Cloudy/Not Cloudy IPA Fence

You do realize that over 70% of beer drinkers drink the same exact style pretty much their entire lives, in many cases the same exact brand of that style? I guess they too are obsessed?

You and a good amount of other people sure are interested in the way some folks drink their beer, and sure do take a negative attitude. One might almost call you all obsessed.

 

Probably not the best examples. Sculpin is a relic from the days when people were in a competition to see who could take the most bitterness. Pliny is a paragon of the classic WCIPA, but it's merely solid. Stone Citracado and Bottle Logic Double Actuator are superior examples.

 

Bling Pig?

 

I don't follow.

 

Amen. Live and let live. I don't like Rauchbier, but I'm not going to knock anybody who does.

 

Sorry! That should read "Blind Pig". Where would you consider that beer to be as far as IPA examples go?

 

I actually haven't had Blind Pig, so I couldn't say.

 

Do those 70% wait hours in line at the brewery for their beer? Do they skip out of work because their beer got released on a weekday afternoon? Do they cross state lines for it? Buy trunkfuls of it to send across the country to randoms they met on the Internet? In exchange for beer that is strikingly similar to the one they just sent out? Do they take pictures of their "haul" and post it to Instagram? Do they doctor those photos so that the beer appears even awesomer? Do they worry incessantly whether their beer is too old and have endless debates with their beer-loving friends over it, trying hone in on just the right number of days when it's at its peak? Do they sell the beer on grey market websites for crazy markup? Do they claim that their beer is the pinnacle of all beer and that other beer is lacking or boring or passé?

Totally sounds like your run of the mill AAL drinker to me...

 

My stepfather used to routinely wake up at 4:00 in the morning to drive out to some random spot 100 miles away to catch a glimpse of a rare sparrow before work.

Hobbies are weird. Worrying about how other people pursue their's seems like a waste of time.

 

Hmmm,don't know, don't care, but then again I am not obsessed with their drinking habits.

 

That, and some of the new breeds of hop varietals naturally taste fruitier. A large reason why WC IPAs taste citrusy/piney/resinous is because that's how those older school American hops taste. That's obvious, though. I'm going offtrack. It definitely would be a mistake to say that NE IPAs are "less hoppy" just because they're less bitter. They're hoppy in a different way, since hopping is process and not just a bitterness perception.

 

Yes! Thank you. You described it well. The NE IPA substyle runs on hype and it's a shame seeing every NE IPA given undue praise because it meets 'x' criteria. It's a style with many, many beautiful, delicious examples, but should be evaluated and praised on their own individual merits instead of falling within hyped criteria. The same goes with West Coast IPAs, in that there are many I used to love that I no longer care for; yet the best WC IPAs I will chose over most mediocre NE IPAs.

I also agree with you on beers being unfiltered. I don't love NE IPAs because they are unfiltered, I prefer all beer unfiltered because I really do think they're more flavorful.

 

It's just an observation, which I find amusing more than anything. No need to take offense.

I'm surprised that 70% number isn't higher, if we're including all beer drinkers. Most folks are perfectly happy with their case of Bud Light every couple weeks. Where did you get this number by the way? Please send over a link. Thanks.

 

I don't think you know what obsessed means. Look it up. We're merely sharing our observations.

 

I’m not worrying, I was simply replying to Dave’s illogical 70% comparison. To suggest there’s not a level of obsession and fanaticism on this is insane. Observing isn’t worrying - it’s mere observation, one most of us are touched by as interested craft beer drinkers.

Nice punt, Dave! Jets or Giants could probably use you!

 

I do get your point as a specific rejoinder to a particular post, but generally speaking, at least around here, I find the kvetching about how other people are doing the hobby wrong much more personally irritating than the fact that somewhere, someone is waiting in line too long and maybe doesn't like the taste of a 100 IBU beer.

I used to be a metal/hardcore kid as a teen, and then a big Phish guy in my 20s and 30s. The parallels between the ways older fans in both of those worlds wrung their hands about how all the "newbs" were doing it wrong are numerous, and I found it just as tiring then as I do now.

 

I like both but there seems to be a dividing line somewhere around the Mississippi River for folks to prefer or not. West Coast IPAs used to be the sh*t, now it's those juice bombs. Can't wait for the day where we all get along (yes I'm a conflict avoider)

 

Fair enough. I can understand how the line between annoyance, poking fun at, etc. and outright disdain, judgement, etc. blurs. Won't deny I have my pet peeves and preferences. It IS tiring, as you say, which is why I don't hang around here very often anymore. When subcultures turn echo chamber, they just get, well, lame.

 

More like return of a fumble for six, but it bounced right to me.

