Dear Hazy IPAs, New England-style IPAs, skim milk stirred with a pine tar-dipped rusty nail swizzle stick, whatever,
My initial thought is “laziness” – filter your damn beer, presentation is important, choose a yeast strain that flocculates a little, do something to make my artistic eye happy.
Back off the hops, it tastes like I’ve been licking envelopes for the last 12 hours. Don’t tell me they are deliciously juicy, that’s what orange juice is for. The finish is not that different from the West Coast IPAs you rebel against. You’re the kid that can’t stop showing off about how much more of something he has than I do. Annoying, off-putting and unnecessary.
Stop feeling the need to follow trends. Don’t you remember how the end of the sour beer trend made you feel when it ended? Yes, it ended, move on. Go sniff an armpit at the end of the day and remind yourself of sour beers if you really need to be sentimental.
I realize I’m an old crank, but that does not make me wrong. The market becomes oversaturated with product and producers and I worry that the strong that do survive will forget about their early followers. Yes, this is about me. Some things need to be about me. I also realize that there is always Old Style on the shelf, and as my taste buds and brain cells continue to die, it might be an option that I embrace.
Bearing your soul (uselessly complaining) is exhausting, but you know what would make me feel a lot better? A Scotch Ale, an Altbier or a bourbon barrel-aged Barleywine. That leaves more Hazy IPAs for others. You’re welcome.
Sincerely,
beerbliographer, the
PS – Ha! I said flocculate.
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