Are we at the point of IPAs being very similar to each other and not hard to make?
The good ones are really good but don't seem to vary from one to the next. In August I picked up some Heady Topper in Bennington. In September I had some Hill Farmstead on draft at a place in Buffalo. Yesterday I picked up some Lawson's Sip of Sunshine in New Haven, as well as some NEBCO Sea Hag.
There are only small differences between these beers. Certainly not enough to make me go loopy.
I love trying new beers, and I am within walking distance of a place with 40 taps with craft beers from around the world. I go there and spend about $35 on 4 beers about once a week.
Recently, a burger restaurant opened up a block over from me by the same owners of the gastropub. They are offering flights, four 5oz glasses for $8. Better for my wallet, and better for me sobriety. So I tried a couple of Belgians, one Against the Grain from Kentucky, and local Buffalo IPA by Community Beer Works. The local IPA read 6% alcohol on the menu. I loved it. Thought it was one of the best I'd ever had, certainly right up there with those mentioned above. So I went to the local microbrewer, sat down, had their barleywine untapped that night, and asked to fill my growler with the IPA. But just before they were about to pour, I noticed the alcohol was at 5%. So I asked what accounted for the difference in alcohol between the batches. They said it's always 5%. So I said that the burger joint lists it at 6% for some reason. They said that was a proprietary IPA that they only brew occasionally, and that when it's done, it's done for many months. And that the burger joint was on its last keg. They also said that people grab it up when they brew it but they save a couple kegs for local bars/restaurants. So I asked them why they don't brew more. But they didn't have an answer.
Can't understand that. They are brewing 10 different beers, but will not brew the one that everyone seems to want.
and best of all Husky fan!