Innovation and changing tastes

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by otispdriftwood, Jun 3, 2013.

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  1. otispdriftwood

    otispdriftwood Initiate (0) Dec 9, 2011 Colorado

    Over the weekend, after yet another ho-hum IPA, I came to the realization that with the exception of the out and out hop bombs, most IPAs are quite similar in taste. Of course, there are some better than others and some are lousy, but I could probably lump 75% of all IPAs together and it would be difficult to pick out which is which or name most of them. My point is that the reason for some of the perceived over-the-top innovations to different styles may be the brewer's desire to differentiate their beer from others or from something else in their lineup. Not just IPAs but all styles. Just a thought.
     
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  2. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Permit me to opine on the topic of IPAs. Needless to say but I can’t comment to exactly which IPAs you are drinking. I may very well be drinking IPAs that are different from the ones you are drinking but they all taste different to me. There are a lot of different aroma hops available to brew IPAs. Each of these hops has their own unique flavors/aromas and you can ‘shake things up’ through various hop combinations. For example, an IPA that is solely brewed with Centennial hops (e.g., Bell’s Two Hearted) tastes completely different from Ithaca Flower Power which is brewed with:

    “Hops: Simcoe, Chinook, Citra, Ahtanum, Centennial
    Dry-Hop: Simcoe, Amarillo, Centennial”

    Clown Shoes recently came out with a new DIPA called Galactica which features a relatively new hop of Galaxy. I have not tried this beer yet but I look forward to tasting some Galaxy hops.

    I personally look forward to drinking new, innovative IPAs using newer hops (like Mosaic) and differing combinations of hopping schedules using the large (and getting larger) varieties of aroma hops.

    Cheers!
     
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  3. otispdriftwood

    otispdriftwood Initiate (0) Dec 9, 2011 Colorado


    You mentioned two of the IPAs I don't feel are the same. I could list the ones I am referring to but I do have to work a little today, however, the rating level for the ones I feel are the same are probably in the low to mid 80s, not the high 80s, 90s and 100 levels. Funny though, I just read about Galactica and need to get me some.
     
  4. Orca

    Orca Grand Pooh-Bah (4,710) Sep 18, 2010 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I'd say this is not unique to beer. I'm not well-versed enough in wine to draw any analogies there, but take cars or TVs as an example. Every manufacturer has a standard lineup of various "classes" of products (4-door sedans, 50-inch LED TVs, etc.) that compete directly with their competitors' similar class of products. There's not a tremendous amount of difference among all the products within each product class, as all companies are battling to produce and sell products that consumers want at a price point that's competitive enough to stay in business and maintain or build market share. Once in a while a manufacturer comes out with a true innovation that changes the game (hybrid technology, HD), but even that is only momentary until all the competitors catch up with similar products. It's innovation and evolution by degrees and increments.

    What would be truly surprising is if every IPA (or porter, or stout) had a completely unique character. There are generally classified beer "styles" for good reason.
     
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  5. stupac2

    stupac2 Pooh-Bah (2,031) Feb 22, 2011 California
    Pooh-Bah

    When I did a blind IPA tasting it was pretty easy to pick out the ones I drank a lot of, and also ones I'd had recently. But yes, there is a lot of basically undifferentiated mass in the middle. I think it's just a basic bell curve, with a few truly outstanding products, a lot of "just okay", and then some ungodly awful ones. Pretty much goes for any style.
     
  6. RochefortChris

    RochefortChris Grand Pooh-Bah (3,271) Oct 2, 2012 North Carolina
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I've always thought IPAs can get quite boring after a while. Spice them up a bit, add brett or something to make them sour. As the same with other styles that tend to run together after a while
     
  7. Mersh

    Mersh Initiate (0) Mar 10, 2013 Connecticut

    In my experiences, being a huge IPA lover, your palette can get "tired." I have recently experienced this. Had a tasting over the weekend with a lot of IPA's from Chicago and VT. Great evening with a ton of flavor and bitterness and everyone was very satisfied. Next day I went to drink a local Pale Ale that was just freshly growlered. My god did it taste like shit and I've had this beer numerous times. I believe that with all of the different hops and flavors from the night before my palette was overloaded and needed a break. I didn't have a beer for the next 30 hours or so. Went to dinner with my wife last night and had a 90 minute. Was nervous to drink it after what happened the night before. I drank it anyway and it was still good but didn't taste like what I was used to with a normal 90 minute (one of my favorite beers).

