What beer started the turbid/cloudy IPA trend?

Voted Heady but think its a dynamic evolving animal (as it should be). Clearly there were some early players but not so sure there was an a-hah moment

 

Hill Farmstead as a brewery definitely had a national reputation earliest, even if their output was lower by volume.

 

Even so, I don't recall anyone implying Fuzzy Baby Ducks influenced any New England IPA producers.

Purely anecdotal, but for example @traction has never even heard of the beer. What beer geek doesn't know Heady Topper?

 

Fuzzy Baby Ducks was a top ten beer at one point before I remember heady being up there. I am basing my argument simply on the fact that, while chronologically heady may have preceded it, FBD has always been described as hazy and juicy. Heady has never really embodied those attributes. Fresh it seems hazy, but everyone has had a 6 week old can that is clear with chunks floating in it after being poured. The hype around FBD was clearly before it's time, however I remember it being sought after on the old board pretty heavily. I had a chance to try it at GABF last year but it kicked early. Earlier than anything from TG or Weldwerks. All anecdotal, but i am still of the opinion that the NEIPA was never started by tree or trill and am bound and determined to get to the bottom of it. Also worth noting, FBD was all citra like so many hazy ipas are today. Another trend that may have started there.

 

Voted "Heady Topper" only because I was able to try it a couple times, albeit over 2 weeks old and it was what originally got me excited about Hazy New England style IPA's.

Locally, it was Alvarado Street's Contains No Juice that had me sold on the style, even to this day. Much as I love Hazy Juice Bombs, I am seeing the return of the West Coast Hoppy IPA's, and am much more appreciative of that style, and enjoying it more than I ever had.

 

I think the issue with FBD is that it was brewed so infrequently. So while the hype may have been there for a release, NEBCO wasn't putting out any other hazy beers, so there was nothing to keep the haze-craze going. Meanwhile, Tree House and Trillium were pumping out hazy beers week after week, and their flagship hazy beers were popping up more frequently than FBD.

Even if the first batch of FBD preceded the first batch of some of the other hazy beers from TH or Trillium, I think it's lack of constant presence prevents it from really being the trend setter.

 

Was FBD Citra from the get go? I mean, Citra was originally bred in 1990 but didn't get released to the world until 2008 (besides trials). That would explain the infrequency of its brewing (NEBCO might not have had much access to those hops).

I think, while there is definitely some chronology involved here, influence is very important as well. As @TheOneTC says, FBD was brewed infrequently while Heady is the stallwart of The Alchemist's portfolio. Furthermore, a lot of brewers when making big bold IPAs, at least on the East Coast, declare that Heady was their inspiration or target. I don't hear FBD mentioned even if it is an early established, highly reputable beer (I have not had it yet). That's influence.

 

First distro of Heady was as a one-off in bottles in 2010, IIRC, and it is up there as one of the most crazy and in demand bottles ever released. Cans were released in 2011, after Irene and destruction of the pub (which was the only place to get Heady). In the first two years of can distro there were some batches that were as turbid as any other NEIPA I've ever had. Conversation among us included phrases such as, "Man, this is a chunky batch, know it?"

Not sure if and how this affects the FBD thing, or the discussion in general, but these are just facts.

 

If treated right two month old Heady tastes exactly like two week old Heady. Keep it cold and it’s one of the hardiest beers on the market. I’m a fresh freak unfortunately, but I’d also have no problem buying 4 month old Heady.

 

I was going to reply, but what they said below is exactly what I was going to say.