Has Brut IPA already died...

So the next time should I get a Brut IPA over an Oktoberfest?

 

Maltist...

 

I don't think Brut was a style more like an invention. What ever happened to British Pale Ale?

 

Which pertains to a cider or champagne like notes which it is supposed to emulate. Do you think a hazy brut IPA or a black brut IPA might be something of more substantive flavorings?

 

All Day IPA did about 350,000 barrels of volume in 2018 out of 580,000 total for Founders (60%). That said, at 4.7% ABV, I'd call it too big to be a Session IPA, although I know Founders markets it as such. I could be generous and extend "session" up to 4.5% from its 4% true limit, but 4.7% is a bridge too far for me. I don't think the public would respond nearly as strongly to a true Session IPA like Ballast Point Even Keel (3.8% ABV); just not enough flavor. If anything, All Day IPA is carrying the torch for classic, clear, properly attenuated, not particularly "juicy" American IPAs.

 

Of they want to be like cider or champagne they could use Apple juice or Grape juice boil that with some grains hop it like an IPA and then pitch the bubbly yeast.. is that beer, did I just save the Brut IPA?

 

I don't follow.

 

Interesting, but I think they were trying to go for more complexity. The base burst of the drier ingredients would be off set by this sweetness. I like the direction seeing as that this is just as easily done with hard cider. Hopping anything can really get that IPA category a wide sweeping category. I think you might have by your suggestion...?!?!?

 

Interesting takes, I had one from New Belgium, it tasted like hopped champagne. I think that is where the style derives itself from. I was caught between a twelve pack of Brut IPA and the Weihstephaner Oktoberfest collaboration both by Sierra Nevada. Both of them intrigued me but the Oktoberfest won seeing as it is in my top 5 of beer styles, like the NEIPA hype I did not want to get behind this one either.

 

I haven't had either of those that I recall. To my way of thinking, if it's not dry, clear, and subtle, I don't know how it could really called Brut, but I could certainly see a dry black IPA that. Hazy, in particular, starts to feel like a contradiction is terms. I suppose the style is still fairly new and therefore mutable. I don't think of Brut as being exclusive of being flavorful, as long as it's dry.

 

I think it had huge initial bubble, and is now finding its true level. I can see them being around as rotators and/or seasonals for a few breweries per given area, but I don't think we'll see floods of them again. I like 'em, would rather have the worst Brut IPA than the best Murky "IPA".

 

Brut IPA was probably the fasted new-style trend I think I've ever seen sweep across the nation. Local, regional and national brewers all jumped in and decided to make one, based on some initial buzz coming out of CA, and it was all within a 6-9mo window I think. Much faster than the Gose/Berlinner/kettle sour movement and I'd guess NEIPAs took 5+ years to fully saturate the nation with the style (still many brewers refuse to make NEIPAs but embraced making a Brut).

I still see some scattered black IPAs, white IPAs and Belgian IPAs out there in stores, but I have a hunch Brut will become the most scare "sub style" of the IPA family in very short time.

 

If you've ever had a top notch Brut IPA then you know they're good but I thinks they're so many breweries trying to make inexpensive ones that it's watering down the style. The ballast point and sierra Nevada Brut ipas are not as good as the local SD breweries. The ones that are easily available from big breweries just taste like cheap ipas but they're still expensive. I like some Brut ipas but I think the style is dead. I would probably just buy a 12 pack of SN Pale Ale instead of a Brut IPA. And I never buy SNPA

 

As many have discussed the Brut IPA style became the 'next' new style very quickly. It very much has the appearance that many breweries felt the need to 'jump in' quickly vs. suffering the consequences of not quickly having a product of the 'next BIG thing'. In my opinion this rush to market came at the 'price' of too many poorly brewed products (including the Sierra Nevada Brut IPA beer).

I recognize that these are very competitive times for the craft beer industry and many (most?) breweries are going to feel the need to provide to their customers the next 'new shiny thing'. Perhaps there is a lesson to be learned here? Who knows what will be the next popular style (or sub-style) of beer but perhaps breweries would be wiser to take their time in the development stage before rushing them out the door. It makes little sense to 'jump in' prematurely such that the customers will get turned off by the product(s) and the style "dies" in a short time-frame.

Take your time to 'do it right' prior to distributing and then see how well the market/customers respond.

Cheers!

@SierraTerence @RobH @SixpointMikey

 

Could be a well made Brut IPA is just that, but the ones I tried were forgettable. I like Jack Abby brews so it’s possible to make really good hoppy beers using Pilsner malts. Black ipas are a bit more polarizing, most really are and we’re just badly done, but Stone and Wookie certainly weren’t that, they were terrific beers.

 

True, it's still their best seller, and I figured someone would mention that.

Yes, there are plenty of sub 5% IPAs. But at least in my area, the majority of them are in the New England IPA style, and are not like Founders All Day IPA. All Day IPA is in the vein of the "older" session IPA style, which many compared to "hop water". Overly bitter, thin body, no malt backbone.

And again, in my area at least, I am seeing very few beers like All Day IPA, and even when they are sub 5% IPAs, they're in the New England style, and are not labeled "session IPA".

I imagine beers like Allagash White, or Yuengling Lager still sell incredibly well for Allagash and Yuengling, but I don't think that means Belgian Witbiers and amber lagers are necessarily popular styles.

I have to wonder if perhaps it would have been a better choice for Sierra Nevada to put a Brut IPA in a mix pack to see if people liked it. Rather than make it one of their four major seasonals.

 

I think many New England IPAs are possibly made using Pilsner malts.

If I recall correctly many of Trillium's IPAs use Pilsner malts.

 

I was just throwing out some logical flavor variables as seen by other styles, heck it could even go the white IPA route or the IPL route, this would be one interesting RyePA combination too. All of those styles could be dry, clear and subtle. It just takes some hop balancing as usual this could be as different as the difference between west coast IPAs all the way to NEIPAs. NEIPAs would be the most interesting take on this twist, I still have yet to get something along the lines of M43. I can imagine that flavor profile complimenting a Brut IPA. The trouble is that this style is highly mutable in a sea of hops, yes that was a pun intended. I still think that you touched on some very good points with the way to create a different route to make it. Using different juices and yeast combinations, now that is something worth dry hopping or wet hopping.

 

Do you have data here? How many barrels of sub 5% 'NEIPA' beers are purchased vs. All Day IPA?

I trust you that there are indeed more brands of sub% 'NEIPA' beers in your area but do they in aggregate sell more volume than beers like All Day IPA? All Day IPA 15 packs sell like 'hot cakes' in my area.

Cheers!

 

Had my first full serving of one today. A version "out of production"...while it was good it wasn't my thing overall. Thought to myself this won't last.....