Chicagoland NE IPAs (2018)

Yeah BJ is a tremendous asset to the Chicago beer game... Radio Swan cans will be amazing...

Currently enjoying Gummypacolypse and Squishy Gummy.. both really solid..

Up next is Neo and Lucifer... little ChiPA tasting going on... with Snoochie last Bc I know it will be my tops! Cheers!

 

Here's something I'm just starting to work on to help guide my target profiles and it may also help to inform those who have specific expectations/preferences when it comes to these beers. It's stupid simple and doesn't cover the major areas of flavor, aroma and mouthfeel. But if I get some extra time I'll try to create a 3D chart that incorporates the major flavor characteristics.

 

It literally says "notes of passion fruit"

Speaking of fruit....I just cracked my last crowler of Reign in Punch. Thing has to be a month old and I was hoping just for it not to be a drain pour. Turns out it was my favorite crowler yet out of 4. It has rounded out very nicely and carbonation and color were on point. Crazy how some breweries can make this beers last and some struggle to make them last 2 weeks.

 

Just had my last can of Snoochies. At this point, I think Juice is Loose and Snoochies are tied for my top spot. Both phenomenal.

 

Wake Up Neo from Triptych is real good. Super stoked these beers from Triptych are seeing availability here in Chicago. Really awesome.

On a side note, I hate that I have to ask a beer person at the shop if they have a beer in stock and they have to go secretively in the back and grab it and come out secretively handing me a four pack. Just put it on the floor. If I miss it, I miss it.

 

That's pretty cool. I think somewhere between snooze and snooch is my wheelhouse. As is 7-8% ABV...

 

Just picked up a 4 pack of Dank Meme and Wake Up Neo at the Lincoln Park Binnys this evening. Excited to try Wake Up Neo. During my time there only three 4 packs were left of Dank Meme and they disappeared by the time I left. I got lucky and asked an employee about Wake Up Neo and was able to get one from the warehouse. I agree though, I hate that even though a beer is sold out on the shelves you know there is a good chance there is some still in stock in the back of the store. I think that is just the nature of the game, all depending on where you go. Either way, I hope we continue to get Triptych drops here more often I have been very impressed so far.

 

Lakeview Binny's had Dank Meme and Wake Up Neo on the shelves today - no need to ask for it. I was looking to get beer for the beach this weekend so I decided to grab some. I had one of each tonight, and they were fine, but I wouldn't be seeking them out again. Dank Meme was a bit too light for me, and I liked Neo better, but its sweetness was a bit more than what I'd prefer.

 

Speaking of Dank Meme, I've been starting to pay more attention to which breweries make beers that have some semblance of a shelf life. I just found a Dank Meme at the back of my fridge that was canned on 05/17 and it still tastes great. Lost some juice but no where near the fall off that some of these NEIPAs hit after just two to three weeks.

 

Yea my experience wasn't that it was 'out of stock' on the shelf or whatever. My experience was Wake Up Neo was nowhere to be found, had to ask about it, someone went in the back, brought me out a four pack, walked me to the register with it even, and had it rung up.

That's too much for me but also at the same time I'm glad I at least got a four pack of it?

It was just too much of you have to be in the know that today was the day they were going to have it (which I only found out from asking a beer guy there on Sunday) otherwise you will think it was just sold out and you missed it. Walked as fast as I could straight there after work, looked around didn't see it, thought damn it's gone already, then had the above experience. Not my preferred way of obtaining beer and if someone would go in there and NOT ask someone and just assume it was sold out, they wouldn't have gotten it. But whatever. Glad I got a four pack and glad I really liked it.

 

Both of those beers finish at around 2.8 Plato which from what I've experienced, might be a touch drier than many. I've certainly not measured every single one in existence, but its definitely drier than Juicy Bits and lots drier than M43... but around the same place as many of Jeff's beers at NG. Thanks for trying them in any event.

Had a SB courtesy of @flat_lander yesterday, but didn't think to measure it; it was tasty.

It's fun to taste everyone's different takes on the style but I guess I consider NE hoppy beer to be more of a ritual of various techniques versus trying to make something I brew taste like Julius or Haze.. and once you've tasted two dozen of them, you start to see all the various nuances that can go into it. For example, I can typically pick out London III beers now even though we don't use it.

 

Anyone know if the South Loop Binnys has been getting the Triptych drops?

 

Had a Wake Up Neo and Dank Meme as well last night. Dank meme was good, especially at its price point. Wake Up Neo was awesome. I would definitely seek these two out again.

I thought Van Hazen V2 was better than V1 (I really liked V1). Wasn't too crowded either when i went which was great. They thought it would last until the weekend at least.

 

For those that care, I picked up the recently canned Squishy Gummy from Noon Whistle last night. Given it was the same batch that was canned a couple weeks ago, I thought it would've lost something. But the time did it well. It was really, really solid.

 

do you know if it lasted through the night at NW?

 

I was there at about 7:30 last night, and they had around 20 cases. So it definitely should have. I would call though.

 

Anyone know if Wake Up Neo is still at Binnys on Grand? Long shot but thought I would ask.

 

That's where I grabbed a four pack yesterday evening around 6pm. As it wasn't out on the floor at that time, they might still have some?

 

The cooler has a couple of cases of squishy gummy.

 

A lot of brewers seem to be leaning on London III and the same handful or so of hops. So without much malt a lot of these beers can start to taste similar. To stand out you almost have to be a hop mad scientist with what combinations, how much, and when to add. BJ seems to be starting to master this aspect of it all...