Blind DIPA Tasting Results

"The painting was a gift Todd. I'm taking it with me."

 

Scientifically proven that the average person will choose the sweeter tasting option(s) in blind taste tests. So there's that...

60% of the time, it works every time.

 

Not sure where in Washington you are, Cherche, but I found Hop Ranch at Chuck's CD this week. It is probably also at the Greenwood location, too--and maybe some other places. Victory has a locator tool for their "brands," and it seems to be pretty good.

 

Supposed to drink Heady from the can ( says it right on there) so there's that......

 

Completely, the results must be thrown out!

 

I have all 3 of those ahead of heady in my ratings I believe. And I don't consider myself a malt heavy IPA lover. I think heady is pretty overrated.

 

Blind tastings are soooo 2014. How else are you supposed to know how good the beer is if you can't see the bottle/can it came in?

 

I definitely liked HT better than DirtWolf, I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!

 

I did Pliny, Hop Stoopid, and Mongo yesterday. Pliny and Hop Stoopid were pretty much identical in every way. Mongo was slightly different.

 

That's because Heady used to be chunky...it is not anymore. It has definitely changed.


Doing blind tastings is incredibly important to keep yourself honest. Lots of readily available beers are just as good or better than the beers people wait in line for...

 

Ht would be my highest rated out of that group, fresh Abrasive is amazing.

 

Isn't Loose Cannon a regular IPA, not a DIPA? Not that it matters really, just curious. Used to really like that beer, really unique IPA...haven't had it in forever but it was one of the IPA's that got me into the style originally, only problem is it sits around up here in CT and can get pretty old.

 

Bottle or can doesn't matter, beer is ONLY to be judged on rarity and line wait time at the release!

If the beer was brewed in any larger than a 10 gallon batch, pour it out.
If you didn't see pics floating around the beer sites of people camping out overnight for it, it's probably not worth your time.
If the beer is released more than once every 6 months, you might as well buy a King Cobra 40oz.

 

I'm doing a Pliny vs. Heady this weekend. Cant wait to see them compared to each other

 

Is it no longer un-(or minimally)filtered? Back when I tried it in 2012 it was quite hazy and full of hop/yeast particles.

 

When you would get a can of Heady a couple of years ago and pour it out (I know, blasphemy!) there would be chunks of hop cones. It was honestly the reason I believe they would print "Drink from the can" on the can. The beer was quite unattractive when poured out.

It doesn't have that anymore. It's still hazy, but they definitely filter it more than they used to.

 

Yeah, that was my experience. Which is why I was thinking that unless the drinkers were blindfolded, you could pick Heady Topper out of the lineup if you've had all 4 beers before.

 

[Insert condescending comment toward the OP and his tasting because their opinions don't line up perfectly with mine !]

 

I guess a few things...

One, I simply do not understand how any one could equate Double Jack to being a malty dipa, all the discussion that I have seen Matt Bryndilson give about this beer and assorted takes on cloning this beer by homebrewers leads this beer to be very dry in its finishing gravity, below 1.015 in finishing gravity. Not quite as low as what Vinnie Cilurzo shoots for in Pliny, but certainly not a malt forward beer. Frankly most of the perceived sweetness in DJ comes from the very resinous hops.

I am sort of stunned by anyone interpreting Dirt Wolf as in the same league as my recollection of that beer was to be massively underwhelmed.

As for Heady, I love that beer, but despite its categorization is brewed really to be a hop flavor delivery device. There is not a lot of punch that an IPA simply needs to have to be really enjoyable. I like Brooklyn Blast, Heady, Long Trail Limbo among others that really are just vehicles for delivering unique hop flavors and aromas. But they don't fit the IPA nor DIPA mold to me, gotta have the bite to be the top of either.

Now is that saying I don't like Heady Topper more than Double Jack, I am not sure I'd have to sit side by side with them to really contemplate. But certainly as a DIPA, I'd most emphatically choose DJ in that pair.

 

I am not surprised dirtwolf fared so well. truly great beer and i can get it pretty fresh just about all the time which is awesome! also, i agree with loose canon being great. i had it the other night at at restaurant because it was the most interesting choice they had, and i was very surprised by how good it was.