Craft IPA

The Something Awful Forums > Archives > General Bullshit > Craft IPA

Sizone: Sep 13, 2007; by LadyAmbien

will be drinking on some anchor steam after work. haven't had it in, like, a decade. p' loving good. a little too hoppy but also nice and malty, like a doubleboch light. the orange/tan labels and the teal bottles caps are also a really ascetically pleasing combination.

# ? Jul 6, 2015 00:25

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# ? Apr 27, 2024 03:17

Professor Shark: May 22, 2012

I think Pilsners are becoming a thing, as well as Session ales.

Working class beer, millennials want to role play being working class and having jobs.

I like Steam Whistle Pilsner, it's solid.

# ? Jul 6, 2015 00:36

RaceBannon: Apr 3, 2010

Just popped open a bottle of $2.89 750 ml. Winking Owl Merlot.

# ? Jul 6, 2015 00:40

Crazyweasel: Oct 29, 2006; lazy

Professor Shark posted:

I think Pilsners are becoming a thing, as well as Session ales.

Working class beer, millennials want to role play being working class and having jobs.

I like Steam Whistle Pilsner, it's solid.

Visited Steam Whistle when my friends and I went to Toronto 5 years ago. Love it...got a bunch of free beer, tour, and super sweet bottle opener with a pointed end to assist in shotgunning beer.

Is it available in the states?

# ? Jul 6, 2015 00:47

XMNN: Apr 26, 2008; I am incredibly stupid

it was pretty nice today

i drank some decidedly agricultural cider, some pretty hoppy pale ales and a plum porter which was p fruity

the cider was best despite or perhaps because of the taste of cowshit

# ? Jul 6, 2015 00:48

Clitch: Feb 26, 2002; I lived through
Donald Trump's presidency
and all I got was
this lousy virus

Myron Baloney posted:

"Fantasy Factory"

BOTTLE: Brown glass. Branded green pry-off pressure cap. Boasts some of the best label art I've ever seen.

Acquired: via trade with Duff27. Thanks, man!

Reviewed live at low altitude in Austin, TX. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

Vintage: 2015.
ABV: 6.3% ABV.
Style: IPA (per the label).
Serving Temp: Cold.
Serving vessel: Pilsner glass.
Expectations: High. I was pleasantly surprised with Silk Scorpion.

No bubble show forms as it's poured.

HEAD: ~1 inch wide. Off-white colour. Nice creamy thick consistency. Even-keeled, soft-looking, and aptly frothy for the style. Leaves a light ring of lacing as it recedes.

Retention: ~4-5 minutes. Pretty good for the style.

BODY: Striking, with an unusual haziness suggestive of hop oils. Translucent transparent yellow-copper of below average vibrance. No yeast particles or hop sediment is visible, but I wouldn't call it a clean appearance.

Appears well-carbonated, with a body indicative of a lack of filtration.

AROMA: Pale malts, biscuit malt, graham cracker, clean barley. The malts seem nicely in step with the hop profile, which is comprised of dank resins, pleasant floral character, and some tropical fruit (primarily mango and tangerine). Given the tropical leanings, I suspect new world hop varieties were used (I'm not great at guessing, but maybe mosaic, galaxy, or the like).

No yeast character, booze, or off-notes are detectable.

Aromatic intensity: above average.

Suggests a sticky coating brew with a rough-around-the-edges balance and a ripe taste.

TASTE: The pale malt backbone is bolstered by some English leaning biscuit malt as well as a dab of caramalt and some pleasant graham cracker character on the fringe.

The hop profile is dominated by tropical fruit: mango, tangerine, maybe a bit of pineapple (which is a note I usually despise in beer, but it doesn't bother me here). Resinous, with touches of dank herbal character. It's a biteen candied, which doesn't do it any favours. In spite of the tangerine, I'm reticent to call this citrusy; there aren't juicy fruity bursts of orange or grapefruit. It has some floral character, of course, but it's secondary to the ripe tropical fruit. As it comes to temperature, I pick up on some faint pith, but no real fruit peel. A kiss of bitter rind, sure.

Depth of flavour: Average.
Flavour duration: Average.
Flavour intensity: Average, though notable considering its scant 6.30% ABV.
Flavour amplitude: Nice.

It's a decently balanced brew, but isn't quite dialed in; there's not a harmony of malts to hops, and I find it a bit too sweet. It's complex for its modest ABV, but sure there are far more intricate IPAs out there.

No yeast character or off-notes come through, though the alcohol is far more noticeable than it should be.

