Chicagoland NE IPAs (2018)

No flights. But there will be 2 pour options. 5oz/$3 and 12oz/$7. The majority of the beers are coming by way of 1/6bbl...so I really hope folks are leaning towards the 5oz pours so we can spread the love.

 

<--Sheepishly puts back the case of howlers....

 

I haven't had the majority of those so I'm ok with 5 oz pours so I can try all of them.

 

Completely agree. I'm going to Corridor tonight so I can knock a few of those off the list before heading to FR tomorrow. Really looking forward to finally trying Stay Lit.

 

Yes, I'll probably be at Corridor tonight, too. Off work today so I'll probably get to Corridor early enough to get a bar seat, tho.

 

And now's a good time to update you all on the newest batch of Snoochie Boochies:

Definitely the best batch yet and the most "NE". Some of the earlier batches were too similar to a juicy midwest IIPA imo. But I'm super fucking picky and that means I'm not done with this beer yet. Thoughts below.

Appearance:
Beautiful orange glow
Haze = Dayz
Mission accomplished

Aroma:
Fresh, sharp hop aroma. Slight grapefruit. Again, in the orange spectrum but kinda hard to nail down.
More work to do here

Water profile:
Not too minerally. Soft
One the fence here....either mission accomplished or a slight reduction in chloride.

Bitterness:
Enough to not call this a one-noted juice bomb. Hits you at the end. 40-45 IBUs. Depending on your taste/expectations of the style, it's either lock/step with the sweetness or slightly bitter.
I just tried it in comparison with another local example of the style and I honestly say that the other was devoid of bitter balance and was "meh" in comparison. So, long story short...if you like bitter/balance, you will enjoy this.
Again, on the fence here. I think there is room for sensibly balanced beers like this and also sweet-ass juice bombs. Not planting a flag in either camp yet.

Flavor:
In an attempt to maximize my hop budget we switched around some hot-side/cold-side hops. Trying to introduce more premium hops vs ultra premium hops. The result was as suspected I suppose. Hot-side hops matter. This experiment resulted in a mid-palate flavor that is not as "juicey" or fruit like that I desire. It's not really a simcoe-y/pine flavor but rather a neutral hop flavor that is OK...but could use some pizzaz.
More work to do here

 

Knowing how popular NE style is now & the buzz around these beers/breweries in particular any consideration of going 5oz only for the event? Really would help spread the love & make some of these last considering what you said about 1/6bbl's to start....

 

Pretty refreshing that a brewer is being this open about his process. Thanks!

 

Can you give some examples of what falls in those categories?

 

I like the sentiment here and if this were a festival (paid entry), I would definitely limit the pour. As a brewer, I believe the best way to enjoy a beer is a proper pour in an appropriate glass. This "event" may blur the lines a bit...but I think I'd rather err on the side of letting folks enjoy the beer as the brewer's intended it.

 

based on my contracts (lack there-of), availability, and prices...here are some examples:

Premium =
Cascade
CTZ
Columbus
Centennial
Chinook

Ultra-premium =
Citra
Mosaic
Amarillo
Jacob (our proprietary hop)
Grungeist

Shit I Can't Fucking Get =
Nelson
Galaxy
Any South African Hops (thx In-Bev)

 

What time does this all start?

 

6pm

 

Thanks for the info. Will everything be on at 6pm or are you planning to stagger some kegs?

 

all at once

 

I'm planning to stop by for a bit as well. Have a late meeting, so didn't reserve a table as I'm not sure what time I'll get done. Plus its only me. Since I'll be alone, hoping to actually meet some of you guys for once.

 

I'm a hop-head home brewer, thankful that Galaxy is still relatively available at the quantities I need ... so is there a way to get my hands on some of that Jacob?

 

I'm incredibly late to this party.. but do you have a specific goal in mind for what you're trying to make? And why the hate on oats? Just curious.

 

Negative. Only ~5lbs left in the world. I was told that it MAY be a candidate for future breeding programs. Yield is an issue though. The aroma is amazing. Huge peach/apricot.

 

Here's hoping it makes the cut! I've certainly enjoyed your use of it.