4 ms·

Yeah, the obsession in America over IPAs really needs to end. I'm sure this is a good brew, but the vast majority of them seem to me to be an exercise in absurd

Yeah, the obsession in America over IPAs really needs to end. I'm sure this is a good brew, but the vast majority of them seem to me to be an exercise in absurdity. Too high ABV and so bitter you can't taste the fact that most of these beers have nothing else to offer in terms of body or flavor. I liken it to Starbucks drip, you like it because in order to make it palatable you have to dump sugar and cream into it.

jhbadger 10y ago
I think it is more like getting used to spice. In the 1980s it used to be often repeated in the US that Mexican, Thai, and Indian food was ridiculously spiced and that there was no flavor except peppers and that the only reason to eat these dishes was to prove that you could take it. But eventually a lot of even US people developed palettes used to spice and could appreciate that there is a reason these dishes have a lot of spice. It's the same with hops.
- beat 10y ago
  Meh. There's a difference between a complex flavor that happens to be spicy, and a mere heat bomb. Take a Wendy's spicy chicken sandwich, for example. That's a heat bomb. It's awful, but it's very spicy. Meanwhile, two of my favorite Indian restaurants in town (well, one Indian, and one Trinidad) can serve most of their dishes with zero peppers - no heat, just flavor. Peppers can be added all the way up to gut-melting levels, of course. Beer is the same way. Complexity and bitterness are two different things, and you don't need a ton of bitterness to get the complexity.
SippinLean 10y ago
>Too high ABV and so bitter You're describing "West Coast" style IPAs, "NE-style" (like Heady) are almost entirely different, and rarely bitter; Monkish famously had a "0 IBU" IPA >you can't taste the fact that most of these beers have nothing else to offer in terms of body or flavor What? IPA, especially DIPA is one of the most full-bodied styles available. Imperials can go into the ~10% category but a lot of IPAs are closer to ~5%. >I liken it to Starbucks drip, you like it because in order to make it palatable you have to dump sugar and cream into it. I guess the argument could apply to adjunct stouts, but the flavors and aromas hops add to a beer aren't valid anymore? We've used them since the 9th century (granted not to IPA levels).
joezydeco 10y ago
most of these beers have nothing else to offer in terms of body or flavor The hoppiness can also hide a lot of problems in the beer. Having spent a lot of time in Germany I can appreciate the pilsners, where the mistakes have nowhere to hide.
- SippinLean 10y ago
  >The hoppiness can also hide a lot of problems in the beer. A common myth, the hardest part of a pils is maybe the decoction mash and having good water. IPAs and DIPAs are much more complex recipes requiring several steps post-fermentation, pils really just needs to be lagered. Any commercial brewery will have solved sanitation and 90% of off-flavors, they don't brew IPA because they are easy, they do it because they sell. https://www.reddit.com/r/beercirclejerk/comments/5dqvu0/double_ipas_the_easiest_beer_in_the_world_to_make/ https://www.reddit.com/r/beercirclejerk/comments/5dqvu0/doub...
  - kd0amg 10y ago
    What steps did you have in mind? It's been some time since I last made an IPA, but I don't remember it involving any more post-fermentation work than anything else I've made.
arprocter 10y ago
I had no idea of the hype around this particular beer. My friend in MA had some in his fridge, I cracked one open and it wasn't particularly life-changing - another hoppy IPA. If you're into lagers check out Jack's Abby

jhbadger 10y ago

I think it is more like getting used to spice. In the 1980s it used to be often repeated in the US that Mexican, Thai, and Indian food was ridiculously spiced and that there was no flavor except peppers and that the only reason to eat these dishes was to prove that you could take it. But eventually a lot of even US people developed palettes used to spice and could appreciate that there is a reason these dishes have a lot of spice. It's the same with hops.

beat 10y ago
Meh. There's a difference between a complex flavor that happens to be spicy, and a mere heat bomb. Take a Wendy's spicy chicken sandwich, for example. That's a heat bomb. It's awful, but it's very spicy. Meanwhile, two of my favorite Indian restaurants in town (well, one Indian, and one Trinidad) can serve most of their dishes with zero peppers - no heat, just flavor. Peppers can be added all the way up to gut-melting levels, of course. Beer is the same way. Complexity and bitterness are two different things, and you don't need a ton of bitterness to get the complexity.

SippinLean 10y ago

>Too high ABV and so bitter You're describing "West Coast" style IPAs, "NE-style" (like Heady) are almost entirely different, and rarely bitter; Monkish famously had a "0 IBU" IPA >you can't taste the fact that most of these beers have nothing else to offer in terms of body or flavor What? IPA, especially DIPA is one of the most full-bodied styles available. Imperials can go into the ~10% category but a lot of IPAs are closer to ~5%. >I liken it to Starbucks drip, you like it because in order to make it palatable you have to dump sugar and cream into it. I guess the argument could apply to adjunct stouts, but the flavors and aromas hops add to a beer aren't valid anymore? We've used them since the 9th century (granted not to IPA levels).

joezydeco 10y ago

most of these beers have nothing else to offer in terms of body or flavor The hoppiness can also hide a lot of problems in the beer. Having spent a lot of time in Germany I can appreciate the pilsners, where the mistakes have nowhere to hide.

SippinLean 10y ago
>The hoppiness can also hide a lot of problems in the beer. A common myth, the hardest part of a pils is maybe the decoction mash and having good water. IPAs and DIPAs are much more complex recipes requiring several steps post-fermentation, pils really just needs to be lagered. Any commercial brewery will have solved sanitation and 90% of off-flavors, they don't brew IPA because they are easy, they do it because they sell. https://www.reddit.com/r/beercirclejerk/comments/5dqvu0/double_ipas_the_easiest_beer_in_the_world_to_make/ https://www.reddit.com/r/beercirclejerk/comments/5dqvu0/doub...
- kd0amg 10y ago
  What steps did you have in mind? It's been some time since I last made an IPA, but I don't remember it involving any more post-fermentation work than anything else I've made.

arprocter 10y ago

I had no idea of the hype around this particular beer. My friend in MA had some in his fridge, I cracked one open and it wasn't particularly life-changing - another hoppy IPA. If you're into lagers check out Jack's Abby