The VIPA

no. just no.

 

I actually don't hate the idea. It might reek of marketing, but there is some viability, in my opinion. Vermont IPA's are highly sought after because the strongest examples - Heady Topper, Crusher, Double Sunshine, Abner, Susan - are so unlike any other anywhere else.

I'm buying it.

Nice writing in the article, though, no?

 

so I guess the bot is CIPA: connecticut ipa. west brook ipa is a SCIPA or south carolina ipa. so on and so forth

 

the VIPA: AKA west coast style IPA.

 

they're only unlike everywhere else if you haven't had fresh IPAs from cali and oregon.

edit: not to mention NEBCO, peekskill, wormtown, trillium, maine beer co., and other non-VTers who do it as well as the VTers and are, in the scheme of things, brewing "west coast style IPAs" ie less crystal malt, more late hops, more weedy/citrusy hops.

 

The Vermont IPA: Any really good IPA.

 

Pretty ridiculous.

 

Funny that people think this is bogus. It references VPB yeast strain and he's pointing out that Vermont popularized a certain style of IPA that is now being imitated by TreeHouse, Nebco etc - just like SN, Lagunitas, Russian River, SD breweries popularized a certain style that became known as "west-coast", the style of IPA the writer describes is very different from the west coast style in mouthfeel and what hop flavors are emphasized. Different water, different yeast strain, different malt profile, less bittering hops....this is a real change from the big bitter, sticky/resinous west-coast style that has predominated. I think Vermont IPA is as good a name as any...since VT popularized the style.

 

yeah, but the author is wrong. VT IPAs aren't very different in hop flavor emphasis nor mouthfeel. additionally, the idea that NEBCO et al are copying HH/alchemist/greg noonan and not west coast breweries is unsubstantiated and, frankly, dubious. if you think west coast IPA means bitter pinecone, you've only been drinking pliny and torpedo.

 

I'm not a big fan of style guidelines but this is a joke.

a) there isn't a style for west-coast ipa or east-coast ipa. it's just IPA - English, American or Imperial.
b) most of the these VT ipas are incredibly close to what many are calling the NZ style ipa (maybe just sub out a hop and use a different yeast, maybe), which is in and of itself very close to the "west-coast" style
c) the author is calling them VT ipas, not because of hops and yeast used, but due to color and clarity, which makes it even more of a joke

 

What an absolute joke.

 

dude runs a bar and writes in the local paper. Gotta get clicks and patrons somehow!! To answer his question though... No.

 

It's a ridiculous assertion. There are some excellent IPAs being brewed in Vermont, but excellence does not equate to a new style, nor does it mean that anything similar owes its pedigree to Vermont. I'm not entirely surprised at the suggestion given how well Vermont has marketed itself in many arenas--I remember a few years ago at VBF, the program announced that they were proudly serving "Vermont tap water," as if the descriptor "Vermont" was needed to describe tap water very clearly being served in Vermont. It would be good marketing for the state to define a "VIPA," but such a distinction doesn't actually exist. Besides, Vermont can already lay claim to the invention of an actual beer style: the oxymoronically named Black IPA/American Black Ale. Maybe that's the real VIPA style.

 

Yeah, cuz we need more styles

 

Dont think it quite deserves its own style designation. A good analogy would be German pilseners. As you head north out of Bavaria, it becomes drier and hoppier but it is recognizably the same type of beer.

 

Actually I lived in California for 3 years and moved back to the east coast this fall. Have drank IPA from all over, essentially try a new one every night if possible. I've discussed this issue with brewers from multiple NE breweries. I understand people taking umbrage with the term "Vermont" - but if you compare the highest rated IPAs on the west coast, to those in New England (most of which have come out in the past 5 years) I'm convinced you'll find the New England IPA's have lower FG on average - they're drier. Everyone's using the same hops, and focusing on late hops, but even still there's a difference in texture/mouthfeel and lack of bitterness when you're talking about the top-rated New England IPA's. The west-coast style is more assertive in general, and there's a reason why there's a "california ale yeast" strain and then there's a strain Vermont Pub and Brewery was using which others are now using, and why there's now a "Vermont IPA" strain commercially...

 

the reason for VT ale yeast is that heady started being canned . It's pretty clean just like chico et al. it's also true that, eg, matt from NEBCO studied in VT, and NEBCOs pale ales are all his recipes (no dis on rob; his malty beers are phenomenal). that said, you look at like stuff from drakes and even lagunitas and thats low IBU high hop oil. shit's common in middle america too. re: low final gravity, uhhhh Pliny...

 

I mean, let's not take away from noonan and subsequently kimmich hill and lawson. they make the best hoppy pale ales in the country now and thats just all there is to it. but let's not pretend that hop bursting hasn't been happening on the west coast and isn't a natural evolution of "the west coast ipa". ibus arent definitive of that general style, low (no) crystal malt, clean fermentation, citrusy/dank hops, low final gravity, that is and has been for longer than HF has been around "the west coast ipa". I mean, vinny puts straight up sugar in pliny to dry it out.

 

Dogfish head: 95 ...?