Red Mosquito

Vanilla seems to miss far more than hit, but Ballast Point Victory at Sea is an exception.

It just always ends up tasting like artificial flavoring to me. Plus, the whole it being vanilla thing.

Have you had Victory at Sea?

I have not. I don't like whatever the .jpg did to stretch out the reply box in this thread though, that's for sure.

I edited it out, but that wasn’t the problem. I think it’s from your Prairie pic.

Oh my.

Well then.

Blueberry cider from Superstition Meadery in Prescott. Tasty for sure, but not really my thing.

As I pour the last five ounces of this mostly terrible local DIPA down the drain and think about going to bed, I admit to god and everyone that this is the worst style of beer imagineable. Maybe even the worst thing to ever happen to the craft beer movement.

IPA?

yeah, i'm a little thrown off by that comment

Double/Imperial IPAs. Local ones, in particular. It’s such an extreme style to begin with, and to brew something that isn’t just a total hop bomb, you need to really up the ante with the malt balance. Too often, this results in something so boozy and so heavy that it feels like a hop flavored barleywine. All subtlety goes out the window.

Again, I’m mostly referring to local versions made by brewers who are just starting to figure out what they’re doing. There’s some really good DIPAs out there, of course.

It’s bad for the craft beer movement in the same way hair metal was bad for rock and roll. Almost all of it is too loud and with little substance

washing machine wrote:It’s bad for the craft beer movement in the same way hair metal was bad for rock and roll. Almost all of it is too loud and with little substance

It's fair to say that craft breweries have been overly reliant on strong IPAs, but that was what most customers were looking for.

Yeah yeah

Bi_3 wrote:

washing machine wrote:It’s bad for the craft beer movement in the same way hair metal was bad for rock and roll. Almost all of it is too loud and with little substance

It's fair to say that craft breweries have been overly reliant on strong IPAs, but that was what most customers were looking for.

Yup.

And I'm certainly part of the problem. My interest in beer coincided with the overwhelming demand for IPA's. I have a hard time drinking other beers. But I also hear what you're saying, Reid. There are plenty of local Imperials that have zero subtlety to them which I find equally difficult to drink.

washing machine wrote:It’s bad for the craft beer movement in the same way hair metal was bad for rock and roll. Almost all of it is too loud and with little substance

interesting. because breweries like green flash and alpine built multi-million dollar businesses off the backs of what were then merely local dipa's. hell, bell's hosplam fits this category, which was first released a long time ago before craft beer got really popular.

i think some are good, while some are bad, just like every beer. but i wouldn't say they're bad for craft beer.

I was drunk and angry last night and doubled down this morning. You’re right, of course. I really should have clarified that Texas breweries haven’t really figured out the style yet.

TL:DR - if you’re ever in Houston, skip IP8 from 8th Wonder Brewery.

pliny is a dipa