I did wonder if 2021 would see a change to the massive TIPA-fest that closed out 2020 and well I guess it has, we seem to be going even bigger!!
You might have seen that I recently posted to IG (@lushhops) a brief review of Polly's 'Birthday Beer' a 13%, that's right 1-3, QUADRUPLE IPA!! Well notwithstanding my enjoyment of that beer, I have to question (and I'm by no means the first) whether this apparent race to the top ABV-wise has gotten out of hand. Now I'm sure wiser heads amongst us will point out that these TIPAs and QIPAs are meant to be shared 2 or even 3 ways but let's be frank, an overwhelming majority of us drink the full thing to ourselves - after all, when you are paying top dollar for a big boozy monster that's coming in hot with all manner of IG hype, you want to cherish every moment of that purchase!!
Is this ABV onslaught a bi-product of lockdown and the year we have had? Maybe..
Given we are doing our drinking indoors, there is more scope to long out a punchier beer in your slacks on the couch (and look a little discombobulated afterwards) whereas in happier days gone by (and hopefully not too long to follow) when we could go to the boozer, I generally opted for something more sessionable that could fuel a few hours of tipsy conversation without risk of dropping off the deep end. Yes, yes, I know you can still buy a third or a half of the loopy juice in most tappies and yes, I'm not leaving without trying out the best looking DIPA on tap that day but for the most part, I stick around the 4 to 6% mark and reckon I'm not alone there.
It's interesting to consider that chubby stouts have got away with pushing the envelope on the booze content for years (I'm looking at you lervig - Times 8!!) but then again, most of these really are drinks to nurse over a longer period and preferably share, if anything to save on those dental trips dealing with the associated tooth decay (I'm looking at you - Amundsen!!). There is a fairly valid argument that no beer really needs to be 14% plus but I have certainly tasted incredible stouts fluttering above that level and wouldn't pretend to know better than the wizards who conjured them up.
So digressions aside, what am I actually getting at and do I really want brewers to stop making TIPAs, QIPAs (and surely a QuinTIPA at some point)?
Well no not at all, I have only had 2 QIPAs (both great) to date and can easily say that some of Cloudy, Track and Wylam's triples have been the best beers I've ever had....BUT.... I am slightly disheartened by a noticeable shift in emphasis away from top notch table beers, wonderfully fruity pales and punchy refreshing IPAs towards a seemingly incessant production line of liver saboteurs. I'm not going to even breach the subject of cost but you can effortlessly drop £40 on 5 cans o' yellow in a bottle shop these days which seems slightly absurd.
Personally I would quite like brewers to slightly refocus their output this year and devote a larger portion of those beautiful hops to produce some turbo-charged session beers that can lubricate but not befuddle us when we eventually are able to drink out again!! Don't get me wrong, I still want the odd TIPA or QIPA as an occasional treat but bigger isn't always better and I'm still waiting for a new pale to join the likes of Sonoma, Steady Rolling and MaryLou in the hall of fame.
I would love to know your take on it?
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