Constructively, I'd like to see them tone down the sweetness (starting with removing the candied element and some caramalt) and play up the fruit. The pineapple needs to go, and some flaked malts would leaven the body appropriately.

TEXTURE: Chewy, slightly oily, medium-bodied, and a touch too thick. Smooth and wet enough to be refreshing without going full-out slick and reducing flavour duration. Overcarbonated.

Not oily, gushed, hot, boozy, astringent, harsh, rough, or scratchy.

This mouthfeel complements the taste well enough, but doesn't feel custom-tailored specifically to the flavour profile and fails to elevate the beer. No notes are accentuated, aside from maybe the mild hop oil flavour. A cleaner, lighter body would provide more effective delivery of flavour.

OVERALL: Drinkable though this is, the discerning drinker will be unimpressed. It's a nice IPA from Wisconsin and I'm glad I got to try it, but the wide availability of superior offerings will make this a brew I don't intend to revisit. Far from world-class, but it's clearly an inspired brew, and won't disappoint.

Huge thanks to Duff27 for the bottle!

C+ (3.16)

It's like someone wrote a bad poem about wanting to be punched in the face.

# ? Jul 6, 2015 01:00

ColtMcAsskick: Nov 7, 2010

Myron Baloney posted:

"Fantasy Factory"

BOTTLE: Brown glass. Branded green pry-off pressure cap. Boasts some of the best label art I've ever seen.

Acquired: via trade with Duff27. Thanks, man!

Reviewed live at low altitude in Austin, TX. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

Vintage: 2015.
ABV: 6.3% ABV.
Style: IPA (per the label).
Serving Temp: Cold.
Serving vessel: Pilsner glass.
Expectations: High. I was pleasantly surprised with Silk Scorpion.

No bubble show forms as it's poured.

HEAD: ~1 inch wide. Off-white colour. Nice creamy thick consistency. Even-keeled, soft-looking, and aptly frothy for the style. Leaves a light ring of lacing as it recedes.

Retention: ~4-5 minutes. Pretty good for the style.

BODY: Striking, with an unusual haziness suggestive of hop oils. Translucent transparent yellow-copper of below average vibrance. No yeast particles or hop sediment is visible, but I wouldn't call it a clean appearance.

Appears well-carbonated, with a body indicative of a lack of filtration.

AROMA: Pale malts, biscuit malt, graham cracker, clean barley. The malts seem nicely in step with the hop profile, which is comprised of dank resins, pleasant floral character, and some tropical fruit (primarily mango and tangerine). Given the tropical leanings, I suspect new world hop varieties were used (I'm not great at guessing, but maybe mosaic, galaxy, or the like).

No yeast character, booze, or off-notes are detectable.

Aromatic intensity: above average.

Suggests a sticky coating brew with a rough-around-the-edges balance and a ripe taste.

TASTE: The pale malt backbone is bolstered by some English leaning biscuit malt as well as a dab of caramalt and some pleasant graham cracker character on the fringe.

The hop profile is dominated by tropical fruit: mango, tangerine, maybe a bit of pineapple (which is a note I usually despise in beer, but it doesn't bother me here). Resinous, with touches of dank herbal character. It's a biteen candied, which doesn't do it any favours. In spite of the tangerine, I'm reticent to call this citrusy; there aren't juicy fruity bursts of orange or grapefruit. It has some floral character, of course, but it's secondary to the ripe tropical fruit. As it comes to temperature, I pick up on some faint pith, but no real fruit peel. A kiss of bitter rind, sure.

Depth of flavour: Average.
Flavour duration: Average.
Flavour intensity: Average, though notable considering its scant 6.30% ABV.
Flavour amplitude: Nice.

It's a decently balanced brew, but isn't quite dialed in; there's not a harmony of malts to hops, and I find it a bit too sweet. It's complex for its modest ABV, but sure there are far more intricate IPAs out there.

No yeast character or off-notes come through, though the alcohol is far more noticeable than it should be.

Constructively, I'd like to see them tone down the sweetness (starting with removing the candied element and some caramalt) and play up the fruit. The pineapple needs to go, and some flaked malts would leaven the body appropriately.

TEXTURE: Chewy, slightly oily, medium-bodied, and a touch too thick. Smooth and wet enough to be refreshing without going full-out slick and reducing flavour duration. Overcarbonated.

Not oily, gushed, hot, boozy, astringent, harsh, rough, or scratchy.

