Little Creatures IPA

[Liam_snorkel]

60 IBU and 6.4% ABV is smack bang in the middle of the specs for a US IPA.

http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/style14.php#1b

 

[Parks]

The Sunshine Coast brewery make an IPA which is much less an IPA than this one. The brewer told me he had to make beers to "his market" which was fair enough but if your market doesn't want an IPA don't make a pale ale and call it one.

 

[slash22000]

60 IBU and 6.4% ABV is smack bang in the middle of the specs for a US IPA.

http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/style14.php#1b

Right, but according to what everybody is saying (haven't had one myself yet) the beer is ridiculously sweet. The same BJCP you linked says an IPA should have "Medium-high to very high hop bitterness". So, yeah, it hits the numbers for an IPA, but it doesn't taste like an IPA (apparently).

As soon as you see an IPA advertised primarily as being "approachable", "drinkable", etc it usually means "It's an IPA that doesn't taste like an IPA".

 

[Liam_snorkel]

the LC IPA didn't taste ridiculously sweet to me. The bitterness was underwhelming though.

The SCB IPA is an English IPA and it tasted like one to me. That was over a year ago so maybe the recipe has changed.

 

[Bribie G]

BJCP state IBU of 40 to 60 (English) and 40 to 70 (American).

I think a factor is that if you are a regular IPA brewer and a hop head your palate definitely changes. I'm convinced that a lot of the posts you read about "Whatever happened to JS Amber Ale, it's not like I remembered", and "Fat Yak has been emasculated".

I'll reveal that I was tee total for six years following a bit of a breakdown in the early 1990s and got back into it in 2000. Even though I wasn't brewing I still remember the first few months of beers - the likes of XXXX and Melbourne Bitter were delicious, malty and hoppy - even the odd VB had some charm. Now of course they taste like mouse piss and I'd put that down to my changed palate.

I'm not a hop head, I prefer rich malty beers with hop accents, which is why I took up AG because it's the only way to produce really authentic UK Real Ales that usually come in sub 30 IBU. When I'm out and about I find that White Rabbit Dark on tap and JS Amber are as hoppy as I like, but I'm looking forward to trying the IPA out of interest.

Edit: I had a few HBs yesterday with my brew buddy round the corner. We both agreed that the reason neither of us buy "Craft Beers" at the bottlo - even though there is a big range locally - is that whenever we try one, we almost always find it a bit "meh" and samey. Here comes that NS and Amarillo again and what is that cheesy background note many of them have? We both far prefer own brews. So we had a bit of a chat about "palate change", or more like "palate creep" I guess.

 

[Parks]

The SCB IPA is an English IPA and it tasted like one to me. That was over a year ago so maybe the recipe has changed.

Hrmz, maybe it was a different one or maybe I just plain picked it wrong but I definitely felt it had US hops in it when I tried it. Still yummy, just wasn't up there compared to what we get to try down here.

I think I'll have to grab one of these LC IPA's just to see if it's as dumbed down as people suggest.

 

[Liam_snorkel]

Hrmz, maybe it was a different one or maybe I just plain picked it wrong but I definitely felt it had US hops in it when I tried it. Still yummy, just wasn't up there compared to what we get to try down here.

the one I had was the first batch so it could well have changed since.

 

[danestead]

I had a couple of bottles of LCIPA at home on the weekend and all I can say is YUMM. Right up my alley. I really enjoyed the aroma and drinkability. I prefer more balanced beers than overly bitter so the LCIPA is perfect for me. I did not find it too sweet like most are saying here.

Whether it is what is generally expected as an IPA, I dont know or care tbh. Ill be drinking this over the LCPA from now on.

 

[kevo]

I just don't really understand why breweries make these "approachable" IPA's, especially breweries like Little Creatures who don't make a "real" IPA. What exactly do they hope will happen? People will become accustomed to IPA's and then start buying them from other breweries?

They don't even taste like IPA's. It's like training to drive a stunt car for the next "Fast & Furious" sequel by carefully driving at 40km/h down an empty highway.

*This IPA was brewed under controlled conditions.

 

[of mice and gods]

I must admit I knocked back 3 in a row in fairly quick sucession after work the other day, I'm no sensory tasting genius, but it was ok. Nothing remarkable, and not what I was expecting for an american style IPA. I can't say I remember sweetness, but I can agree with the consesnsus that the "hoppiness" and bittering was underwhelming. But I guess that means they hit their mark for the target market right?

Would I drink it again, yeh sure.
Would I seek it out, nope.

Al

 

[kevo]

Would I drink it again, yeh sure.
Would I seek it out, nope.

Perhaps those who look at the offerings of most commercial breweries in terms of 'styles' are kidding themselves a little?

For many breweies (companies) styles are a means of marketing.

The above statement sums it up - it's drinkable and enjoyable(for this person). Maybe we should worry less about the 'style' and consider the drinkability of the beer.

