New England Whales?

Sophisticated lager/Belgian/wild dudes sometimes look down on hardcore IPA guys in a way that is pretty funny when you think about it. The phrase (“narcissism of small differences”) refers to the idea that very similar communities — so similar that they might be indistinguishable to the world at large — tend to feud over those distinctions.

 

Sorry, let me see if I understand you correctly.

Are you simply saying that Tree House’s popularity is due to being the first to do it (well one of the first), and perhaps due to social media/marketing (not that they actively market themselves)?

Not particularly the beers themselves?

@mrmattosgood can correct me if I’m wrong, but I think he was saying people DO the same things at Portland breweries. It’s just that, despite the fact he doesn’t care for the style, those IPA factories are closer to him than Tree House. So you should just go to whichever one is closest to you. Not which one is rated higher, because there isn’t a difference between them. Not an appreciable one anyhow.

It’s a good point.

But I’ll just say this, and it’s purely anecdotal, and I’m sure there’s outliers.

Those with more brewing experience/more years exposure to craft beer in general tend to prefer more traditional styles. And those who are newer to the scene (< 10 years) tend to prefer New England IPAs. There’s probably a reason for this.

I really like New England IPAs. I LOVE a fucking Pilsner.

@mrmattosgood I’m heading to Portland tomorrow. First stop is Bissell for a beer and to pick up Here’s To Feeling Good All The Time. I also hope to see Sap Haus from Oxbow on tap.

Cheers everyone

 

I think it comes down to the simple fact that NEIPA is not beer to many. If you were asked to describe in words a beer 15 years ago none of the same descriptors would be used.

 

thanks for the clarification, and yes, you have a good point.

 

where do you think beer with glitter and lucky charms fits on the spectrum? You don't really have to answer that..... LOL .

 

There are, and I know you’ll agree, people who do the style better than others. It’s just that it’s less a style I want to drink, so that makes me okay with picking up an option at a store (when the very rare hankering entices me to do so).

I can’t get a brett pilsner or a Coolship Beer most places, so I go to Allagash. I can’t get a French Saison on red wine barrels, so I go to Oxbow. I’m also a super lightweight, so I’d much prefer a 5.2% house lager than a 7% anything.

 

This is definitely an interesting thought. If Treehouse had opened 5 years later and made the same beers, would they still be as highly regarded?
I honestly believe timing has a lot to do with the largest hyped breweries.
Shaun Hill mentioned in a GBH interview he wouldn’t have opened his brewery in 2016 because it wouldn’t have been as unique if everyone else was doing mixed ferm/IPA’s/stout’s.
Or would no one be making those if he hadn’t already made it popular to do so?

 

Necessary vs. sufficient causes. Great beers are necessary for Tree House level success, but they are nowhere near sufficient for that kind of success.

I would basically say it's one third the beer itself, one third being in the right place at the right time, and one third totally ephemeral, inscrutable, unaccountable, unpredictable social network effects.

 

W

I think you have “won” this thread. Joking of course. In all seriousness, your post is great. I think this explains TH’s success about as good as it can be explained.

 

Most who are experienced may not necessarily think it’s not beer, but simply that New England IPAs are one dimensional and become tiresome after one beer.

Agreed.

 

The "not beer" argument is really tiresome. If you asked people in 1975 to describe beer few of the descriptors used would fit the paint stripper IPAs of the 2000s. And if you asked people to describe a beer 15 years ago (or even today) few would use descriptors that cover spontaneously fermented, oak barrel aged, blackberry beers.

The only difference is that the cool kids like this one and the newbs like the other one.

 

I point this out all the time but if you zoom out on the timeline even a little lit, SN Celebration is every bit as much of a departure from "traditional" IPA as NEIPA is. The style existed for hundreds of years before C-hops were even developed! It's not "traditional" or "real beer" just because it was around when you were first getting into beer.

 

yeah totally agree. we’re having a similar sort of debate in the OH thread and I posted this yesterday

 

we talking politics?

 

I like beer.

 

I like lamp

 

I haven’t commented this much in a particular thread, maybe ever. Highly addicting thread. Not sure why (?)

 

it's one third the thread itself, one third being in the right place at the right time, and one third totally ephemeral, inscrutable, unaccountable, unpredictable social network effects

 

YOU sir just made me spit up beer laughing!

 

I hope it was a nasty NEIPA and not a delicious lager.