"Vermont-Style" IPAs?

To be fair, in order to live here, you must be a proven expert in the ideal gas law.

 

Given that the Conan yeast strain plays a significant role in Heady Topper's (and likely many other NE beers) aroma and haziness, it's unlikely that anyone out here will be able to replicate it without using a similar strain. Most of the breweries here seem to rely on one of three strains for their hoppy beers: 1056/Cali Ale (Sierra Nevada's strain), London Ale (used by numerous classic PNW breweries), and Scottish Ale (used by seemingly half the breweries in Portland), which are all relatively clean compared to Conan.

Seriously, aside from the yeast it's a relatively simple recipe: a bunch of English pale malt, a bit of sugar, and something like 5% carapils and/or wheat for a little body. Hop extract for bittering, a shit load of hops thrown in during the last 5 minutes, flameout & whirlpool, and then a couple rounds of dry-hopping. That describes pretty much every "modern" IIPA, so the only thing I can think of that differentiates it is the yeast and the temps they ferment it at.

 

& that should sum it up.

 

And their water. The bulk of the NE IPA brewers focus more towards chloride where the PNW focuses more on sulfates. Helps with the rounded mouthfeel and restrained bitterness compared to our beers.

 

Breakside's Azacca DIPA's on @ Milwaukie...don't know the yeast, but imagine the Vermont-Style nod is descriptive, & slightly annoying.
Regardless, @ 7.8%/89 IBUs, well worth the $18 fill. Stellar juice!

 

I find Fort George The Optimist is the closest PNW beer that tastes a lot like a VT style IPA. I mean some VT beers taste a lot like PNW one's too, but the Heady/Sip of Sunshine/Second Fiddle ISA kind of IPA is very leafy, citrusy and I find not very bitter at all. Almost like a fresh hop beer...

 

Since I haven't had a unfiltered VT IPA since Long Trail way back in '08, I only can say that this Breakside nod is heavy on the mouthfeel & relatively tame, bitter-wise. A slight hit of alcohol, but clean on the finish.

An interesting break from my FH consumption & clear, dank & crisp NW bitter preference.

 

Sorry for the bump, but this thread seemed to make more sense than posting in the Great Notion one.

Airways in Kent has a "hazy/New England/whatever" IPA now. It's called Next Gen IPA. Very fruity, unfiltered/hazy, and low on the bitterness.

 

Trying to figure out where 2x4 fits in. Has the hint of sweetness, but not fruity at all.

 

Surprised no one's linked/mentioned this article:

http://www.newschoolbeer.com/2016/03/new-englandvermont-style-ipa-is-not-a-thing.html

 

2x4 is regular old West Coast DIPA.

I didn't really get the difference until I'd had Trillium.

 

I agree with the first part, but, having not had Trillium, cannot comment on the second. Others have suggested Block 15's Intergalactic Hop Shop was in the same vein as the NE IIPAs. Does that sound about right to you?

 

Yes, but not nearly as cloudy/murky. The Trillium stuff my wife has brought back from her Boston work trips is kinda ridiculous.

 

Ridiculous because of its cloudiness/murkiness, or because of its succulence? I definitely get the appeal of these ultra-juicy I/IPAs, but at some point I tend to prefer something that tastes, with all its complexity, like beer, rather than the latest product from Tropicana.

 

The appearance is just crazy.



Tastes good and is clearly an IPA, but the softness/lack of bitterness wears on me after awhile.

 

I'm at Airways now having this NextGen IPA... it is fantastic. The smell and flavor, on point.

 

I saw the prior post, so went to Airways to try Next Gen. Unfortunately, the keg blew last night. I guess I should have called first.

 

Bummer, sorry to hear man. Do you know they have 2 locations? Did you try both? They have the main production brewery and taproom, but also a taproom/restaurant downtown Kent. I was at the downtown Kent location.

 

I went to the downtown Kent spot first, but it wasn't on there. So then I went back north to the taproom, figuring that's where you had been. They had it on the board, but crossed out, and told me that their keg had blown the previous evening.

Ah well, that's the way it goes sometimes. Thanks for the tip anyway.

 

Old thread!?! I had to go back yo Airways on off chance they still had their NE style IPA around. They did not have NextGen IPA, but did have Jumbo Juice. I figured that must be similar since all the rage is calling NE hazy beers juice. Yep, its the same beer just slightly tweaked to brewers' perfection. Server didn't remember the hops used.

Heres the current version:



Oh, and Structures sucks, don't go there.




Any other good WA hazy beers??