Chicagoland NE IPAs (2018)

It's getting harder to pay 40% more for these beers when NvU is only $12.

 

Well put, especially when I just bought a bunch of the new Hop Butcher and Hubbard’s Cave cans that price out at $4-$5 per can.

 

Yeah last night I made the decision to sit out a few weeks of these $16/$17 a 4 pack releases. I've really been enjoying this most recent batch of Maplewood's Son of Juice for $11-$12 a 4 pack and some pretty fresh Pseudo Sue which I love crushing the hell out of at $7.99 a 4 pack right now (w/Binny's card).

 

Not me. I'm still a slave to the heeeeyyyyyyyyyzzzzzzeeeee

 

I hope we are getting closer to having price wars on NEIPAs. These things are getting to the point of everyone making quality ones and accessible ones that price sensitivity is going to start driving my purchasing decisions soon.

 

But I remember people freaking out on me when I questioned Transient 4 packs that cost $24!

 

Which beer was $24? I've seen a few at $20 like Mind to Devour and JIL.

 

Sometimes $11 if you hit Binny's at the right time.

 

The initial drop of JIL, I'm pretty sure I paid $24 after tax

 

Yikes!

 

That’s on the retailer. Beer Cellar was less than Transient’s taproom (granted without the aluminum tax)

 

pretty sure it’s always been 20 out the door at Transient. Ive seen 18.99 + tax at the cellar

 

Capones got a shipment of Hop Nawi from Energy City today. Would imagine other locals would to. Worth trying.

 

Couldn’t agree more. It’s still the best IPA in the city as far as I’m concerned.

And honestly Little Sumpin’ Easy has been a game changer in my house.

 

Had a tall can of 12of Never at the course last week.

Lagunitas ain’t messing around with these hoppy pales

 

The price point for Lagunitas is certainly good but I can't bring myself to support the company.

 

How are you gonna say to skip Forbidden Root but recommend the infinitely worse Ballast Point in the same paragraph? FR is almost inarguably better than Hailstorm by miles, and in my opinion better than Hubbard and Hop Butcher. I am in agreement that Noon Whistle is an easy skip, though. By way of a contrasting opinion, I think Forbidden Root is the best in the city, a few strides ahead of Corridor. There are lots on both sides of that fence, but almost everyone would consider them vying alone for leader and runner-up.

@DBA4Life You're doing it right by going to Corridor and Forbidden Root. Don't sleep on DryHop (related to Corridor and sort of nearby). Of the three, I recommend eating at Forbidden Root as well. The food is stellar (I may prefer their burger to the much-ballyhooed Au Cheval *gasp*). For takehomes, look for Saint Errant, Marz, Mikerphone, Hubbard, Transient, and Hop Butcher (yes, even though I said Forbidden Root is better than two of those). I also recommend the black cans of NEIPAs from Central State (specifically the black ones because the white cans use farmhouse yeast); they're more in the Alchemist old-school of proto-NEIPAs with some noticeable bitterness, but they're excellent nonetheless, in my opinion. To acquire these things, go to Bottles and Cans for a store-wide mix-a-six. Anything you can't get there, get at a Binny's or Beer Temple. Go to Beer Temple regardless for drafts as it's probably the best bar in the city at this point for me.

 

Thanks for your feedback. Since OP stated that TCB is a preferred brewery (and I agree), I was simply offering my thoughts, contrary to the FR fanboy echo chamber that this site has become, that FR does not really make any beers in that style.

Also note that I merely stated Ballast Point was in the vicinity, while withholding any positive or negative opinion. You may want to give this article a read: Vast majority of Americans struggle to recognize fact vs opinion

Have a great day

 

...but you just stated that FR does not make any NEIPAs, which is patently false. Whether you think they're good or not does not change the very obvious fact that they do brew them.

The way in which you mentioned BP made it seem as though it was an alternative, and given your negative opinion of FR, a preferred alternative, and I don't think that is a huge logical leap to make. I can understand what an opinion is as opposed to a fact, though, but thanks very much for the good article anyway.

 

Agree with everything said here