but I have a suspicion I'm overrating it in my head, given how they followed it up. I think I was a little too excited for a new NE-style offering.

Check 1, 2 is amazing. Cosmic Juicebox was the best Corridor I've had and Snoochie is probably my single favorite DIPA from the area right now.

 

Moral of the story, we all like different beers. Arguing what the best NE-style offering is in Chicago seems a little silly with the sheer amount that is being produced now.

 

Totally agree. That's why I said it was funny that I had JIL above the 3 that the guy preferred. So many offerings and so many difference preferences.

 

I guess that's where we differ. Aside from Narrow Gauge, I ranked that first JiL above everything I had had from Hop Butcher, The Ram or Mikerphone.

 

I agree there is some level of personal preference involved in judging Hazy IPAs. But nationally the most exciting tend to be either Tired Hands/Monkish style or Trillium/Other Half style with a bit more acidity and bite. I try to characterize my opinion into one of those two styles. Forbidden Root was squarely on point in the Tired Hands style soft creamy IPA for the Rye hazy IPA. I don't need it to be exactly one of these two styles though if a brewery makes still a delicious juicy beer that explodes with hop flavors.