NE IPAs in Ohio?

I would have agreed, but I recall reading an article with Matt Cole talking about his new brew system that will be at the new facility and its ability to cool wort pre-whirlpool hopping to extract minimal bitterness and also having some one of a kind hopping technologies to boost aroma/flavor. Of course, this is to improve their current beers even further, but if anything, sounds like they will have all the tools and then some to do it very well if they would like. Not to mention the canning line they do plan to add at the new facility, perfect for doing local distro of this style at their locations (Main, Canton and Pittsburgh) if they so choose. On a side note, hope they bottle/can more one-off offerings with the new facility versus just the flagship stuff.

I bet it comes though at some point, I just don’t expect them to market it like everybody else. If anything, I can see it being an “low key” release on the pilot systems noted as a “hazy IPA with Australian hops” or something and it just shows up on draft randomly… I just have a hunch though. I think it’s a matter of the whole “not if, but when”.

I also agree and think they would kill it, when they do attempt it. With their masterful techniques to produce the quality they do, they would probably make everybody forget about Hoof and Masthead for the style. They just need to get the ball rolling (if not already) on getting contracts for other hops now aside from CTZ, Citra, Mosaic, Simcoe, Cascade, Chinook and Centennial. All great hops, but they don’t seem to do much outside of those for the most part (for American Styles).

Hell, I would love even if they just did more of their typical west coast style IPA stuff but with more exotic varieties… Has Fat Head’s ever even used Galaxy, Vic Secret or Nelson for example? Hell, they should do a spinoff of Head Hunter or Sunshine with these newer hops just to see the end result... *drool*

 

They already have done it: Love it or Haze It

Also, I had DDH Head Hunter at a beer festival in the Akron Civic in 2016. It was hazy and very much in the vein of the New England style as far as aromas and flavors.

Anyway, if they hadn't already done this style, I don't see why the assumption would be that they are opposed to it. They're already okay with ruining the perfectly delicious Juju with citrus juice. Seriously, Super Juicy Juju has nothing on regular.

 

Well there we go, had no idea. I really want some of that DDH Head Hunter... !

 

It was very enjoyable, the highlight of that night easily.

 

Co-sign

 

Be careful saying that or someone at Fat Heads might flip flop then some maladjusted rage addict will come and dig up all your posts and use them without context, not caring that what you said was correct at the time you said it.

 

Got a chance to try DankHouse Couch Kush’n today—freaking legit.

 

Platform nailed it with Haze Jude. Really good stuff IMO.

I know opinions on them very widely, but this stuff is a winner.

 

That is a Portland experimental. That location experiments a lot and always brew one-offs. Love it or Haze it isn't anywhere in Cleveland.

 

Also I think the Portland location is no-longer. Pretty sure I read they shut down the Fat Heads brand in Portland and re-branded. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

 

Any try Dagobrah System over the weekend? Curious what people thought. I'm a CBC fan.

 

So, it doesn't count? It's still a hazy IPA that was brewed under the Fat Head's name--if they were philosophically against it, like some here seem to believe, I'd think they wouldn't have allowed it...no?

 

Dunno if it counts, really don't care either.

It was brewed by a different head brewer at a franchise location. The ex-head brewer in Oregon was trained with the home team in OH but was allowed to brew whatever pub exclusives he wanted to. Whoever replaced him until the franchise agreement expires likely has the same freedom but has even less of a connection to OH.

It's not like Matt had to sign off on their recipes. There's no sign on the wall next to the "No Stairway/Freebird" sign that says "Thou Shall Not Haze".

Everyone's probably taking this a bit too seriously.

 

Agreed, and that's a total understatement, but I also think your post could be included in that sentiment the most strongly thus far.

For example, if Hoof brews a sewage bomb at the Marengo brewery, no one here, including myself, would let the Columbus brewpub off the hook just because they're separate entities to a degree. Much the same, I don't think it's a stretch at all to say Fat Head's has brewed a hazy IPA for public consumption. Distance doesn't suddenly make the Portland location any less Fat Head's. I was there, it's how I had this beer in question, and aside from being shiny and new, it felt like Fat Head's, and the beers they had on draft that are also available in Ohio were identical.

Whatever your view on the franchise, is it really that much of a black mark against their name if they brew a hazy IPA?

I mean, this is a brewery that's all about the taking it easy hippy culture, and a hazy IPA that may or may not smell like weed is kind of the most hippy thing imaginable in beer format...

 

Still open as of now.. closing in Q1, that's all I heard.

Agreed on this for sure. I'd say next to Bucket of Gloves, this is their 2nd best NEIPA! Can't wait for Bucket of Gloves to be canned.

 

Will preface by saying I'm new to Ohio, but I haven't had a NE IPA in the Cleveland area yet remotely as good as what Masthead is pumping out. Back in the fall, Platform had a couple NE styles that were both pretty solid, but since then the ones they've produced have been watery-thin; when that happens it ceases to be a NE style and just becomes a "hazy ipa." An important thing to consider so we don't trick ourselves into thinking we're getting one (NE) when we're really getting the other (hazy). They're just different styles, flat out.

Anyone know of any others similar to Masthead's level?

 

Plenty of Clevelanders make the short trek to JAFB on a regular basis--they have made some top notch ones.

R Shea is pretty good, not always nailing it but not far off either. All their beers have a pretty soft, thick mouthfeel, but once they scale up I'm not sure they'll be able to maintain that.

 

R Shea's NEO IPA and their other experimental NEIPA series beers are often really good and a great representation of the style. A couple of the Magic City NEIPA's have been great as well. Undoing Lupulin has been the best I think. Then love it or hate it, but many of Hoof's offerings are on or above that level too.

 

Have not had their NE IPA's yet at R Shea, but their other beers have been quite "meh". Carbonation being a big flaw in many of them (why does the Hefeweizen have a Nitro-Esque carbonation!?). I'd assume based on all their other under carbonated styles that the NE IPA would be just right Also had the worst flavored Stout I've ever had there, pure solvent and artificial.

Need to give them a third and final whirl, but dissapointed the two times we went six months apart and don't get the excitement over them... Maybe third times a charm, though!?

 

DON'T GET THE FLAVORED STOUTS!!!!!!!!

I love R Shea, love the people and the brewery, been going there since they first opened... BUT I have no idea why they keep pumping out these horrific artificial stouts. It's most annoying because their non-flavor-syrup stouts are really good. If you go back...

NEO IPA
West Coast Citra (not actual a west coast IPA)
Twitchy Bitch (possibly best local coffee stout)
Carbon Black (standard imperial stout, no adjuncts)

And if you ever get a chance to try the anniversary bottle, the Brandy barrel Carbon Black was also really good.