New England IPA - Release Only When "Ready?"

Yes history is filled with those who regret that others have an equal right to enjoy great new things, and that it isn't the same great old things they enjoy. There's even a few words in English to describe the phenomenon and those who express it.

You can see it in action in the music world where classical music lovers regretted rock and roll and predicted it would be the end of classical. BTW classical is more popular now than ever. So, roll over Beethoven, and tell Tchaikovsky the news.

 

You there.
Get off my lawn!

 

Despite the irony (which I appreciate), you may be indirectly onto something here. I think the fact that you could name such an exhaustive list of complaints off the top of your head speaks to the overall inconsistency of the style across multiple breweries.

While the style may be "taking over the world", this inconsistency could lead to its downfall.

Sometimes people just want to drink a fucking beer. Ever had an inconsistent Bud Light?

This would be a great name for a brewery right now. The brewery name alone would cause daily sell outs.

 

Haha no it indicates the complaining nature of folks. I look at the beer complainers like some blues music complainers. Blues and IPA come in a lot of different flavors, but there are always those idiots who say if it isn't this or that, blues can't be played on electric guitar, blues didn't come from jazz jazz came from blues, that ain't blues, and gee wouldn't it be great if all the blues artists played like Robt. Johnson instead of that modern crap, and R&B that ain't the blues, and rock and roll damn sure ain't the blues, and on and on and on..

I'm with you let's drink our beer, my beer comes in two styles, ones I like, ones I don't, all the rest is just commentary.

 

Thank you Rabbi CaveHillel !

 

5 pages in, and so we can at least remove the McGuffin from the room, what was the beer?

 

Do you ever hear anyone making that many complaints about Bud Light? Or even Sierra Nevada Pale or Boston Lager for that matter? Aside from the fact that some people simply don't like them.

So you haven't come across any inconsistencies with this style among different brewers?

I've personally experienced both sides of the spectrum with this style. Beers that taste too "green" at first, and beers that literally fall apart ~4 weeks after canning.

And I don't think @TheGent was necessarily complaining, he was simply having a discussion and asking a question. A discussion worth having in my opinion in a world where even before the "haze craze", we had Stone brewing a beer that told you to "Enjoy By" a date six weeks after bottling.

 

I think you could say that Bud Light and Boston Lager are not styles but brands.

And yes they have valuable consistency but since you asked I have two friends, one drinks nothing but Budweiser, one nothing but Michelob, and they have for many many years, and though it isn't Bud Light, they both have found batches that were not consistent.

I think trying to be consistent with IPA is a tough goal, highly dependent on hops that can be different not only year to year, and grower to grower, but from different parts of the same grower's harvest. That said, I am going to include a list of styles below that I have never tasted a brewer do inconsistently.

 

“Beertuber” jow’s arcade has a glass that pokes fun at this. I see people commenting “it’s too green” all the time on Untappd and instagram. The phenomenon seems unique to NEIPA.

 

This is a great topic. In any manufacturing process, consistent repetition is the true mark to perfect the process. I do think the big brewers (who we like to bash on here) have a more scientific approach and use ISO or similar manufacturing processes to ensure consistent product. Even when a Sierra Nevada opens up a new facility, they try to replicate the water and spend a lot to make sure a torpedo in Chico, CA tastes the same as one in Ft Lauderdale, FL. They have the resources to do this work.

The issue with craft brewers is that each week, they are producing different products and also collaborating with different brewers so you don't have consistent processes. In addition, the economics of using their space, facility, personnel, and tanks is tightly scheduled. Its a huge loss if they decide to drain pour an entire batch. Some have done that and I'm sure it has a major financial impact. Also the ingredients like lactose, and some of the additional sources of flavor(fruit, coffee, vanilla beans, peppers, etc) has an impact on readiness to drink and shelf life for that matter. I just don't think they have repeatable processes to really predict the exact moment it should be canned, best drinkability, and shelf life at high quality. And as far as the consumer goes, these variables are personal opinion.

I have purchased many beers that are so astringent that its a complete turnoff, after having it a few months prior and put on my great beers list. Altho I am upset, I have held them for a few months and they become drinkable. Unless a brewer is producing the same product at regular intervals, I think this will continue to happen. There are very few that can absorb the expense of using their entire facility for 3-4 weeks and not can as planned. I guess those that consistently get it wrong will be out of business with so many great breweries popping up each month.