Awkward ABV spot

Your awkward spot is my sweet spot. Different strokes. I also don't like paying top dollar for low alcohol IPAs.

 

I don't mind paying more for flavor, finesse, sophistication, in short more of something to justify the cost. If your beer is just an ordinary Pale Ale/IPA then up the ABV or I ain't paying the tab.

 

This is the correct answer.

 

Yah, this beer drinks way too easy. I always thought the same about head hunter as well at 7.5% but this one definitely one ups it.

 

That just isn't accurate. Haze, Doppelganger and Very Green are all 8% +. The only one I've ever had that wasn't 8% was one of the Bright series beers, but even that was like 7.9% or something.

 

I'm in the bang for the buck camp - if I'm looking for a sixer for wife & I too split. Many great beers available now at similar pricing($10 range here). Many in the 7-8% range.

 

I consider 7-8% to be right in my wheelhouse. 8 and up, especially 9, I usually start paying more attention to how many if I have any kind of plans.

Most Ohio ipas fall in that category. Do you not drink Head Hunter? It splits the uprights at 7.5. Or White Rajah and Mystic Mama? They are right around 7. CBC IPA may be a little under 7, but I think most JAFB versions are right there too.

I typically avoid anything under 6% because they are too thin and watery. There are a handful of good “session” ones (including Fat Heads Sunshine Daydream and Wolf’s Ridge Driftwood as far as Ohio goes), but Head Hunter is a session beer for me.

 

Am I the only one who doesn't equate a ABV to $$$ ratio as bang for my buck? Seriously, if the end goal is getting drunk by some fucking vodka.

 

A quote from me in high school probably

 

I've just recently discovered the wonders of not buying everything based on abv. My wife has a habit of convincing me to buy high abv ipas and not helping enough with drinking them, so there's still work to be done there (I know, terrible problem to have)

 

We have had this discussion before. Something like, “ Would you still drink your fav craft if it were n/a?”
I very much enjoy the research, hunt, and the discovery of a new found brew. I love the taste, feel, ritual of drinking beer.
But, as I have said before: I dig the buzz.
By the way, I don’t equate ABV to $$$. It just seems that way.

 

7-8% isn't an awkward range for IPAs, imo. That's pretty normal abv for IPAs. To each his/her own, though. I will confess I prefer lower abv beer these days. The lower the abv the better, I'm starting to think, as long as they still retain massive flavor.

But as long as we're discussing disliked abv ranges, I don't like many IPAs above 9%. Way too malty/sweet/boozy in most cases.

 

There's so much variation between individual beers, but I've found I'd rather have one interesting beer than a dozen okay ones in a sitting. Being a spirit drinker, it might be easier to adapt to high ABV styles, like quadrupels (a friend of mine noticed my impatience early on, saying drinking beer was more of a "slow burn").

Not that high ABV correlates with superior quality.

 

I have a brother in laws who a beer hog, when he used to come over for holidays I only had Rolling Rock available. He's allergic to corn and would swell up like a blowfish if he had corn in any form... So he started bringing his own beer, I've seem him drink like 40 beers (Bud) in one very long all day Thanksgiving session. He also got sick and very hungover too, it was beautiful.

 

There are a few beers that I like that are over 12% but I would prefer they weren't as high since I am not into craft for the drunk. In many cases of over 12% beers I suspect that brewers are jacking the ABV to justify the high price they're charging. I know that raising the ABV costs something, but 2-5x? Granted, my favorite beers are BBA and RBA stouts which cost more, but brewers such as Central Waters and Boulevard are able to produce reasonably priced and excellent BA beers that are 10% and under.

 

5-6% seems to be the sweet spot for me if I had to choose. It's been interesting going from low to high now back down to lower, you can really start to taste and hone in on the differences in body.

 

Same for me. I started with nukie brown, made my way to BCBS and the like. Now I'm finding I like my stouts in the 8-10%ish range and my porters around 7-10%. Nice flavor and body without being so damn heavy.

 

A thought on an awkward Abv spot, I'd say Dipas that are hitting 10%. It's tough to balance things at that point where you can hide the boozy and not make it a tad heavy on the sweet. Sweetish and boozy Dipas IMO are simply avoided, I hate malty brews in this style. Neshaminy Creek SOH is at 9.5 and it pulls that off beautifully.