What is it with the PNW and hoppy beer

[scottmandue]

With all the threads on booze I thought I would bring this up...

Disclaimer: I love a good IPA as much as anyone, but I have to be in the mood for a hopy ale.

Time travel back a few month ago... we attend wife's niece's wedding... oh joy a wedding! At least it is in Portland OR.

And

Wait for it...

Reception is at...

The Bridgeport brewery!
SCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So we get to the brewery... I lose my coat and tie...
People are like "isn't it a little early to take off your tie"
I'm like "feck you where is the beer?" (coat and tie were left in the car and I was focused on the task at hand).
I belly up to the bar and see six taps... a light IPA, a medium IPA, a porter IPA, a stout IPA, and two pale ales...

No, I wasn't expecting nor do I drink lite beer but seriously, that is kinda limited range of beers for a brewery IMHO.

I also hear they have hop bongs at some bars, where you pour your beer into something like a French press filled with hops to give a supercharged hop flavor.

I get how the cold/wet PNW climate will drive one to drink coffee... but what is up with the hop fetish?

[RWebb]

it's just a way to keep out people from California

[scottmandue]

It is not working

One word, Widmer!

[Vipergrün]

Not a PNW thing, it's a beer lovers thing....think Stone Ruination :^)

[krichard]

Originally Posted by scottmandue

It is not working

One word, Widmer!

Widmer??? They sold their soul to the devil when they joined the craft brewers alliance with Anheuser-Busch.... Now it's just a brand brewed by the antichrist!!

[RWebb]

ok, so much for their fish

but what about their soul?

[jyl]

Lot of interesting beers here. I've had, in the last few months, a pink peppercorn beer, a couple of coffee beers, some extremely hoppy IPAs and porters, etc. Plus the usual stouts, etc. Portland is really a great place to be now, for beer lovers. Not so great for guys with a spare tire tendency. Sad.

[john70t]

Planted some cascades last year year and they got 10' tall with buds in crappy soil.

Hops is the the beer, barley is the sweet warmth, and idk what the purpose is for wheat or anything else.

[krichard]

Originally Posted by RWebb

ok, so much for their fish

but what about their soul?

fixed it, thanks! their sole mission was to create craft beer, they sold their soul to the devil when they sold out to Anheuser-Busch!!

[Superman]

Originally Posted by Vipergrün

Not a PNW thing, it's a beer lovers thing....think Stone Ruination :^)

This ^^^

Ultimately, the beer connoiseur journey ends at the IPA's. It's all about the hops. Right now, I am drinking a dark-colored, but light-flavored IPA with a substantial fruity attack and clean finish. Mmmmmm.....

[RWebb]

I might agree re Widmer - not sure they are the spawn of the devil tho.

I just wish our beer was as good as the Bier in der old country...

But it gets closer every year.

[krichard]

Originally Posted by RWebb

I might agree re Widmer - not sure they are the spawn of the devil tho.

I just wish our beer was as good as the Bier in der old country...

But it gets closer every year.

maybe not spawn of the devil, but part of the system that wants to fool potential craft beer drinkers into falsehoods.... Just like Bluemoon owned by millercoors and Goose Island who were bought by InBev last year who recently kicked out the previous owner/CEO so they can commoditize their recipes.... craft beer is not a commodity product. It takes time, isn't perfect in the manufacturing process and doesn't have the margins that budpiss whatever has. If I wanted to drink fermented rice water then I would drink the big three but I prefer better.....

I brew because I love great beer and I want share it with the community because they love great beer as well.

[ZOO]

There seems to be a race to "over-hop" many microbrews now. I think it is more prevalent in the US (based on my relatively limited experience), but it seems to be increasingly common in Ontario, too.

I like hops. I don't like the new trend to over-hop. It's similar, in my mind, to "hot spices" -- at some point too much heat (or too much hops) overwhelms all other flavours.

[onewhippedpuppy]

You went to a wedding reception at a BREWERY and you dare complain? For shame!

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by ZOOMiata

There seems to be a race to "over-hop" many microbrews now. I think it is more prevalent in the US (based on my relatively limited experience), but it seems to be increasingly common in Ontario, too.

I like hops. I don't like the new trend to over-hop. It's similar, in my mind, to "hot spices" -- at some point too much heat (or too much hops) overwhelms all other flavours.

I would compare this to the great over oaking of Chardonnay's in the 70's...

I like a good IPA ... but like most good things some brewers are overdoing it IMHO... there are many Portland breweries making great beers that are not over hoped. (Mc Menamins, ironically Hopworks, Rouge)

I'm just saying with 6 taps there should have been a malty brew... kind of a one trick pony if you ask me.

To say all beers should be IPA is akin to saying all wine should be Cabernet Sauvignon!

[sca037]

There are some great hops grown in the PNW, so it's no surprise that they like to show them off

Cheers!
Brian

[lane912]

^^^^
as anyone in PNW knows all wine is pinot noir-

[gatotom]

All I can say is, sorry you didn't find what you were looking for but there is beer in the PNW other than IPA.

A few weeks ago I was at one of my yearly CE classes and the local group was re-starting up the local IPA group and my first thought was, I like ESB better.

lane912, not all wine in the PNW is pinot noir, in fact I grow no pinot noir grapes, my patch is nebbiolo, sangioviose, barbara, dolcetto, petite sarah, cab sav, cab franc and merlot. First harvest was this yr finally and even thou the frost got us in the spring and the birds destroyed us before harvest with a month of forest fire smoke slowing everything down and a killer frost to force the harvest, managed 13 gals, 5 neb, 5 sangio and 3 barb with some cab sav and franc thrown in for blend.

Being an optimist, in 5 yrs the harvest should be a ton of grapes which translates to 150 gal of wine which is about 62 cases of wine.

[vash]

you guys find it too bitter? i like it hoppy. makes it seem like a soul and thirst quenching food product. gives it "umph". like a dark tea, versus a light tea.

i like an IPA, but the extra alcohol is what limits that beer for me.

[lane912]

^^^^ fixed it for you-