Beer and Balance: The IPA Conundrum

WHOA! May is wrapping up and I’m starting a new long-term project tomorrow, I better get this post out!

This past weekend found myself and my blazing biking partner amongst the storms, sun, mountains and desert of the Methow Valley in northern Washington State.

Upon finishing a near-summiting (via bike) of the 5400 ft. Washington Pass, my girl and I headed straight for the town of Winthrop for a brewery we spied earlier: Old Schoolhouse Brewery. It was a very attractive destination, as they claim, they’re “all about the beer.” How could anyone refuse that?

While eyeing the menu, I found my favorite beer of the last few years, the IPA. They have an IPA (“Ruud Awakening”) and an Imperial IPA, both relatively high in alcohol content. 

Side note: I actually hated the hoppiness of IPAs at first. Tastebuds DO change. The bitterness had to grow on me. Wait… that didn’t sound right… did I say that out loud?

Let’s talk about “balance.” As in beer… life… the circus… etc. etc. etc.

The Ruud Awakening (or “RA”) is described as follows: “Expect brutal bitterness, followed by a balanced citrus and floral aroma finish.” I could not find the original description of the Imperial IPA, but had a small taste (after having a pint of Ruud Awakening), and also had it verbally described by the brewmaster.

As he described the Imperial IPA (or “Imperial”), I found something quite curious: it was stronger, fuller bodied, and much more “balanced” than the RA… something I generally LOVE. However, it was not as satisfying for me at that moment.

Ahhh, balance... Don’t many of us equate being “balanced,” as the more “positive,” appropriate, acceptable or pleasing choice or plan of action as we live our lives? I think in general, we all strive for balance, no?

The “yin-yang” of balance is never quite 50-50 in its percentages. Under the surface, it just seems like it’s much more sophisticated (or complicated) than that. The dynamic fluctuations of what we describe as balance are happening all the time—like chances, learning and growth, they’re a little less predictable. 

I really liked the Imperial, all of its 9% ABV was quite pleasing, full bodied and balanced. I truly did like it… especially since I like stronger beers, and it’s often very difficult to create a balanced IPA as it gets up in the 9-10% range! But I almost instantly knew that the quicker, less strong (7%) fruited overtones of the Ruud Awakening were exactly what I needed at that moment in time. The brewer behind the bar even mentioned that RA was not as balanced, but it is also quite popular and has won many awards. 

Funny… it is perhaps balanced in a different way: the “brutal bitterness” that is up front finishes with the citrus and does not fall flat, hollow or empty like some beers, leaving you wonder what you just drank! So it’s concentrated on the front end, and the remaining 70% or so of the sip evens out quickly after that. This is honestly one of the best I have ever had—this small brewer is doing it right!

The RA spoke to me. It said: 

I am Ruud… I’m gonna hit hard you and fast, I’m strong enough, but still a little sneaky and back-handed with my alcohol… you’re thinking my hops are gonna get’cha, but wait till you feel the buzz… yes, I’m brutal, and will leave you in NO shape to even contend my big brother the Imperial. You’ll just stumble away, a strange mumbling under your breath… all that will be heard is… stay away from me, the Ruud Rebel!”

Maybe that’ll end up on their beer description some day…

So brewers and winemakers alike often use the term “balanced” very positively, and if the product is not balanced it often tastes “off,” as they say. Neither of these tasted “off” to me, and only one was described as being more balanced, but overall, the RA said something very different. 

You’ll have to use your imagination with how the Imperial ‘spoke’ to me… sorry!

I have had some very strange, wacky IPAs over the years. Anyone who drinks enough beer in more discriminating ways knows what I mean when I say “somethin’ wacky’s goin’ on in that pint glass!” So go for the balance… R-I-G-H-T.

That said, consider the useful part of the pint glass’o’wacky beer: it helps us create a reference point for the taste extremes—or the threshold—of what we define as “out of balance.” RA was not “wacky” to me, but it is not as balanced as the Imperial.

From a marketing standpoint, and from our definition of what to expect with the desirability of more balanced beers, one would think the balanced beer would be more popular. Wouldn’t descriptors like ‘smoothness’ or ‘more rounded’ be more pleasing for you? It was indeed, not the case (don’t forget all of Ruud’s awards).

Maybe “unbalanced” should be officially proclaimed as a variable to consider in wine and beer pairings? Well… maybe the world’s not quite ready for that one…

I’m thinking that “balance” may not be all it’s cracked up to be. It’s determined by so many things that go beyond simple, quantified measurement—yes, to a degree, it’s subjective.

Balance seems to be created by many different things…

It can be created by the context of the consumer, and how you define “balanced.” If a beer dominates certain tastes in our palate, but leaves other areas of our taste buds alone, that could be called “unbalanced” or not ‘as’ balanced. But why define it so heavily or with such absolute fervor?

Think about how a designer might organize visual elements on a page. Is balance determined by perfect symmetry? I hope not. 

DEATH to symmetry! 

I think that kind of “balance” only leads down a confused path where we are spoon-fed the information, and we don’t have the opportunity to absorb it in more sophisticated and complex ways, allowing for our subjectivity and relating to enter the mix. 

Bring on the negative space!
In some situations, other longings may very well determine our quest for balance. In this case, it was a desire for fruity bitterness with a satisfying finish.

Did I mention I just biked a mountain pass? My thirst needed some satisfaction!

I also wanted something that would be a tasty offering with the burger and frites I was eyeing!

As consumers of products and content, we don’t always follow predictable patterns (mathematicians might argue that one). Or at least, we don’t “zoom out” enough to see the longer-term pattern or effect. For instance, if RA was determined to be ‘the’ beer for the thirsty cyclist, wouldn’t we want to consider it as a more “seasonal” beer? Sorry, I don’t think most cyclists bike mountain passes in January…
There’s a million ways we could describe the term “balanced,” whether in a beer, or as a qualifier for life. I’m not going to ask you to define it. Rather, try to ‘work up’ your own working definition, based on context. 

Context includes variables like changes over time, personal preferences, other situations that may affect your decisions, and other people that may become involved. It’s all dynamics, and determining balance just cannot simply be defined my traditional measurement. 

It all just… “depends.”
Let me know how you define balance… whether as an overall definition, or balance in a specific context. This blog only really chiseled away at a block of something much bigger… so thoughts are always welcome! I’m chipping away at a working definition of balance… one that is more about tendencies than absolutes, and that is also important to remember… there really aren’t any absolutes, but we’ll save that one for yet another post!

And all this thought started with a simple pint of beer…
Cheers!

Be well!
m