Triple IPA?

Had a 4 pack of Green Bullet that lasted a while. Usually drink 2 or 3 good beers and switch to something cheap. Changed those to Green Bullets. In all fairness though there was no date so I don't know how old it was. Would love to try a fresh one but how do you know?

 

I have been brewing for 20 years and don't boil my barleywine wort any longer than my IPA wort...although that's the kind of thing you can play with for any beer. My point is that there is already a category for what you are calling a IIIPA. It is the Imperial IPA category. I don't think upping the ABV and hops further creates yet another style. What suddenly becomes incorrect about the IIPA guidelines of high hop aroma, high hop flavor, high hop bitterness, high alcohol, etc? If you are substantively outside of the IIPA category guidelines, then I am suggesting you are most likely in the American-style barleywine, Belgian style pale strong ale category, or some other existing category.
I can understand the logic of adding "imperial" to many beer styles when that they have substantially changed the profile of the beer category, but I don't see the logic of continuing to add triple, quadruple, quintuple, categories to every existing style category.

 

The best one I've had. Wish I could get another one of those.

 

For arguments sake

You could reverse the ABV on a session and make it actually go down instead of up (like a true Imperial)...

Hence a 3% or less ABV session could be an Imperial/Double Session and lets say anything under 1.75% ABV would be a Triple Session...

Water coming in as a Quad

My useless work here is done...

 

Clown Shoes makes a Belgian Style Tripel IPA called Muffin Top which I tried yesterday. One of the more balanced I've had of this "style" and was quite enjoyable.

 

Good post. I have no issue with people saying "imperial can encompass so-called IIIPAs". You're right; nothing about the style description becomes off except the ABV in some extreme cases. I tend to agree with that opinion.

All I was getting at is the the style description from Barleywine is WAY off and it is absurd to say IIIPAs can be called Quads. If the former were the case, i.e. IIIPAs are Barleywines, then you could also argue that pretty much all imperial IPAs were Barleywines too and maybe we don't even need the Imperial IPA category, right? That's just silly.

 

As a few others have mentioned, Boneyard Notorious is probably the best IPA I have had that is labeled as "triple". You would never know it had that kind of ABV. So smooth.

As far as whether Triple IPA should be a style, I actually don't mind the labeling (even if it is just marketing) because it gives me a better idea of what that beer is. If it said Double IPA and then listed a 12% ABV, I would probably say, "Woah, that's a huge double IPA!". But since it's labeled a triple, I am expecting something like that. No different to me than "session IPA".

 

I found Hoptimum to be more boozy than Hi-Res. Give it a try.

 

Well.. Someone made me eat my words. That's pretty damn thought provoking.

 

Fresh Green Bullet is awesome. Tons of pineapple and pretty smooth without being overly sweet or hot.

 

Speak for yourself. If you weigh a buck fifty or sixty...

;-)

 

*places pinkie at corner of mouth*

One-miiiiiiiilllllion IIIIIIIIIIPA!!!

*trumpet sting*

 

I wonder if a bunch of Belgian monks were having a similar philosophical discussion 500 years ago.

 

...so would you consider that to be a west coast IPA? I felt the same about Enjoy By

 

I think the double/triple IPA distinction is pretty arbitrary, really. I prefer to call anything beyond IPA "imperial IPA" for simplicity. I mean, consider RuinTen (10.8% and a hoptomic bomb) which is only labeled a "double IPA." Anyway, if some brewers wanna call certain of their hoppiest ales "triple IPAs," whatever. Doesn't really bother me.

I've tried two triple-dubbed IPAs: Green Bullet and Midnight Sun's recently reborn 7 deadly sin series beer, Gluttony Triple IPA. Both I enjoy lots.

 

had a few triple IPAs at EBF...

I dont like my IPAs overly boozy. And with triple ipas usually comes High ABV.

With that said, i wasnt a huge fan of beers like hi res and molotov cocktail. Much prefer a double IPA

 

local brewery in Cleveland platform has a quad ipa called hubris its delicious

 

http://platformbeerco.com/hubris-release-tuesday-october-28

 

I have tried the 2015 Hi-Res now. It's a damn good beer, and wow is the 10.5 abv well-hidden. Only a slight warmth on the finish as it warms.