151 replies to this topic

[Mya]

not the best example, but Mack and Jacks was hazy and hoppy long before any of these NE style beers, the concept isn't new

[denny]

What's the benefit of clear beer? The benefit is in the mind of the end user. Both clear beer and hazy NE pales/IPA are the result of deliberate choices made by the brewers. It's been mentioned many times before but the haze is a byproduct of a recipe and process that seeks to deliver that mouthfeel paired with extremely fresh dry hop character. The character is different than what you get with a more standard process and my gut feeling is that it is a result of the haze binding up a lot of flavorful hop compounds that otherwise drop out either absolutely or selectively. 

 

As another example of varied perception among tasters, I have never found the mouthfeel to be thick, as you called it. To me it is actually quite light and airy. It does not exist with low or no carbonation. The carbonation seems expansive, light, airy, and mouth filling which obviously many people have found pleasant. I have never experienced that mouthfeel with any other process. If you brew with a process that prevents the haze from forming you will not get the same mouthfeel and you will not get the same dry hop character. It will be different.

 

 

You have suggested that brewers at these breweries beers are lazy. You have remarked that these wildly popular beers are just a gimmick. You employed multiple platforms to state your thoughts before ever tasting a fresh example of the style. It sure sounds like your trying to sway someone's opinion.

 

The benefit of clear beer is at least part aesthetic.  It's pleasurable to look at it a-it and see the sparkle of light and the stream of bubbles rising through the glass. At least for me.  But more than that, it gives the beer a crispness that enhances the flavor that I enjoy and haven't found in a lot of the NE examples.  In the cloudiest of the NE beers, the flavor, as good as it is, comes across as muted.

 

Are the brewers lazy?  Who knows?  It was speculation.  Can you tell me for a fact that's not it?  I still feel that these beers are a gimmick and fad like black IPA and will eventually fade in to the background like they have.  As to the comment that I'm trying to sway people's opinion, why the hell would I do that?  I don't benefit in any way from swaying their opinion.  As a matter of fact, I'm happy that people can find beers they like.  Whether or not I care for them has no bearing on it.

[HVB]

The benefit of clear beer is at least part aesthetic. It's pleasurable to look at it a-it and see the sparkle of light and the stream of bubbles rising through the glass. At least for me. But more than that, it gives the beer a crispness that enhances the flavor that I enjoy and haven't found in a lot of the NE examples. In the cloudiest of the NE beers, the flavor, as good as it is, comes across as muted.

Are the brewers lazy? Who knows? It was speculation. Can you tell me for a fact that's not it? I still feel that these beers are a gimmick and fad like black IPA and will eventually fade in to the background like they have. As to the comment that I'm trying to sway people's opinion, why the hell would I do that? I don't benefit in any way from swaying their opinion. As a matter of fact, I'm happy that people can find beers they like. Whether or not I care for them has no bearing on it.

Again you said fad, when is it no longer a fad?

[Genesee Ted]

I will say, at the lay brewery I brewed at, we used to DE filter our IPA and due to to heavy dry hops it would still be somewhat hazy. If you did a side by side, of sample port vs filter sample, it was always much clearer, but the hops were super muted.

[cavman]

I've had super hop flavored clear beer like Finback Oscillation 3 and though the hop flavor is similar it is not the same as a Treehouse, Trillium or similar beer. The softness of the malt is much different, the Finback reminds me of a Jacks Abby beer which are basically IPA fermented as a lager.

[positiveContact]

I've had super hop flavored clear beer like Finback Oscillation 3 and though the hop flavor is similar it is not the same as a Treehouse, Trillium or similar beer. The softness of the malt is much different, the Finback reminds me of a Jacks Abby beer which are basically IPA fermented as a lager.

 

that's been similar to my experience as well.  it's a diff kind of hoppy.

[denny]

Again you said fad, when is it no longer a fad?

When the demand falls off. It's too soon for either of us to know which way it will go.

[HVB]

When the demand falls off. It's too soon for either of us to know which way it will go.

So anything can be a fad by that logic. 

[denny]

So anything can be a fad by that logic. 

 

Anything can be, but not everything is.  Look, I'm really sorry of I've offended you somehow.  That was far from my intention.  I can't tell you how much I appreciate your generosity.  But is it possible you're taking this a bit too personally?  I'm trying very hard not to be judgemental about anyone's tastes.  Just stating my own.

[HVB]

Anything can be, but not everything is.  Look, I'm really sorry of I've offended you somehow.  That was far from my intention.  I can't tell you how much I appreciate your generosity.  But is it possible you're taking this a bit too personally?  I'm trying very hard not to be judgemental about anyone's tastes.  Just stating my own.

I am not offended.  I will just move on then ...

[HVB]

Haze rules!!

 

I figured we all needed a break from low oxygen brewing

[cavman]

I'm going to make a low oxygen SMB loaded haze bomb the lack of o2 should make them hops pop!

[neddles]

In!

[Mya]

I'm going to make a low oxygen SMB loaded haze bomb the lack of o2 should make them hops pop!

SMB?

[cavman]

SMB?

read that other thread Mick

[Mya]

read that other thread Mick

got it, never referred to it as SMB before

[denny]

If anyone still cares, my review of the beers drez sent is now live...https://www.experime...rough-your-beer

[cavman]

Good to see your thoughts on these.

The Night Shift beer won bronze for American IPA at the World Beer Cup.

Edited by cavman, 20 May 2016 - 11:49 AM.

[denny]

Good to see your thoughts on these.

The Night Shift beer won bronze for American IPA at the World Beer Cup.

 

I really liked that one.

[positiveContact]

I'm going to chalk this up to a matter of preference.  The fact that Denny doesn't enjoy HT right off the bat tells me there is a good chance we are going to have differences in opinion on a lot of beers that are like that.  HT is one of my favorite hoppy beers.  just so freakin' good.  the fact that it's hard to get has nothing to do with it b/c that is actually my least favorite part about it.  I hate all of that kind of thing that is going on with beer.  it's one of the reasons that a lot of these kinds of beers I've tried have been gifted to me by people who are willing to make that special trip, stand in line, etc.  but I really do appreciate the effort b/c a lot of them have been really great and change my ideas about what beer can be like.

 

I happen to also really like west coast IPAs.  stone, Russian river, etc.  also some of my all time favorite beers.  they just happen to be different than some of the stuff being brewed in new England right now.  not a problem for me - I love it all.  and I've tried to mimic the flavors of both types of IPAs in my own beer.  I like having a variety of hoppy beers and not just one kind.

 

regarding any sense of rivalry or anything like that I just don't see it around here.  for instance, stone's hoppy offerings are hugely popular among my hoppy beer drinking friends.  so is HT, tree house and others.  there is no "we do it better than them" type of thing going on here.  perhaps this is a case of the west coast brewers and beer drinkers not wanting to share any of the hoppy beer spot light?  it's been so west coast dominated for so long maybe this is a bit of a shock.

Edited by Evil_Morty, 23 May 2016 - 08:20 AM.