Chicagoland NE IPAs (2018)

I've generally sat on the sidelines of the NE Vs. Chicago NEIPA talk, but feel like I'm in a place to jump in on this now as I've had several of the big beers from Alchemist, Treehouse, Trillium, and Bissell Bros over the last 2 months. It's good to have friends and regular trade partners who travel. TLDR - I'm not going out of my way to trade for these beers. The stuff I'm getting when I go to Chicago to visit family and friends are on par, or in some cases better. Not to mention cheaper and substantially easier to get.

Longer version - in the last 2 months I've had fresh (sometimes only days old) Heady Topper, Focal Banger, Congress Street, DDH Melcher, Scaled Up, Julius, Sap, Lights On, and Bright (simcoe & amarillo). Toss in The Substance and Nothing Gold from Bissell and it's been a pretty damn good fall. I'll add that I'm ready for stout season in a big way. These beers were all very good. The standouts for me and help me understand why people freak over this stuff were Julius and Lights On from Treehouse, DDH Melcher and Scaled Up from Trillium, and Nothing Gold from Bissell. In particular, Julius and Nothing Gold were pretty damn incredible. Lights On was a surprise for many in our group as we hadn't heard much about it. Fantastic. Congress St was very meh. If we're talking about the beginning, middle, and end experience - it had an incredible nose, but was very bland in the middle and end. I might even venture to say disappointing. Not bad beer, just hyped IMO.

Chicago stuff - I've had many things on tap, fresh cans, bottles, and crowlers over the last yearish from Forbidden Root (Snoochie, Radio Swan, Stay Lit, Death by Snu Snu, Snooze Juice) Corridor (OG Squeeze It and Bendy Straw) Hubbard's Cave (I don't remember which versions), Hop Butcher (Skrap Metal and Galaxy Bowl, Noon Whistle (various gummy) Mikerphone (Slim Hazy and some other forgettable ones), Hailstorm cloud stuff, etc, etc. IMO if Forbidden and Corridor keep pumping things out like they are (i.e. see recent Forbidden Root thread for mildly concerning development), I don't see any reason to go through the effort to acquire and pay for the true (geographically) NE IPAs. I'll just leave it at that.

Also, I'm going to plug Triptych here. I know, I know - heard it from me before and you will again. I know they've dialed back the distro to Chicago for now, but their last 2 hazy IPAs have been real deal top notch. Fleeting w/ Amarillo and Batch 400: No Ragrets IIPA with galaxy and citra. Just stellar. Looks like they've released another new one today - A Wizard Is Never Late (citra and apollo) If you're headed downstate via 57 they are a must stop. When I can get this stuff in my backyard, why would I bother seeking the "whales"?

 

I'm not going to argue with your post. I obviously disagree, but different strokes for different folks.

I just find it funny how this thought process is much more acceptable in this thread than the idea that very few of the beers here compare to those of the big boys (and some do hold their own, that's for sure). I've had plenty of Triptych and even visited the brewery a month ago. But they're miles behind Trill, Tree, Monkish, Veil, Bissell, Tired Hands, Tilted Barn, etc. The Chicago/Illinois homerism is what it is, I guess.

Everything about this is an opinion, but man, people sure love to defend the local stuff.

 

Hey, that's cool. That's the nature of opinions. I guess my point at the end there wasn't that Triptych is better than any of the big NE breweries, because I don't think that. However, some of the beers they are making, especially some of the last few (strictly talking hazy IPAs 'cause they make lots of other good stuff too), are really damn good. And I can drive 10 minutes, grab a variety of fresh cans with no line. My time is way more valuable to me at this point in my life. So it's a no-brainer for me. And regarding homerism, there are several other breweries in this town (and Chicago) that make mediocre to below average beer as a whole. I could give 2 shits about them. So there's that. This is also true on my regular trips to Chicago. The good beers being pumped out up there that I can generally acquire with a random stop at a bottle shop or tap room save me an immense amount of time, stress, and money over trading for big beers that IMO are a marginally better beer "experience," and sometimes an equal experience or not better at all in the case of some of the things I tried.

 

As someone who grew up down there and now lives in the Chicago suburbs, what other breweries are down there? I'm only familiar with Blind Pig, Triptych, Destihl, and JT Walkers in Mahomet (which last I was in there, was very average and had Chicago prices). I know there's one opening up in Monticello, Monarch maybe? Oh, and Riggs or something like that, which I have heard is focusing more on German style beers? Don't know, I'm only down in C-U every month or two for family stuff.

