Night Shift Whirlpool & Morph cans

You always crack me up with your reviews/critiques. We always tend to carb our beers on the lighter side. Generally shooting for around 2.4-2.5 vols of co2. The beer's carb is tested in the tank before packaging, in the can at the start of packaging, mid packaging run and several days after canning. I just tested a can from the current batch and its 2.47 vols. American ales in cans are carbed between 2.5-2.7 due to the filling process. So if anything we are on the low end of the spectrum and far from being over carbed. Cheers!

 

The Feb Morph is more on the floral side and less juicy. Still a nice drinking beer. My personal favorite was the Dec release which was a juice bomb.

 

As part of the Morph series and as New England IPA generally, the latest batch of Morph was good but not a standout. However, once I found out that it was only 5.1%, my view of it changed dramatically. For my tastes, this was much better than Go To, All Day, and even Left of the Dial, which I love. I know some of those are slightly lower abv, but this batch of Morph would be an awesome summer beer. Really impressive amount of body and flavor for 5.1

 

That's an excellent point. I totally agree.

 

Oh man, between this and all the PSI talk with Deflategate my brain is going to explode...

#Carbongate2015Morph

 

The abv listed on the can shouldn't change your perception though. The beer is either good or it isn't. Lower abv beers can be just as good, if not better, than their higher alcohol counterparts. Zombie Dust at 6.5% is number 15 on the top 250 list. Granted, it's probably really just an IPA, it still outranks most double IPAs on this website.

I completely understand where you're coming from, but if seeing the abv on the can changes your perception after you've tasted it, I'd argue it simply isn't a stand out IPA.

This is up for debate, but I feel once you get under 5% and try keeping the beer just as hoppy as a standard IPA, it becomes a much more difficult process. I think there's a lot of pale ales out there, that if you cut enough malt to knock that extra 1% abv off of them, it would dramatically change the body and flavor.

Also, I wonder if the Go-To's, All Day's, and Left of the Dial's you had were as fresh as Morph. I imagine the can of Morph was super fresh, which can make a considerable difference in any IPA. Not saying Morph is good or bad, just an observation.

 

Fair points. I've had all of the beers I listed incredibly fresh as well. While I get the idea that this batch is either a great IPA or isn't, there are times when I am looking specifically for a low abv beer, usually in the summer when I'm having folks over for drinks on the roof deck and I know people will drink multiple beers and want something more sessionable.

I would put this bactch of Morph on the top of that list, just above Left of the Dial in terms of flavor. Now to be honest I'd probably pick up a couple 12 packs of the Notch at Costco for ~$13 verses $12 for a four pack of Morph, but that's another topic (Not a criticism of NS's pricing, just giving as much context to my comments as I can).

 

Sorry for the threadjack, but which Costcos in MA get Notch? I haven't seen it at Waltham...

 

I believe it was the one in Everett. It was a while back (back when it was warm enough to drink beers outside, feels like ages ago but probably around mid-July) that I last bought it, but I remember being pleasantly surprised by the find.

 

I thought once they found a recipe they were happy with it was going to stop "morphing"?

 

http://www.beeradvocate.com/communi...irlpool-morph-cans.204785/page-6#post-3278400

 

Glad I can be so amusing for you. I thought the carbonation was higher than what it usually is. I had to swirl it hard in the glass a couple times to get it back to normal. If you dont want to hear honest feedback on your consistency then I'll stop posting here and everyone can keep telling you "its the best batch yet!"

 

While I appreciate the efforts of NSB, they remind me of a poor man's DFH . . . except less consistent.

 

I'm sure @BearsOnAcid doesn't need my protection... But am I being too sensitive? Your response comes out as somewhat snide, as if annoyed that somebody questions your product.

 

I've never had an IPA from DFH that comes close to the November batch of Morph. Hell, Whirlpool ( a session beer) is much more of a treat for hop heads than any of DFH's tired old shit. " A poor mans DFH" really??? Gimme a break!!

 

I think trusting the process and the ONE can he tested is enough to dismiss my claims. Plus he said cheers! at the end so everything's cool now.

 

Let me guess, you guys are jonesing for a free flight of tastings at 8pm too?

 

Hoping for a free Night Shift t-shirt for my GF too . I need something for Valentine's day

 

Not to pile on, but I took a chance and got an 12oz pour/$8 of a NS The 87 at The Independent a few weeks back, that had little hop characteristic and really bad diacetyl. I don't want a free flight or anything, but this beer should not have left the brewery.

If there really is a lab, clean this stuff up. I can't take a chance on Night Shift again for a while if things keep up like this.

 

I appreciate the feedback. You crack me up because of your initial sarcasm about "best batch yet". Figured I would jest back. If you don't like Morph then that's cool. Plenty of other people do. Taste is subjective I can't tell you that the beer what you taste isn't correct. That its tropical or grassy or floral. Everyone is different. But I can let you know the carb level of the beers. Something that is scientifically driven. It wasn't one can that was tested the entire tank is tested then cans are tested during the canning process. And then figured why not test a can right now so I can (no pun intended) reported back. Cheers!