Session IPAs. I don't get it

The only one that I thought stood up to the low ABV was Metamodern by Oasis out of Austin. I used to drink it a lot when it first came out, but stopped when they increased production, as they don't date and we know how that goes, that might have changed since then, this is more of a summer purchase vs winter

 

Boulevard's Frequent Flyer Session IPA (4.2%) is in my rotation. Delicious stuff. Ozark Beer Co. of Rogers makes an IPA of 5.5% abv but it is only available on keg. It is sublime. Fortunately their APA is delicious at 4.3% abv. it is in my rotation too. Along with Core Arkansas Red Ale 5% abv.

 

If you ever get to Little Rock, check out Lost Forty Bare Bones pilsner. I think you'd like it.

 

Firestone walker Easy Jack and Stone go to IPA are the best I've had to date, as well as Founders All Day which is pretty good as well. I only reach for a session IPA during the hot summer months when drinking an IPA isn't appetizing. I'm glad breweries are providing options to those of us who like hoppy beers but in a more forgiving format.

 

Session IPAs to my palate are watery, but they are also impossibly bitter. They're just generally unpleasant, but some are better than others. When the malts aren't balanced this is what you get.

 

Sound great. And if youre ever in the AZ distro area or NM, locally we have one by Marble (four time GABF/WBC winner. May be regarded as the highest rewarded beer in NM history) simply called Marble Pilsner (a german pilsner by design) that has 40 IBU, is dry hopped with Hersbrucker and Tettnang hops. It's a tough sell as its some 2.1-2.3% lower in ABV than their best sellers, and its never on sale, and always more expensive than the others. But I compare it 85% to what Pivo does. 4.7% vs 5/3% on Pivo, so there is a touch of a malt sweetness difference.

Reviews and check ins crap on it. But I want to say that is to be expected

 

I'll look for it if I'm ever back there. I lived in Tucson for almost eight years, but never had that.

 

I enjoy the hell out of some session IPAs. Theres tastes for everybody. Honestly Left of the Dial, All Day IPA, Go To, Easy Jack, I think are really good and have flavors that are equivalent to some average run of the mill style IPAs. Great for the summer.

 

I like 'em sometimes, but not to "session" . What's the point? I drink 'em when I want just 1, of something light, or want "just one more", but don't want to regret it later.
That said, I'd rather have a gose, Berliner Weisse, or wild , for something light. Hoppy Pils? Peak Organic Fresh Cut fills the bill. Haven't had any of the other light, hoppy pils.

ps : Oh yeah, 1 more : Cortland Naked Lap Lager. Had it 3 weeks ago, on draft. Really good. (AAL without the 2nd "A" ? )Unfortunately, the ones I find in the grocery store right now are from 10/17/16. : P

 

I'm not a fan of the style. I need a malt backbone with my hops. "Hop soda" always comes to mind when I drink a Session IPA.

 

As stated many times already Founders All Day is one I enjoy along with FW Easy Jack. I don't know, they serve a purpose.

 

I know many others have echoed the same sentiments already, but so long as there are plenty of excellent American Pale Ales, and hoppy pilsners on the shelves, I will never see the point in choosing a Session IPA. All of them taste horribly unbalanced like the aforementioned hop water, and I've tried most of the big ones out there (Founders All Day, Go-To, Easy Jack, and Pinner). All excellent breweries with many other beers that I love, but the style just isn't for me.

 

I like Easy Jack, but overall, this "style" isn't for me. If you're looking for something lighter with a lower ABV, drinking something other than an IPA won't kill you. Try a pils, a helles, a kolsch, a Berliner weisse, an Anchor Steam. There's plenty of flavor out there.

 

When you're going to be drinking an extended period of time and want some hoppy flavor i reach for the following (in no particular order):
1.) SNPA
2.) 12th of Never\
3.) Easy Jack
4.) Lag DayTime
-----------------------------
I did like All Day IPA but Ive been drinking them fairly often and have picked up this artificially tasting aftertaste - it's probably just me though..

 

I don't seek sessions out, but there are some that are very tasty. Hell, they taste better than some regular IPA offerings from good breweries. Lawson's Super Session #2 and Sip of Sunshine are two off the top of my head that surprised me with how much flavor they had.

 

I've had several good session IPA's. Many of them listed here like Easy Jack, Left of the Dial and Lawson's Super Session #2. The concept is great since so many beers today are so high in ABV you start to get drunk too fast. This should translate into being able to kick back a bunch of these beers in a sitting without getting overly drunk.

Now for the problem, individually I find many of them very enjoyable but if you actually drink a bunch in a row you start to realize that their flavor profile gets monotonous because they lack depth. I found that out when I bought a keg of Easy Jack, at first I loved it but pretty soon I was hoping for the keg to kick. So there's the rub, you CAN drink more of them at a time but you don't WANT to. At least that's my take. If I was at a bar I'd order one between other beers but not a bunch in a row.

 

Founders all day IPA, while not amazing, is a pretty good session IMO. That's my "going to a party and needing to sip on a lighter beer that's somewhat hoppy go-to". Other Half baby diamonds is a good session as well, but that's only going to be available to people going to the brewery to get it.

 

Except the box that says "session".

 

Well, if we're going to quibble between the 4.7% in Founders All Day and the 5.9% in the Luponic, I'd take the latter, pour an ounce or two out for the homies and call it a wash

 

To counter that (or add to that depending on how you read this ), just for arguments sake nothing personal:
1) It's BY FAR the best $/oz of their lineup. $16 for 15x12oz, or (double trouble) $13 for 4x12oz. FBS/FIS/DD are even more. Azacca and Centennial are more direct competition price wise with Stone/Lagunitas etc 6pks, but All Day 15pks were more of an 'innovation.'
2) That's the way it is with every brewery, they align their production, marketing, and placements (corporate tap lists and grocery store shelf space) in one trajectory, for not only one brew, but for retail, one single SKU (in this case the barcode on the All Day 15pk). I believe the SN rep that posts on here said SNPA is >80% of their total business, and I'd bet 75% of that slice is 6pk bottles. I'm sure the same or more for BBC/ Boston Lager.


All Day is popular, anyone disagreeing with you about that is plain wrong. It's a pretty good beer. I've noticed a lot of women seem to like it too, hoppy but not too filling, nothing wrong with either of those, either!