Awkward ABV spot

Certinly beers in the 7-8 Abv range are not session beers. For IPAs 7% is about right, Dipas around 8. I'm drinking Neshaminy Creek Shape of Hops, at 9.5 it's a big boy, maybe a bit too big.

 

Most of the time, if I get an IPA that is 9%+ it is not for me. Shape is an exception. I really like that beer when I can get it fresh.

 

I find quite a few beers in that range,Rheingeist Truth or Jackie O's Who cooks for you but yes they will still kick your butt{in a good way}

 

7.4% makes the feels so strong!!

 

7-8% is an odd in between number strength wise, but I've had some damn good ipas in that range. It's the ones above 10% that I have a hard time with anymore. They just get too boozy and sweet for me.

 

I have no problem with ABV unless I am at a bar and have to drive, then I am shopping <6 or if I am looking for something to drink by the pool, then I am in the 4 to 5 range. Anything else will come to the house and get drank after I walk the dog

 

SOH, it an excellent beer and drinking it you'd never guess it was 9.5 Abv. I'm at the beach in the sun and that's where the 9.5 shows itself. But it's certinly not an overly sweet boozy mess, I don't care for those at all.

 

Before the NEIPA craze, most standard IPAs I found in stores were in the 6%-7.5% range and that was most of them. DIPAs were made and could be found but they were not as widespread. Most everything under 6% was then a pale ale. NEIPAs pretty much reset the standards for IPAs with most ABVs <6% or >8% as more then norm with the 6-8% range historical standard being the rarity now.

 

I consider 7%+ DIPA territory for IPA's. So I tend to drink them as much as any imperial type beer, which isn't too often these days. I really dig the more sessionable stuff below 6% almost all the time now. Tend to only do higher ABV stuff anymore when we share with friends and such.

 

Story of my life, I definitely enjoy living in this danger zone. I look at the brewer and BA when I pick a beer, the ABV is almost irrelevant to me. With the rise of Hazy IPAs flooding the market, it feels like 1 of every 2 beers I pick out is extremely dangerous. Cheers!

 

Deep space from Half Acre is a good beer, but you know that 9% is there. It's kinda boozy. Deep earth from Old Nation hides the booze well, and that ahit is crushable, dangerously crushable.

 

I think if you stop using the word "feels" that you'd be able to drink more than one 7% beer and not feel that they are dangerous or that you'd be crushed by them.

Just a thought.

 

The majority of IPAs I drink are in the 6.5-8% range. I find this range in most cases provides the most balance. Once you move past 8%, issues arise (too syrupy/boozy for example).

Any IPAs under 5.5% are not for me. Hop water.

 

I've given up on beers with high ABVs for health reasons, but I would agree that 7.4% is in an awkward zone, as you put it.

 

But you still drink low and normal ABV beer?

 

7.5% used to be my sweet spot. Jai Alai for instance was a good go-to for me. Now that I'm a bit older, I've found that it gets me there too fast when having multiples in the 7%-7.5% range. I've now decided that 6.8% is right on for me. However, I'll probably drop down to 6.3% or something in a few years and continue the downward trend after it.

 

The 7% was pretty much the range for the popular IPAs such as Two Hearted, Centennial, Torpedo, etc. What has changed is the new standard 16 oz cans which deliver 1/3 more beer, including alcohol, to the ol' body. More feels per serving.

 

FWIW, I don't think it was the NEIPA craze that caused this, but it probably helped. I think there was a larger trend in the craft beer market towards more sessionable beers in general before the NEIPA grabbed the spotlight. Mainly I think of the big pre-NEIPA spike of "session" IPAs and pilsners/IPLs, whose ABV usually trended lower. Beers like Founders All Day IPA and Oscar Blues Pinner had already set the path for the low-ABV NEIPAs.