"Session IPAs"

I love ESBs but in my area there are only two I can think of off the top of my head and one is probably only available at the brewery, Woodland Empire which opened this January, and the other is Bitch Creek. This is a very neglected style in today's hop forward at all cost consumer mindset. I would love to see more breweries focus on ESB style beers that are low ABV and balanced. Not much beats a good ESB imo.

 

I dig carbonated hop-flavored water

 

they aren't displacing "big IPAs" but they are do take up limited shelf space by displacing other styles. nothing is going to displace IPA shelf space but porters, lagers, hefes, etc. watch out. the session IPA is gonna take your shelf space. imo, with the overabundance of IPAs we really don't need to dedicate any more time, money, or shelf space to essentially a watered down IPA in the form of session IPAs. don't worry, i'm way ahead of you on not buying these beers. i usually just pick up a single bottle in a mix-6 pack to try them out. i have yet to find one impressive enough to justify buying more than 12oz of.

 

There has already been a mention of Victory Headwaters Pale Ale but in addition to that beer I would recommend Two Brothers SideKick as a tasty APA for you to try.

Cheers!

 

Perhaps you're right, but I haven't seen heffs, porters or "lagers" (not a style of beer, FYI) get replaced by session IPAs. Hopefully that doesn't happen.

You and others have used the term "watered down" in this thread and I get help but think that there's nothing wrong with things tasting watered down (not that I think these session IPAs do taste watered down, I'm just speaking in general). I don't want every sip of beer to bash me over the head with intense flavor.

 

I find virtually nothing in common with these "session IPAs" and the beer you see below. If a session IPA is what you think an English bitter tastes like, I suggest you pick this beer up, and if you're lucky, go try some bitters on cask....

 

if you think all sessions are weak and lacking flavor...go try Stones new offering Go to IPA. it drinks like a 7.5 ipa. its so god damn good. so much hop presence for like a 4.6 abv. seriously the best session I've had.

 

Huh, never thought of that. Something akin to a Taras Boulba would be perfect. Maybe it's the yeast strains chosen that make these infinitely better than session IPAs? (to my palate at least)

Or maybe those Belgian brewers are more skilled than the litany of American brewers trying to quickly capitilize on the hop craze before perfecting a style?

 

neither do i. i routinely rail against barrel aged/imperial style beers on these forums. i use the term watered down to describe the malt profile which session IPAs tend to lack. most taste like they are simply 2row pale malt + hops +yeast. that isn't cutting for me as a craft beer enthusiast. the weak malt profile of session IPAs, imo, is no different from the corn syrup taste of AAL. As in craft brewers are using less ingredients, charging the same price, and dupping unsuspecting customers who smell the hops and assume quality when in reality these session IPAs are mere shadows of what a true craft beer should be. again, just my opinion. rip it to shred.s

 

Taras Boulba is head and shoulders above most Belgian beers. I think that what makes it really good is the right yeast and they let the yeast ferment the hell out of everything until it becomes really dry and thin. They do start with a malt base way thicker than any session IPA would dare. The ingredients & recipe being brilliant really helps as well. I think too many American brewers try to make a beer special by adding special ingredients instead of toying with the process, yeast etc. Both American and Belgian brewers have their down and up sides by their approaches we shouldn’t glorify either way of working. What I would like to see more is brewers taking the best approaches from either sides. This is exactly what De la Senne does, they make IPA’s, BIPA etc. they do it in a new way, taking the best of everything. I am a sucker for special ingredients.

 

A good brewer could do a hell of a lot of with just 2 row, hops and yeast (oh and water too). But I hear what you're saying. When something becomes a bit more trendy not-so-good brewers rush to the light too. That said, I haven't had a bad session IPA yet, though I am admittedly easy to please. I guess I'm just happy to see lower strength abv beers on the market and as such, I'm willing to let stuff slide a tad. I suppose I'll become more critical as my consumption of session IPAs increases this summer (as it surely will).

Salute!

 

this was my go to "session ipa" before the "session ipa" craze broke.

and I really don't need anything more, for 7 bucks a sixer, why should I pay 10 for something that to me is not any better

 

@TheFlern, I get where you are coming from. Session IPAs have a tendency to have a thin mouthfeel. It can be challenging to distinguish between the sensory characteristics of flavor vs. mouthfeel.

There is a good article entitled “The Mouthfeel of Beer – A Review” in the Journal of the Institute of Brewing January-February 1993.

“Among the sensory attributes of beer, brewers least understand the concept o mouthfeel, although this attribute is as important to the sensory impact of a beer as appearance, aroma and taste. Jowitt defined mouthfeel as “those textural attributes of a food or beverage responsible for producing tactile sensations on the surface of the oral cavity.”

So, mouthfeel is more of a texture perception vs. a taste/flavor perception.

I too find the thin mouthfeel of Session IPAs to be a less than pleasant texture sensation.

Cheers!

 

The idea of a session IPA isn't a bad thing, but I still have yet to try a good one. Lasso and Loose Leaf are the best ones I've had, but that's not saying a lot. It's like having the best Yugo.
I thing the main reason I dislike the style so much is that there are tons of beers that are within 0.5% of the same ABV that don't taste watery and have 10x the flavor. 3/4 of the beers in Germany and the UK for example.
For that matter, lots of APAs from right here in the US.
To this day I have yet to taste a session IPA that has half the flavor (malt OR hops) of Hazed and Infused, which is only 5% ABV.

 

Chris, have you tried FW Easy Jack yet?

Cheers!

 

nice use of "malt backbone." classic

 

I have and it's honestly just another one. I like most everything else from FW, but Easy Jack was a miss.
At this point, I've given up on the style and will keep drinking SS Minnow from Dry Dock and AK from Hogshead. Both are under 4% ABV and 5x better than any session IPA I've had.

 

"Go to IPA" by Stone is magical!!

 

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THIS^

The issue with calling them IPA's that makes no sense is the complete lack of balance.Most of these "session ipa's" don't have the malt backbone to balance out the hops which is why they are lower abv. They fall into the apa category regardless of what the label says. Some here say so what, or I like the session ipa description better, or even put forward the argument of where the style originated in the 1700's. The status quo for style guidelines for ipa is 5.5% - 7.5% with an average of 6.5%. Why not just use the names for the styles that are already in place to describe the beer? I love how some don't like styles or labels, but on the other hand seem to like the "session IPA" label, which in and of itself is just another label. Why not just call them light lager or kolsh? Because style guidelines were created for a reason.... to give a general description within reason of what you are about to buy or drink. If people don't like styles, then maybe we should just call everything "BEER". Personally, I would prefer if breweries just try to label the beer for whatever style it comes closest to, or if it borders on another style, then pick one and go with it, however in the case of "session IPA's" the lack of malt backbone balance to the hops puts them outside the IPA arena. I mean black ipa...really? How the hell can a black ale be pale? I mean, it's a freakin' hoppy porter. Stone Sprocketbier kolsh..... there's another one...... that's not even close to a kolsh. They may as well have called it a cider or a wheat beer. They would have done better to just call it "BEER".

 

My thoughts exactly until I tailgated in 90+ weather for 5 hours before the game started. Lagunitas Daytime IPA kept me happy, while "In Tact" to be able to enjoy and comprehend the game. There's always a exception to the rule...

CHEERS!