This mouthfeel complements the taste well enough, but doesn't feel custom-tailored specifically to the flavour profile and fails to elevate the beer. No notes are accentuated, aside from maybe the mild hop oil flavour. A cleaner, lighter body would provide more effective delivery of flavour.

OVERALL: Drinkable though this is, the discerning drinker will be unimpressed. It's a nice IPA from Wisconsin and I'm glad I got to try it, but the wide availability of superior offerings will make this a brew I don't intend to revisit. Far from world-class, but it's clearly an inspired brew, and won't disappoint.

Huge thanks to Duff27 for the bottle!

C+ (3.16)

Wow this guy would suck to drink with

# ? Jul 6, 2015 01:31

thathonkey: Jul 17, 2012

quote:

Chewy, slightly oily, medium-bodied, and a touch too thick. Smooth and wet enough to be refreshing without going full-out slick and reducing flavour duration. Overcarbonated.

Not oily, gushed, hot, boozy, astringent, harsh, rough, or scratchy.

this reads word for word like the review of my dick

# ? Jul 6, 2015 01:34

Fluo: May 25, 2007

Crazyweasel posted:

I'm not drinking a craft IPA at the moment but I've had them in the past and they are pretty good. Currently drinking a Shipyard Summer (kinda cheating because I'm using a Heineken koozie)

Who else is drinking on this beautiful July 5th? I'm assuming it's as nice across the world as it is in New England

Hops don't travel well so no. The best Craft IPAs are what ever is local to you as it's fresher. Takes 2-3months by cargo ship from North America to Europe and vice versa so unless it's more of a malt primary beer like a Barley Wine or Stout it will almost always be better having local IPAs.

# ? Jul 6, 2015 01:36

Wall Balls: Jun 3, 2007; Spanish Castle Magic

ipas like most other beer types are good and nice to drink

# ? Jul 6, 2015 01:40

Fluo: May 25, 2007

Wall Balls posted:

ipas like most other beer types are good and nice to drink

# ? Jul 6, 2015 01:40

XMNN: Apr 26, 2008; I am incredibly stupid

Fluo posted:

Hops don't travel well so no. The best Craft IPAs are what ever is local to you as it's fresher. Takes 2-3months by cargo ship from North America to Europe and vice versa so unless it's more of a malt primary beer like a Barley Wine or Stout it will almost always be better having local IPAs.

i thought ipas were designed for shipping the long way round to india though? i guess taste might not have been a primary concern

# ? Jul 6, 2015 01:42

Drunk Nerds: Jan 25, 2011; Just close your eyes; Fun Shoe

XMNN posted:

i thought ipas were designed for shipping the long way round to india though? i guess taste might not have been a primary concern

That's actually a myth.

# ? Jul 6, 2015 01:44

Drunk Nerds: Jan 25, 2011; Just close your eyes; Fun Shoe

My friend brought some Pliny the Elder to 4th of July. Of the 200 IPA I've tasted and rated, it is fourth, so I was glad to see it again.
third is Stone Brewery 2014 anniversary ale
tied for first is Heady Topper and Stone Enjoy By

# ? Jul 6, 2015 01:45

Harald: Jul 10, 2009; by Fluffdaddy

i like most beers but IPA's particularly well

# ? Jul 6, 2015 01:45

Fluo: May 25, 2007

XMNN posted:

i thought ipas were designed for shipping the long way round to india though? i guess taste might not have been a primary concern

They would add hops into the wooden casks on the journey multiple times

You can not do this to sealed bottles and cans in a cargo crate

# ? Jul 6, 2015 01:47

Fluo: May 25, 2007

Drunk Nerds posted:

That's actually a myth.

part myth, part truth

it was done to most beers to help preserve the beer on the trips

IPA wasn't invented because of this though

# ? Jul 6, 2015 01:51

Xaris: Jul 25, 2006; Lucky there's a family guy
Lucky there's a man who positively can do
All the things that make us
Laugh and cry

Drunk Nerds posted:

My friend brought some Pliny the Elder to 4th of July. Of the 200 IPA I've tasted and rated, it is fourth, so I was glad to see it again.
third is Stone Brewery 2014 anniversary ale
tied for first is Heady Topper and Stone Enjoy By

I grew up next to Russian River brewing company, Pliny the Elder is aight. They have a new one, Pliny the Younger that's also pretty good. I used to work almost next door to Lagunitas which imo is super overrated. but I went there a bunch after work and it's tolerable.

Xaris fucked around with this message at 02:01 on Jul 6, 2015

# ? Jul 6, 2015 01:51

Drunk Nerds: Jan 25, 2011; Just close your eyes; Fun Shoe

Xaris posted:

I used to work almost next door to Lagunitas which imo is super overrated.

