What beer started the turbid/cloudy IPA trend?

Interesting!

I agree, the Hop Hands is not the droid we are looking for (for non-Star Wars fans, that’s not a turbid New England IPA).

King Julius is interesting, while not necessarily the right color for a New England IPA regarding what we typically see today, it’s certainly murky and turbid enough...

Ding ding ding, we have a winner! So far this is the earliest photo we have in this thread of a truly “New England IPA style” appearance.

What beer(s) was that?

While I do agree with you in general here, do you think lighting can impact how turbid a beer is? Color absolutely. But if a beer is truly murky and turbid, I don’t think lighting matters all that much. I could be wrong here.

Also, I wonder how easily one could doctor photos back in 2012, was the technology there, or furthermore, was it ubiquitous like it is now?

 

Here’s my contribution...not as exciting considering the dates, but I’ve always noted the difference in color. Different lighting, but that still looks like a pretty stark contrast in color.

I also did remember it being more turbid in 2014, and it certainly looks that way to me here. 2014 still isn’t as turbid and murky as a New England IPA though.

Heady 2014



Heady 2020

 

This is a photo of a crystal clear IPA.



In addition to lighting, background is also important, as is how strong the front lighting is.

 

But at some later date (2015?) HopHands was indeed a turbid beer.

LOL!

Adobe Photoshop has been around for over 25 years.

Cheers!

 

I do not drink ipa anymore I just do not care for it. But the first time I ever had finestkind in my life I bought a single bottle. I went back the next day to buy an entire case I remember where I was who I was with. That beers impact was huge.

 

I remember when people were complaining about Heady's turbid and perceivably "flawed" appearance because the clear West Coast IPA's were all the rage. Ye-eeeeah, the good 'ol days.

 

I saw this thread and thought, “Hoo, boy, this ought a be fun!”

Then I saw it was a poll. Interesting choice, but I think it sorta helped spur the conversation.

My personal experience (which includes my opinion) is...

Having my first Aslin beers was a new experience to me. Different than Ocelot (think Maine Brewing hazy), significantly.

For reference, I had Focal before Heady after Ocelot (I’ll give you a second...)

I never would’ve considered the (admittedly later versions of) Heady or Alpine in the same as the Aslin beers I had. There might be many reasons for this, as many have noted a change all beers go through over time.

So, for what little it’s worth, count me in the contingency that thinks Heady doesn’t fit what I perceive as the OP’s question. If what brewers were trying for as they gave us 1million versions of turbid brews was Heady, they failed horribly. As much as I enjoy the better Aslin beers, I’d never compare them to the (admittedly one) Heady I’ve had.

As I’ve brought them up (hopefully explaining why), I still am in no way claiming Aslin started anything. But I am arguing what I think they were emulating - and I don’t think it was the leader in the clubhouse. In fact, on one of our earliest visits, the brewers were at the end of their small tasting room reveling in the Tree House growlers someone had just brought back from the source.

 

How is a thread that can be answered in one word (Heady) become 4 pages of discussion lol

 

For what (little) its worth, I think a very good case has been made that either tree house or trillium is the answer to OPs question

 

[QUOTES="unlikelyspiderperson, post: 7071810, member: 723104"]For what (little) its worth, I think a very good case has been made that either tree house or trillium is the answer to OPs question[/QUOTE]

I'm not trying to be snarky here but for what it's worth I don't think a very good case has been made for either of those beers. When there were seven beers in the poll and nearly 75% came back as heady.

Of course we are all entitled to her own opinions but this is one of the questions that a majority of beer geeks seem to agree to.

I'll just walk out of this thread now and come after the next four pages are posted

 

That's fair, it just seems to come down to a question of what the question is. Heady was clearly a central figure in the evolution from the IBU wars IPAs to the haze craze. But if the question is (as I read it) what beer is responsible for putting murk on the map? Then I think that there's a good case been made for treehouse or trillium been made.

Either way it's wild that less than 10 years ago it was absolutely insane to propose that an IPA would be opaque

 

And Finestkind was truly dry with 0 juiciness and in the real IPA traditional, English, profile.

 

@traction to me the case is that yes heady topper came long before the other that is true. But the trend did not explode until much later than that so that’s the reason I say alchemist isn’t to blame/responsible for the trend. Their beer prompted breweries to do things but it was this breweries (trillium, TH, etc) that cause this thing to explode. Cause whoa! this beers tastes like mango juice or honeydew or whatever other melon people like.

But again this all goes back to interpretation of the question so it seems we are all running in circles agreeing to disagree.

 

This is also from 2012.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/alpine-nelson-clone-attempt.346412/page-5

 

Yeah, I think there is a difference between what may have been the first IPA having turbid, cloudy characteristics and which IPA having turbid, cloudy characteristics started the trend (where every brewery needed to have one). No question in my mind the latter is Tree House (and to a lesser extent Trillium and HF) so this is my vote for OP's question. My snarky answer to OP's question, however, would be Instagram.

 

I was gonna say Instagram too @Jaycase

it should have been an option.