IPAs with Lactic Sugars

I’m not disinclined to believe that you may be right. Maybe nobody actually likes these things all that much, but they’re cool, limited, and in-demand on Instagram and the trading scene, so they’re in demand.

I live very near 450 North, one of the most hyped and over-traded breweries in the world, and people drive hours to line up extremely early in the morning and walk out with cases of lactose filled IPAs, sours with unfermented fruit juice, and pastry stouts. I know for a fact that most of the people who get in line are not consuming much, if any, of that beer themselves. It all gets traded or sold. I’ve even heard people turn around and sell it in the parking lot for $10+ a can to people who weren’t able to get any or didn’t want to wait in line. On the other hand, I don’t know of anyone local who actually loves their IPAs.

 

I think this is spot on.

 

I think they're good in small doses, which is why I only drink them at breweries where I can get a half pour or whatever. No thanks to a 16oz can. I get their appeal, but don't think they're "all the rage"..

 

I think they’re hands down the best IPA brewer in the state right now. I don’t think I would have said that 6-12 months ago, but they’ve been killing it lately. I’d put their recent stuff up against just about anyone (Treehouse, Trillium, Other Half, Monkish, Triple Crossing, etc.).

 

I don’t think I’ve ever had a beer that wasn’t first rate from them, love their tap house too, certainly nothing fancy but I like having a few beers.

 

These are great points. Apocalypse Cow is/was a great and super early example of a lactose IPA. It added a bit more heft and bottom end to tastefully reinforce the honey-like malts in that beer.

It seems like Milkshake IPAs shouldn’t even be under the umbrella of IPA since the flavor is so far removed from what an IPA is. It’s more like a fruited ale with lactose. Malt nor hops take the limelight.

 

Other Half does them well. Not sure I've really had a truly great 'tose IPA outside of OH. Most of them are cloying and the mouthfeel is always disappointing.

Also, adding "fruit puree" seems entirely unnecessary. Just let the hops speak for themselves. You often get more fruit flavor from them anyway.

 

.... are a hard pass for me.

 

They are garbage. Easy way to cover up shitty beers.

Also I’m diabetic..

 

The uber sweet creamy beers destroy my palate as much as session ipas do, just different ends of a scale. My idea of an ipa is Stone or Headhunter, beers along that line.

 

Other Half and Monkish would like to have a word with you...

 

Both 90 and 120 are overly sweet. Even 60 minute is sweet. Many years back maybe not, but many ipa and beer drinkers’ palates have shifted.

Just like all beer styles there are good examples and bad examples. For lactose ipas they tend to be sweeter, with many being overly sweet. Lactose is milk sugar that doesn’t ferment. Then add vanilla and fruit. That’s a lot of additional sugar and sweetness. Maybe it’s not cloying sweet but it’s sweeter than most ipas.

You mentioned tartness/sourness in the beer. I got that too from a peach milkshake ipa and I didn’t like that note at all. The tart/sourness didn’t play nice with the hops and bitterness. For me it was weird.

I’ve had a few Captain Lawrence beers and they have been good so I would expect them to brew a good example. Not everyone has had the pleasure of trying a milkshake ipa from a good brewery. As a result they probably just end up like sweet fruit Juice.

 

Balance is always key with any beer, it’s easy to make a bitter bomb, it’s easy to make an OJ bomb of a beer, but they suck.

 

I am a fan of milkshake IPAs when done right. I will say I like most of the milkshakes that Tired Hands has put out, but I will say the fruits and vanilla make the beer not the lactose. Since those beers have taken off I will say I have seen a lot of breweries focus on the addition of lactose and I feel that is not what makes the milkshakes tasty, I think it is more about the vanilla and fruit. I have enjoyed FFF Apocalypse Cow and most Other Half Daydreams which are just lactose IPAs without fruit or vanilla, but those beers seen to not over it and just let it add to the body and add some flavor while letting the base IPA shine.

 

I think these are just the natural evolution of the boundaries of what the IPA can be. I do sample them occasionally but as mentioned above they are a specialty.

 

"Lactic" adjuncts ... this may get more traction if they change the terminology.

While I can't say I'm familiar with this particular trend, on the whole the "adjunct obsession" that has come to dominate the beer world may be the second worst trend we're facing.

The first, of course, being the failure of California traders to seek fair value for their wares.