I grew up a few miles from LAgunitas, and since they changed their formula a few years ago to mass-produce, it's been incredibly undrinkable.
Except Hop Stoopid and their pale ale, but the standard IPA has gone from "pretty good" to "did you clean the mold out of your taps?"

# ? Jul 6, 2015 01:57

Xaris: Jul 25, 2006; Lucky there's a family guy
Lucky there's a man who positively can do
All the things that make us
Laugh and cry

Drunk Nerds posted:

I grew up a few miles from LAgunitas, and since they changed their formula a few years ago to mass-produce, it's been incredibly undrinkable.
Except Hop Stoopid and their pale ale, but the standard IPA has gone from "pretty good" to "did you clean the mold out of your taps?"

Ah yeah. That makes sense. I dunno when they officially changed over but I was working at the SRJC Petaluma campus from about 2010-2012. It was OK then for something to drink with friends after work but I would have never sought it out.

Xaris fucked around with this message at 02:02 on Jul 6, 2015

# ? Jul 6, 2015 02:00

I.C.: Jun 10, 2008

What is a sour?

# ? Jul 6, 2015 02:02

Xaris: Jul 25, 2006; Lucky there's a family guy
Lucky there's a man who positively can do
All the things that make us
Laugh and cry

I.C. posted:

What is a sour?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sour_beer

# ? Jul 6, 2015 02:03

I.C.: Jun 10, 2008

Xaris posted:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sour_beer

Is it really sour though? Or does it just taste gross?

# ? Jul 6, 2015 02:06

XMNN: Apr 26, 2008; I am incredibly stupid

Fluo posted:

They would add hops into the wooden casks on the journey multiple times

You can not do this to sealed bottles and cans in a cargo crate

interesting

# ? Jul 6, 2015 02:07

Xaris: Jul 25, 2006; Lucky there's a family guy
Lucky there's a man who positively can do
All the things that make us
Laugh and cry

I.C. posted:

Is it really sour though? Or does it just taste gross?

It's not like eating the bottom of sour-skittles but yes there's usually a strong sour taste to it. It's sort of like Kombucha+Beer though that's not a fair comparison. The first time I had it I thought it was gross but then it grows on you a lot.

If you can ever find it, Anderson Valley has some good ones
https://avbc.com/blood-orange-gose/
https://avbc.com/the-kimmie-the-yink-the-holy-gose/

Rare Barrel here in Berkeley is amazing too but I don't think they sell it outside of the area.

# ? Jul 6, 2015 02:10

let it mellow: Jun 1, 2000; Dinosaur Gum

p much all beers are good but idiot shitfuckers that talk about their IPAs like that 50000 word review that said average, average average are loving terrible and make me want to just drink good American macro lagers, altho I currently have a red stripe

good call whoever mentioned Kirkland light I have some in the basement fridge, that might be my next one

# ? Jul 6, 2015 02:15

Drunk Nerds: Jan 25, 2011; Just close your eyes; Fun Shoe

Xaris posted:

It's not like eating the bottom of sour-skittles but yes there's usually a strong sour taste to it. It's sort of like Kombucha+Beer though that's not a fair comparison. The first time I had it I thought it was gross but then it grows on you a lot.

If you can ever find it, Anderson Valley has some good ones
https://avbc.com/blood-orange-gose/
https://avbc.com/the-kimmie-the-yink-the-holy-gose/

Rare Barrel here in Berkeley is amazing too but I don't think they sell it outside of the area.

Blood orange gose was loving crazy. They really walked the line in terms of how strong the taste was, but it came out GREAT

Sour in the Rye is amazing if it's available in your area.

# ? Jul 6, 2015 02:16

Drunk Nerds: Jan 25, 2011; Just close your eyes; Fun Shoe

jackyl posted:

p much all beers are good but idiot shitfuckers that talk about their IPAs like that 50000 word review that said average, average average are loving terrible and make me want to just drink good American macro lagers, altho I currently have a red stripe

good call whoever mentioned Kirkland light I have some in the basement fridge, that might be my next one

I start off with a carefully chosen IPA or two, then shift to pounding 40s of Miller High Life. Best of both worlds.

# ? Jul 6, 2015 02:16

Drunk Nerds: Jan 25, 2011; Just close your eyes; Fun Shoe

XMNN posted:

interesting

Yeah. I'm glad a lot of research into IPA has been done in this past year, because it settles the "myth"/"not a myth" debate that happens so much (like with me ten posts ago).