 

[Byran]

I would love to try it when it gets over to sydney.
If people are saying its too sweet and the bitterness is "lost" doesn't that mean that the 60 IBU is quite balanced with the sweetness?
I just made an IPA that was about 65IBU and I made it quite sweet on purpose to help balance it. But I too seem to think IPA tastes better when its got shitloads of hop aroma to go with it, im not too keen on the bitter as **** bland ones. Hop hog is a good example of this, it finishes pretty sweet and its great.

 

[piraterum]

Tried it on tap at the Local Taphouse in Syd.

Similar to the pale ale tropical, stonefruit and a little bit of pine. I could see myself buying this instead of the pale for a change of scenery. It's not sweet but the bitterness is moderate. It's hard to tell it's 6.4% it seems to have a similar body to the pale.

If you're in Syd The Union Hotel at Newtown tapping a keg today. They are also selling takeways in their bottleshop. Disappointing to see it's being released as a four pack

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=606610842724074&set=a.336463096405518.94679.128574123861084&type=1&theater

I would love to try it when it gets over to sydney.
If people are saying its too sweet and the bitterness is "lost" doesn't that mean that the 60 IBU is quite balanced with the sweetness?
I just made an IPA that was about 65IBU and I made it quite sweet on purpose to help balance it. But I too seem to think IPA tastes better when its got shitloads of hop aroma to go with it, im not too keen on the bitter as **** bland ones. Hop hog is a good example of this, it finishes pretty sweet and its great.

 

[mikec]

BJCP state IBU of 40 to 60 (English) and 40 to 70 (American).

I think a factor is that if you are a regular IPA brewer and a hop head your palate definitely changes. I'm convinced that a lot of the posts you read about "Whatever happened to JS Amber Ale, it's not like I remembered", and "Fat Yak has been emasculated".

I'll reveal that I was tee total for six years following a bit of a breakdown in the early 1990s and got back into it in 2000. Even though I wasn't brewing I still remember the first few months of beers - the likes of XXXX and Melbourne Bitter were delicious, malty and hoppy - even the odd VB had some charm. Now of course they taste like mouse piss and I'd put that down to my changed palate.

I'm not a hop head, I prefer rich malty beers with hop accents, which is why I took up AG because it's the only way to produce really authentic UK Real Ales that usually come in sub 30 IBU. When I'm out and about I find that White Rabbit Dark on tap and JS Amber are as hoppy as I like, but I'm looking forward to trying the IPA out of interest.

Edit: I had a few HBs yesterday with my brew buddy round the corner. We both agreed that the reason neither of us buy "Craft Beers" at the bottlo - even though there is a big range locally - is that whenever we try one, we almost always find it a bit "meh" and samey. Here comes that NS and Amarillo again and what is that cheesy background note many of them have? We both far prefer own brews. So we had a bit of a chat about "palate change", or more like "palate creep" I guess.

Spot on.
I've been drinking heaps of IPA's lately and now many other beers just taste sweet.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Spot on.
I've been drinking heaps of IPA's lately and now many other beers just taste sweet.

You need a palate reset - at least every 6 months. A week or so off beer, drinking mineral water, then something mainstream. If a week off is too much, then 2 weeks of Boags Draught does the trick for me, with the odd CPA if I'm too sick of it.

Palate reset - malty beers taste good, hoppy beers taste bitter.

 

[Liam_snorkel]

Anyone done a side by side with hop hog yet? I'm sipping on a hog now and it seems to be more bitter than I remember the LC despite being 12 IBU less. Which makes me wonder whether LC measured the bitterness or only calculated it? I was under the assumption that larger breweries measure and adjust at some point. Or could it be that they have yet to 'iron out the kinks' in the brew?

 

[BeerNess]

Anyone done a side by side with hop hog yet? I'm sipping on a hog now and it seems to be more bitter than I remember the LC despite being 12 IBU less. Which makes me wonder whether LC measured the bitterness or only calculated it? I was under the assumption that larger breweries measure and adjust at some point. Or could it be that they have yet to 'iron out the kinks' in the brew?

I think its a great example of showing the difference between measured IBU and perceived bitterness.
LC's tendency towards full bodied malt profiles (more sweetness to absorb the bitterness) vs. Hop Hog, Feral has definitely created a dryer beer, which will accentuate the amount of bitterness.

Also won't the hop varieties used will impart different bitterness qualities?

I haven't tried the LC IPA yet but will be saving one of my Hogs to do a side by side this weekend. Will be interesting to compare with this bitterness point in mind.

 

[Dan Pratt]

Look what I picked up last night at FC liquor central coast NSW - BOOM! come on 5pm today :super:

 

[mwd]

Still not available in our local Dan's so invested in a case of Hop Hog. It better be good because it works out more expensive than Ballast Point Bigeye which is a bigger bottle and 7%. You would think being Australian it would be sensibly priced.

 

[Liam_snorkel]

here's their stockist list if you're looking for it. https://littlecreatures.com.au/stockists