Past and present perspective on NEIPAs?

Like a lot of others here, it was quite eye opening when I first encountered the style, but the endless flood of 'new' versions has definitely worn on me and I pretty much now only take a chance on a few brewers I trust if I have a hankering. The ones that strike the right balance for my palate are still really wonderful beer experiences

 

I am very fearful to drop any amount of money on one's with lactose additions.

 

"I'm not here to argue, but all y'alls opinions are trash because they don't match mine exactly" - EvenMoreJesus.... probably

 

Hell yeah. We can use the results of this poll to finally create the BA caste system. All of us who enjoy the style can be tossed into the darkness with only our baby palates to keep us warm, while the real beer drinkers ascend to their rightful place upon the Lager Throne. There, they will enjoy millennia discussing the history and etymology of British and German styles; only arguing about whether or not porters are stouts based on Victorian era shipping manifests.

So it is written.

 

I quit dropping $18+ a four pack on NEIPAs unless it's a brewery with which I am well acquainted. Luckily I have plenty of great local haze in the $12-16 range.

 

I hear that. If they added Lactose (e.g. milkshake IPAs), I am out. No sale.

 

As much as I don’t want to admit it, I love the NEIPA style. I’m on my 8th rendition of my homebrewed NEIPA and I always seem
To have one on tap. It blows my mind that you can create those flavors from hops alone, along with an amazing hop aroma. I remember checking out new IPA’s about 10-12 years ago...hell, I remember my first Ghandi Bot (I know, not an NEIPA) and relishing in the amazing citrus/pine aroma jumping out of the glass. Then heady topper came around and it seemed like they packed even more hops into a can. Then Treehouse, Trillium, BB, etc. Such amazing examples of what you can coax out of hops and still provide just enough bitterness. I still love old school west coast IPA’s but the NEIPA will always be in my rotation. The other thing that’s amazing, is how many people are open to NEIPA’s than WC IPA’s.

 

I think 'NE IPA' has become an uncontrollable monster and I can't help but feel a bit responsible for the problem. I raved about Vermont IPAs back in the early 2010s and really liked what Tree House and Trillium were doing back then. Now it's just a disaster that gets worse everyday. Breweries have jumped on the trend to produce a 'hazy' ipa, completely missing the entire point... Haze isnt the point, just a by product. I just really wish the fad would go away. I'm also tired of the trend of new breweries making 30 different adjunct filled garbage beers while totally ignoring how to brew a classic representation of traditional styles.

 

@islay ❤️❤️❤️ NEIPAs

 

I stopped by my regular on-the-way-home-from-work liquor store (a relatively small, family-owned business) and they had a brewer in sampling beers. As I was at the checkout, preparing to leave, a lady (50-ish???) was at the sample table and asked (and I quote), "Do you have anything hazy?"

Ugh!

 

Haven’t had one in a long time, have to say the better ones are outstanding, the others fairly mediocre. I think I prefer a well done beer like Headhunter, Alchemist beers, Lawson’s etc.

 

I steadfastly hold to my initial response that these beers shouldn't even be called IPAs.

 

I enjoyed them the first time I had and still enjoy well brewed ones now. With how popular they are and many are made now, I no longer wait in line for them. I feel they are less special now, but still very enjoyable to drink.

 

I didn't enjoy them a first, ended up developing a taste for them. However, still prefer a standard or west-coast over them. I respect the style, but not the craze.

 

Never cared for them. Like them even less today.

 

The misoneism is real.

Possibly the same type of people who would have been disgusted at the amount of hops in Ballatine and Liberty Ale. “Give me a real, English IPA. Enough of this pine sap garbage!”

 

This juicy, hazy, New England style thing is very confusing to me. I think an IPA should have at least moderate bitterness but some of these aren't bitter at all. Some taste like they belong in a little box with a straw. Many won't state IBU's in their description. I'd say about half of these should be referred as just New England ale; definitely not IPA.

 

I just read this in Jerry Seinfeld's voice.

As for me, I dove pretty deep down the rabbit hole initially. As time has gone by and I have had several lackluster examples of the style, I have decided to only try new ones from breweries I trust. Weldwerks, odd13 and TRVE are automatic buys along with a few national brands as well. I enjoy them when well made, but I can say that about any style really.

 

Actually, none of the above. I chose "Most NEIPAs don't appeal to me, but I enjoy exceptional examples on occasion", but it's not because the ones I like are necessarily exceptional (I'm guessing that many I dislike are actually exceptional for the style). I like a handful of hazies, but most are not appealing to me. The hazy NE style IPAs are all over the map with bitterness. I absolutely cannot understand the appeal of the low bitterness versions, which are sometimes interesting for the first few sips, then descend into the territory of an glass of fruit juice that sat out too long on the counter. I have truly enjoyed some of these that have a moderate to striking bitterness that enhances the fruit flavors, but they are not the majority.
The biggest problem for me is that unlike a typical WC style IPA, where if you like it, you probably can buy it again in the future, most of these locally are one-offs. For me, for whom 80%-90% are not to my taste, it is too big a gamble to buy one of the 10-20 brand new hazy cans available an any one time, with a clever name that will never be seen again. I rarely buy them now unless I've seen a promising review here, or just to try a new brewery that has few other options. This has been the biggest disappointment of the craft brewing world for me because I really like the ones I like, but will probably never see them again, and I'll most likely miss some I will enjoy because it's too big a mystery as to what's in the can.