# ? Jul 6, 2015 02:18

Xaris: Jul 25, 2006; Lucky there's a family guy
Lucky there's a man who positively can do
All the things that make us
Laugh and cry

Drunk Nerds posted:

Blood orange goose was loving crazy. They really walked the line in terms of how strong the taste was, but it came out GREAT

Sour in the Rye is amazing if it's available in your area.

Yeah sadly the stuff is out of season

I met some of the brewers at a Whole Foods tasting and it was so good I bought 4 6-packs and I should have got more because now I can't get it

Never had the Sour in the Rye but sounds good. I haven''t seen it anywhere from what I can recall but I'll keep an eye out.

# ? Jul 6, 2015 02:18

Drunk Nerds: Jan 25, 2011; Just close your eyes; Fun Shoe

Xaris posted:

Yeah sadly the stuff is out of season I met some of the brewers at a Whole Foods tasting and it was so good I bought 4 6-packs and I should have got more because now I can't get it

Never had the Sour in the Rye but sounds good. I haven''t seen it anywhere from what I can recall but I'll keep an eye out.

Where do you live? I grew up in Novato but have been living in Southern California the last 10-15 years.

My video game clan (their hook is that they put drinking game mods into every steam game, and don't harass women, so its like the only clan with a lot of good looking women and cool people who drink) rated Sour in the Rye second overall in our 2014 annual beer tasting(Heady Topper wasfirst that year)

Drunk Nerds fucked around with this message at 02:25 on Jul 6, 2015

# ? Jul 6, 2015 02:23

grandpas drunk: Jun 10, 2015; by Ralp

I've got cummy tummy so I'm too full for a Indian pale ale but I could sure go for a budwiser light

# ? Jul 6, 2015 02:24

XMNN: Apr 26, 2008; I am incredibly stupid

Drunk Nerds posted:

Yeah. I'm glad a lot of research into IPA has been done in this past year, because it settles the "myth"/"not a myth" debate that happens so much (like with me ten posts ago).

i have been doing a lot of research into ipas this past year :guinness:

# ? Jul 6, 2015 02:25

Drunk Nerds: Jan 25, 2011; Just close your eyes; Fun Shoe

grandpas drunk posted:

cummy tummy

explanation, pleease

# ? Jul 6, 2015 02:25

Xaris: Jul 25, 2006; Lucky there's a family guy
Lucky there's a man who positively can do
All the things that make us
Laugh and cry

Drunk Nerds posted:

Where do you live? I grew up in Novato but have been living in Southern California the last 10-15 years.

My video game clan (their hook is that they put drinking game mods into every steam game, and don't harass women, so its like the only clan with a lot of good looking women and cool people who drink) rated Sour in the Rye second overall in our 2014 annual beer tasting(Heady Topper wasfirst that year)

Ah, Marin-er.

Grew up near Healdsburg, worked in Santa Rosa and Petaluma for awhile. Now I'm over in Berkeley but I still go up that way to hit up Wildflour, parents, and breweries there pretty often. I see that's a SoCal brand so yeah I guess that explains why I haven't seen it but maybe something will carry it.

# ? Jul 6, 2015 02:25

grandpas drunk: Jun 10, 2015; by Ralp

Drunk Nerds posted:

explanation, pleease

The gently caress does it sound like son?

# ? Jul 6, 2015 02:28

Drunk Nerds: Jan 25, 2011; Just close your eyes; Fun Shoe

grandpas drunk posted:

The gently caress does it sound like son?

It sounds like you stomach is so over-flowing with semen that you can't take anything but lite beer?

# ? Jul 6, 2015 02:29

Professor Shark: May 22, 2012

Crazyweasel posted:

Visited Steam Whistle when my friends and I went to Toronto 5 years ago. Love it...got a bunch of free beer, tour, and super sweet bottle opener with a pointed end to assist in shotgunning beer.

Is it available in the states?

Not sure... it has only this past year reached the Maritimes, so probably not?

# ? Jul 6, 2015 02:30

let it mellow: Jun 1, 2000; Dinosaur Gum

Drunk Nerds posted:

explanation, pleease

semeny stomach I think

# ? Jul 6, 2015 02:35

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# ? Apr 27, 2024 03:17

Gentwise: Sep 12, 2003; Gentwise Bankfourthe, Esquire.

down n out posted:

I'm filtering fermented gummy bear hooch through a dirty sock

Nice , had no idea the Lagunitas brewmaster posted here.

# ? Jul 6, 2015 03:06

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