"Vermont-Style" IPAs?

To add my $0.02 re: Tropic Haze, it's a very fine, tasty, and refreshing beer, but I personally wouldn't categorize it as a "NE-Style IPA." Please note this is not meant pejoratively. On the contrary.

Yes, it is somewhat cloudy in appearance, citrus-forward on the nose and taste, and has "tropic" and "haze" in the name and "specialized yeast..." and all that other buzzword jazz in the description, but it's not some utterly opaque, bitterness-free, "pillowy," juice-bomb. It's just a really good, flavorful, moderately bitter, and easy-drinking IPA.

I'm not sure exactly what they were going for, but I'm gonna call it a very successful failure. This one will keep me coming back, rather than just being an interesting novelty. I really like those other kinds of beers, from time to time, when they're done well, but I like these kinds of beers better.

 

Wait, you actually got taste from them?

 

From what I've noticed about NE IPAs brewed in the PNW, they are more like an in between style, instead of the bitterness free pillowy mouthfeel types on the East Coast. Maybe it's the best of both worlds?

 

Works for me. I don't like the style if it doesn't have some bitterness.

 

I agree, and I hope, even though I enjoy those beers very much on occasion, that not all of our breweries push it too far in terms of their mimicry. The sweet spot between maximum hop aroma & flavor and beer-y (rather than straight up juice-y) taste is where I personally love the style the most. Best of both worlds, indeed.

As for Tropic Haze, though, while I'm genuinely a fan of the beer, I wouldn't even classify it as one of our hybrid NW-NE versions. It struck me, in appearance, aroma and taste, as "just" being an unfiltered NW-style IPA. But a very good one none-the-less, so no complaints from me, mind you.

 

I won't name any names, all the beers were from breweries I love, but one of them was literally extremely watered down orange juice. I just don't get it.

 

Finally a full on Milkshake IPA in Oregon. I had The Teach of Peaches from Claim 52 last night (NEIPA with vanilla bean, lactose and peaches) and it was outstanding.

 

Great notion had a strawberry milkshake style IPA as well - strawberry cream. Sorry to have missed it...