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I rarely write opinion pieces, but I just had a Tree House Green and GABF kicks off this week. So I’ve got an idea. The Great American Beer Festival in Denver is the biggest beer contest in the country. Thousands of beers sourced from every state will go up against each other to see who best this year.
I think 2019’s GABF will confirm two things.
1. Most Hazy Juicy beers don’t hold up.
2. Tree House will medal.
For the first year in a long time, American IPA is not the most entered category at the Great American Beer Festival. It reigned over every other style at the contest. Until now. The Juicy/Hazy beer mania gripping the industry is upending the king of styles. There are new categories for Juicy and Hazy Pale Ale, IPA, and Double IPA.
But the styles’ most intriguing characteristics don’t age well. Unfloculated yeast and hop solids suspended in the beer can make it beautiful and aromatic. But they also fall out. Some of these beers will drop clear in a few weeks. Others will see everything in suspension clump together, and it’s not pretty. Some will hold up.
Should make for an interesting judging process. I imagine a lot won’t be in prime shape.
And, Tree House?
The beers that hold up have the best shot, and Tree House is one of the best. Some will say they are overhyped, but they’ve earned it. I have too much beer and “lose” good beer often. Sometimes the results are disappointing. But I just found a six-week-old Green in my main beer fridge. You know, the fridge for daily drinkers, not the Celler fridge.
I was surprised. The beer tasted as good as the one I had four weeks ago. I already knew Tree House made some of the best beers in the style. The Sips, Suds & Smokes crew blind tasted 13 NEIPAs last spring, and three from Tree House were in the top five. They know what they’re doing.
Let me know what you think. Will no-names take the medals or the known names? How long will the trend last? What’s the next big style revolution?
Good luck to the breweries from Nashville and Middle Tennessee at GABF.