East Vs. West

I'll raise you with California... granted that is still incorrect, but most people refer to all of Cali when talking about West cost styles (you still have Lagunitas who may be king of West coast hopping up in the bay area and PtY was just last week)

 

I ain't Scarrd.

 

What's Maryland putting out for hops? I mean you have Burly Oak which is pretty good sours but outside of that (I do love some SBJ but haven't been as found of DuClaw's hoppy stuff when I visited one of the breweries in July)

 

The North East doesn't have any top notch breweries? Hello HF/Achhemist/Lawsons/ Maine Brewing/Trillium/ Jack Abby/ New England Brewing Co, Fiddelhead, all turn out first rate highly acclaimed beers. Who am I missing, and that's only VT/Ma/Ny/ Me. Drop a few miles into Pa, and NJ and you can add another bunch.

 

That's because DuClaw hoppy beers are not great. Flying Dog's Single Hopped Series is shitting on all DuClaw's Hoppy Offerings. Union is popping in the Hop Game with Double Duckpin.

 

As a former Northeastern'er (Both the university and being from MA) I approve this message!

 

It matters to Shooter McGavin. All he wanted was a gold jacket.

I feel like styles have cross-pollinated enough where the line between East and West has been pretty blurry for a while.

 

I think 10 years ago, this debate was a lot more grounded in a very distinct difference. But many breweries have picked up on the extremely pale if not pilnserish base of some West Coast breweries approach to IPA that also mixed in newer breed hop varieties that simply has made this distinction far less pronounced. That being said, I was in Washington State a week ago, and there is a plethora of really great IPAs from the state itself, Oregon and California. There are also a TON of other styles they do well and are killing it with sours and Brett as well. That said we all live in a bit of an echo chamber here. And it clouds judgement as we seek to try everything we can get our hands on. Over the course of the last few years I found that when I could get Crossroads Outrage IPA, I would always buy pints and growler fills because it as awesome and more hop forward. With Long Trail releasing Limbo I find myself in the same position, when a new batch hits the shelf it is a must buy. The options that are strong are really leveling. Same goes for Maine Beer Co, my only issue there is the price point on the 500 mls is hefty, usually $8.99 where I am.

There are definitely more options out in the PCNW and Cali, mostly because there are just a ton more breweries.

 

Lately I'm really into the east coast brewers that are doing a west coast style IPA brewed in the midwest.

 

This thread feeds my nagging desire to go on a beercation. I want to go to ohio, Illinois, and California.

The west coast folk always rave about their beers, and I have to believe them... but I can't get them.

I promise west coasters, our beer is awesome as well. Pop by NY and find out

 

I'm from the West Coast and I live on the East Coast, and on reflection I feel that West Coast IPAs are better for watching the sun set over the Pacific and East Coast IPAs are better for watching the sun rise over the Atlantic.

Addendum: Midwest IPAs really hit the spot when I'm visiting my father's side of the family amid those amber waves of grain.

 

I saw East Vs. West in the title and thought he meant North America vs. Asia. I didn't bother to read any more.