    So now I'm going to the Yankee game tonight and hoping this doesn't continue. I've had this happen to me one other time before and it was after a serious tasting event. So my point is, maybe your taste buds need a rest, or maybe I'm just overloading my own.
     
  8. tjensen3618

    tjensen3618 Maven (1,391) Mar 23, 2008 California

    The same can be said of every style.
     
  9. KS1297

    KS1297 Initiate (0) Apr 14, 2013 Wisconsin

    I agree, especially if you have a buzz going already.
     
  10. TheCrowsNest

    TheCrowsNest Initiate (0) Mar 26, 2010 California

    This is probably more true for American IPAs than some of the other styles. There may be some fluctuation in perceived bitterness and hop flavor/aromas but ultimately you're aiming for the same, bitter, well-balanced, delicious goal.

    You'll find less stylistic contraints in something like a Belgian Dark Strong where you can have 2 very different beers that are bound in similarity only by their color.
     
  11. otispdriftwood

    otispdriftwood Initiate (0) Dec 9, 2011 Colorado

    It won't happen at the Yankee game. There's no good beer there and of the ones they do have, you don't want to spend the coin. I'm talking $9 for a Magic hat #9 last year.
     
  12. otispdriftwood

    otispdriftwood Initiate (0) Dec 9, 2011 Colorado

    I think that's part of my problem. I should drink something else after 3 or 4.
     
  13. Mersh

    Mersh Initiate (0) Mar 10, 2013 Connecticut

    So I've heard. My buddy told me they have Goose Island but it's $9 a beer. Ridiculous!!!
     
  14. Geuzedad

    Geuzedad Initiate (0) Nov 14, 2010 Arizona

    I defnitely agree. And as to the galaxy Hops: I recently had Anchorage's Galaxy White IPA. Now just to clarify it is made with Brett but OMG those Galaxy Hops were the bomb. I am looking forward to drinking other beers that use Galaxy. IMO it takes hops in a new direction.
     
  15. otispdriftwood

    otispdriftwood Initiate (0) Dec 9, 2011 Colorado

    Take a short walk up the street. Hit the bodegas or one of the other bars on the streets around the stadium for a beer fix. I don't go much so I don't remember names or locations, but I've been to few and I know they're there.
     
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  16. dpjosuns

    dpjosuns Initiate (0) Dec 8, 2009 Illinois

    While I somewhat agree with what the OP is getting at, I wouldn't limit the phenomenon to IPAs, but would argue that this happens with almost every style of beer. What sets the "top" 25% (though, I'd go as far as to say the percentage is lower) apart is that some breweries make spectacular beer across their portfolio. I know we all have issues with the BJCP guidelines, but you see the same brewers in style examples (FW, Bell's, Stone, etc) repeatedly and it's no surprise that many of these breweries continue to expand.

    Mainly, I'm just getting at the point that there is a lot of really solid and good beer out there, but the top 25% or less make truly spectacular beer consistently.
     
  17. otispdriftwood

    otispdriftwood Initiate (0) Dec 9, 2011 Colorado


    I agree that my personal phenomenon happens with other styles but my personal experience is with IPAs since it's about 2/3 of what I drink. I also agree that after you get past a certain percentage of brewers [whatever you think it may be] there is a noticable drop in quality. Of course, there are exceptions of a brewer making 1 or 2 spectacular beers and a bunch of mediocre beers, but for the most part, the top brewers consistently make top beers across their product line.
     
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  18. dpjosuns

    dpjosuns Initiate (0) Dec 8, 2009 Illinois

    Ditto man.
     
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