 

I enjoy beers from both camps. The main area where I choose a side is when things head into DIPA/IIPA territory. To me, nearly every strong hazy IPA I've had tends to have a vegetal "burn" to it. Many also head into onion town and I rarely get any of the hallmark citrus juice flavors that the milder examples have.

 

What cracks me up is when the haze craze started the chasers use to say it's not about the appearance, but now the chasers look down on beers that are not completely cloudy. After a couple cloudy IPAs I feel like I'm drinking paste. I also get a Blue Moon mouth feel and finish from a lot of the hazy beers.

 

you forgot “do they procure flop houses near their favorite breweries to improve their places in line on release days?...do they ty to convince their sons and daughters to attend college near their favorite breweries so that have regular excuses to satisfy their jones?”

 

I have to disagree I know more people closed minded toward beer that

I bet if you looked at the hops used in NE and WC IPAs you'd be surprised to see they use a lot of the same hops. The difference is in the hop schedule and technique of adding the hops.

 

Care to finish this? You left off at a crucial point in your thought, I think?

 

I mean, you made a compelling case back then!

I friggin love you, Chip — at least you embrace this in all its crazy glory.

 

Gonna put in my .02 pretty late in this thread.

Typical hazy IPAs don’t have enough bitterness to me. You end up with a full bodied weird floral/fruit blend with nothing to cut through it.

There are some beers that are very very dry and still fairly cloudy (i.e. many Stillwater offerings)

I’ll personally stick with the resiny, citrus-based, clear as glass West Coast stuff.

 

So wait, op is making a case for bottle conditioning?
Bc far as I understand hazy=yeasty=bottle conditioned.
The first ipa I had that had yeast intact was what made me like ipas, however one could argue without the sourness of the yeast the other flavors become more prominent.

 

I thought I deleted the post. I was going to say I know more people now that will turn down IPAs if they're not cloudy than people who won't drink cloudy IPAs

 

Same here. I work with a ton. Non opaque IPAs are seen as some relic of the past. It's like children looking at a rotary phone.

 

As long as your realize the vast majority of beer drinkers disagree with you, you are certainly entitled to your opinion.

 

Yes, well, the vast majority of beer drinkers care more about hype and GABF medal count than they do actual taste.

 

Got to disagree with you here, unless you've some real data to back up this claim.

The vast majority of beer drinkers don't even know or care about either GABF medal counts or what's currently the hot choice or whale for folks on BA.

 

I only have anecdotes. I've had people actually advance the medal count argument with me when I opined that while Pliny is a good beer, it is not a great beer.

 

Well, a few anecdotes may be a good reason for thinking something might be the case but it doesn’t make it a broad brush generalization that applys beyond your experience.

 

This. People on here often complain that guys only drink one or two styles of beers. I don't think there's anything wrong with liking a "west coast" style IPA and still being able to enjoy the ddh hazy doubles IPAs that are very popular right now.

I love a good stout, gose, sour, IPA, etc. If it's good, it's good. Not sure why people complain about it. I went to a brewery yesterday that didn't even have an IPA on the menu. There are plenty of breweries doing other stuff so go enjoy them and quit worrying about guys who love a hazy IPA.

I drink a ton of good beers but the best beer of the year for me was Trillium Headroom. I drank a dancing gnome nobody's robot the other day that was fantastic. I really hope breweries continue to make that style, as well as others.

I notice a lot of guys making anti-NE style IPA threads, but I don't see the hazy IPA fans making threads condemning BA stouts, etc. Just drink what you like. Don't buy what you don't like. Too easy.

 

Consider it regionally anecdotally, as New England is generally not a part of GABF and most local brewers and drinkers I've talked to don't give a fuck about the medals. Around here, it doesn't sell beers- the beers sell themselves. Good enough for me.

edit: I do know of two locally renowned brewers who often attend GABF for the sake of some serious weed and beer share party time with other brewers. One sometimes submits his beer and the other doesn't even bother- it's all about the PARTY and the networking opportunities. They both brew cloudy IPAs- see, relevant?

 

Yes, you are the only special one that can decide what beer is really best...congrats.

 

@MelvinBrewing_2x4 @dauss are you guys dry hopping at similar rates as @Tarheel4985 and @rscot231 ? My guess is yes. I am afraid that hop schedules between the two styles (at least with new versions of both styles) are more similar than people would guess. Melvin* and Comrade superpower both have a nose that are unequaled by any example of neipa I have had.

 

I would go a bit farer and say that a majority of craft beer drinkers don't care about GAFB medal counts or what is hot on BA.

 

Our dry hopping rates start at 1lb/BBL for n00b and 1.5lbs/BBL for Codename and go up from there. Most of the rotating stuff we do is more like 2lbs/BBL for single IPA and 3+ for DIPA or DDH IPA.