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Message: [QUOTE="HuskyHawk, post: 2857218, member: 1414"] You have a reading comprehension problem. Clarity isn't a characteristic of the new category at all. It was in the old American IPA category. So previously none of these beers could win in the old category. It's an example of [B]how stupid the whole thing is[/B]. The IPAs that won in the hazy category would have had no chance last year in the American IPA category. Why? Because the criteria themselves are crap. Eight years ago, Heady Topper would have had no chance despite being the best DIPA made at the time. The same is true for Pilsners now. If you aren't using the traditional noble hops you will lose. It doesn't matter if it tastes better, they want you to make a beer to a pre-defined profile. Had an amazing local Gose brewed with sea salt and...Skittles. Yes, Skittles. It's fantastic. It would have no chance in any of those categories. I have no reason to doubt that these newer southern CA breweries are making great stuff. The same is true all over the country. I take issue with the suggestion that somehow they are better than what is going on here, in particular in the category that was invented here. I've had too many "NE IPAs" from other places that people said were great, which were hazy, badly made west coast IPAs. Is that Monkish or Cellermaker or Noble. No. I've heard enough that I am sure they do it well. [/QUOTE]