Edit - unrelated but every time I see your posts about stuff getting delivered I cross my fingers that it won't fly off the shelves like it does up here. I remember 3 or 4 years ago I went to Friar Tucks in January and they still had a few cases of Bourbon County and I got a 4pack with no trouble. Now you have to be on their list, at least you did last year.

 

We have reverse lives - grew up in the burbs, now live down here and have for a long time now. You pretty much hit all the other breweries. I do like Riggs. Decent beer, nice folks, great location - especially if you have a family. They have a stellar outdoor space. An over served dad could probably do summersaults if he was so inclined and no one would be the wiser (see, not off-topic ). Destihl doesn't do much for me outside of Dosvidanya (different thread entirely). Pig and Monarch have phenomenal tap lists on any given day, but I'm ambivalent to their own beers. Another place to note - White Oak in Normal and (hopefully) Lil Beaver will be opening soon in BloNo. I'll message you about the other part as to not completely derail here...

 

If i grew up in Boston but I live in Chicago, does that make me a homer for both places?

All kidding aside, i like what i like. I happen to think Pliny is overrated, but i don't think it's because i don't live in Santa Rosa.

I try to be fair in my assessments and I am super excited i can get all the great beer here in Chicago, or get great stuff from my sister in LA (Brouwerij West Dig My Earth is my latest fave from her), or the great stuff my brother gets in Massachusetts.

 

Looks like Pollyanna is giving Hazy IPAs another try:

"Stacks on deck, haze on high,
And we can pop growlers all night.
And, nerdz, you could have the hops that you like (if you like),
I said you could have the hops that you like, yeah." Our brand new, super fresh, just kegged today NE-style IPA, "Stacks on Deck," is on draft and available to-go in howlers and growlers. Get it while you can, haze nerdz. This won't be around long.

 

Todd the Axeman.

 

When fresh yeah. What's happened to that beer in terms of freshness is a crime on the level of Pseudo Sue

 

I haven't had a chance to crack one open, but Hailstorm's Cumulus just hit my local store with a canning date of 11/02.

 

Last batch of Cumulus was great, even ventured out and tried Stratus and it didn't disappoint! Both good beers!

 

hey the new Marz Splash batch in cans is way better than the previously bottled version. Seems thicker, stickier lacing, way better aroma and taste. I wonder if they changed up these recipes for the can versions? I bought a four pack of Midway ChiPA to see if those are different from the bottled version also, as now I'm curious. But I'd say if the recipe is changed, this is definitely an improvement, if no recipe change has gone on then the cans are just way better for this style of beer.

 

Triptych defiantly gets my vote , they have really dialed in their "Haze ways" within the last 3 months. On par with most NE households (Treehouse, Trillium, Other half),and its starting to become a scavenger hunt here in central IL for their NE style hop offerings. If you can track down any of the batch 400 or Neo enjoy!

 

I agree the last batch of Neo was top notch to me

 

I lived by Other Half in Brooklyn for the last few years and recently moved to Chicago (Lincoln Park). I was originally pretty disappointed in the offerings compared to nyc but Corridor/Forbidden Root have gotten to a point to where I think they are very close to what I was getting regularly in NYC. I really enjoyed what I have drank from Mikerphone as well.

I just wish the bar scene in Chicago carried more Corridor/FR beers/any NEIPAs. That is probably what I am currently most disappointed in. I could get OH, Hill Farmstead, Grimm etc all across NYC but can't get a damn thing at a bar here in chicago.

 

I've felt the same in that they are really honing in on these beers the last several months. Some of the one offs they're doing have been damn fine beers. I'm excited for the Fleeting series which is going to be a different single hop showcase with each run. If it's sold out at the taproom (my preferred place to get it direct), you can usually still find it at Tucks or Binny's. Although Binny's has it in the fridge still, they are now warm stacking a shit ton. Tucks just stacks it in the walk in cooler.

Interesting. I've skipped the last few batches of it because they've had so many other offerings not to mention stout season has begun and is at that precipice of being a quaint hobby that teeters into financial silliness over the coming months. I'm probably going to have to hold off until another batch looking at the initial ratings for A Wizard Is Never Late. I'm also a LOTR nerd. So that's a thing too.

 

That’s a really good point. Here, rarely get huge tap takeovers for the style like at Blind Tiger or Fool’s Gold. Hopefully, that will start happening in 2018. It’ll take having a brewery the size of Other Half or a distro only place like Grimm. We’re a bit in between this two things here as there has been a huge growth in taprooms developing for small places