Anti-IPA ?

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IPAs

  • I'm all about all IPAs...

  • Yea, IPAs are okay I guess...

  • I can handle some APAs, but most IPAs are too much...

  • No IPAs. No APAs. I'll pass on the "Hoppy Goodness".

Results are only viewable after voting.
I consider IPAs, especially the American versions, somewhat of a novelty. All this hop-craziness is a little out of balance for me... EXTREME BREWING CLOSE-UP! WOAH! :cross:

However, I'll drink one from time to time when I go out. I'd drink an IPA over a BMC any day... but then again, I'd do A LOT of things before drinking a BMC.;)
 
I've been making it a habit to drink many IPA's lately. I just picked up a 12 pack of assorted IPA'S and like many of them but a few are just a bunch of Hops

Palisade Brewery - Red Truck is really tasty
El Toro Brewing and Great Divide Titan IPA were good.

Sierra Nevada - Harvest was outstanding!
 
Great job, Techniro!

A friend of mine is such a picky eater. He would basically only eat cheeseburgers and mac N cheese when he was young. He had an interest in brewing, and after trying it a bit he surprised me by brewing an IPA. Not only that, but he basically only drinks IPA and that sort of stuff. He's very discerning about it.

I'd say that it can be an acquired taste, yet some seem to like it right off the bat. I've had some bad IPAs, but generally I like the style, and very much like certain ones.

I've found that I'm not so much a fan of stouts and porters now. I should probably try some more, but for a while now I just seem to gravitate more towards the Pale Ales and IPA, and whatnot.
 
I'm no fan of IPA's. I much prefer something on the malty side.

Scratch that.

I prefer beer that is well-balanced. Too much hop is just as undesireable to me as too much treacle. But all said, I tend to prefer beers that "accentuate" and "showcase" the grain, rather than the hop.

Regarding the trendiness of IPA's, I don't know. In theory, I can see how microbrew and semi-macrobrew commercials tend to punch the "hops", and I can see how this relatively new concept to a BMC drinker can lead people towards the More Hops Means Better Beer mode of thinking. In theory... but I can't say that I've run into any of these people.
 
Tenchiro said:
It's a lot like this;

animation2.gif


:mug:
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That was great
 
As I said before I am a big fan of IPA's. Im also a big fan of taste.
What I mean by taste is...I believe some people who come and post here realize that they have been drinking Bud, Miller or Coors for awhile now and stop drinking it right away because they dont want to be made fun of by some of the others on here. I was not like that when I first posted here. I have never been a fan of the BMC clan. Even way back in high school I was never a big fan of BMC. I would go with Sam Adams, Killians or Sierra Nevada. I was always into taste. Now maybe my taste buds have grown over the years and ive learned what I really like. What im trying to say is that I dont drink BMC because its the big commercial 3, I dont drink those brews because they have no taste in my opinion. I love something with flavor, something with a kick, something that will make you remember the brew you just drank. Many IPA's do just that. Most people think IPA's all taste the same, those are the people I laugh at. Go take a Sierra Nevada Celebration and have one, then have a Stone IPA then have a Harpoon IPA. All 3 dont taste the same.
 
BillyVegas said:
Clearly, it's a matter of taste.. but mosyslack I think hit on what I was talking about. Lots of the ones I've had are just... I suppose JUST hops. I don't get a good balance. Really turns me off to the way a IPA I think could be enjoyed.

IPA Drinkers, any recommendations of some brews I should sample?

Kungpaodog- I could send you some of my test IPA batch when the time comes, but you're gonna have to try to sell me on the IPA first. It's pretty low on the list as of now...
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Don't know if anyone mentioned them yet as suggestions but both the Stone IPA and the Stone Ruination IPA are very good ... in fact, i've not had a single Stone beer i didn't like, even their porters and stouts ... which are styles i don't typically enjoy.

Also, if you have the opportunity ... Great Lakes Lake Erie Monster is huge hops and very good, and on the other end Great Lakes Rackhouse Ale is very malty but also very good. Unfortunately they're only available at the brewery.
 
Nanik006 said:
Don't know if anyone mentioned them yet as suggestions but both the Stone IPA and the Stone Ruination IPA are very good ... in fact, i've not had a single Stone beer i didn't like, even their porters and stouts ... which are styles i don't typically enjoy.

Also, if you have the opportunity ... Great Lakes Lake Erie Monster is huge hops and very good, and on the other end Great Lakes Rackhouse Ale is very malty but also very good. Unfortunately they're only available at the brewery.
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I like the hop level of Ruination but it is a bit out of balance, I think a bit more malt would make it a perfect beer. My favorite IPA is still from Bridgeport, it is bottle conditioned and is everything I think an IPA should be.
 
I agree with flyangler about the some of the bigger IPAs being the result of a brewers pissing contest. Not to insinuate that they taste like piss...or that I have in fact ever tried piss, but for me it can be hard to enjoy those kinds of beers.

That being said, I love IPA's and just pulled the last pint from a Sierra Nevada keg. I like my IPA's like I like my women...hairy...sorry I meant to say I like them to smell nice n floral like, and not leave a really bitter taste in your mouth when you're thru with her.

A local pub here made an APA with all chinook hops and it was unlike any other pale I have tried...hoppy with hints of peach and very floral aroma. One of my favorite floral/bitter balanced IPA I've had is O'dells. I've seen Stones was mentioned already, but right now Stones can get on my stones. I was opening one Saturday at a party, and the whole damn lip cracked off the top and gave me a nice slice on my finger. So I drank that b*!@h to show it who was boss.
 
Revvy said:
We all have different tolerances, and preferences, and I go through periods where I lurve me some IPA's but I always have found hopslam too over the top for my tastes. I love Two Hearted though.

AND my latest favorite is another Michigan one, Founder's Centennial IPA.
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Quite true. While there are certainly some styles that I prefer over others, I have yet to find a style of beer that I could say that I disliked. We all have to learn to appreciate beers for what thay are and what they're intended to be. Just because you love a good Mild shouldn't mean that you are incapable of drinking and appreciating a well made hops-in-your-face IIPA, or vice versa.

What really opened my beer tasting experience is brewing new styles. I decided that I was going to brew as many new styles this year as I possibly could. So far this year I've brewed 19 styles that I had never brewed before, with one more to come this Friday.

Everyone brews for different reasons. Some people brew the same handful of recipes over and over again because they know that they like it. I'm fascinated by recipe creation and the differences in yeast strains. I like it all, from a sweet, low abv Southern English Brown to a hopped up IIPA.

Chriso said:
I do NOT love crazy over-the-top IIPAs that exist solely to kick you in the face, and say nasty things about your mother.
Click to expand...

I do. You sissy. :D

Chriso said:
.....now, if you want a beer that will scare the panties right off of any BMC drinker............Cantillion Gueze. Buahahahaha. DELICIOUS sour beer. I love you, sour beer. You are my friend. I will drink you.
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Gueze is absolutely incredible, and anyone who says otherwise should be banned from beer forever. :mug:
 
The thing I like about them is that they ARE a bit overwhelming, but you can also pick out fine flavors, and you get flavors that you just don't get otherwise. Resins, etc. Some IPAs are not just bitter, but very complex and unique.
 
Grinder12000 said:
If you look at stats IPA's are always the most entered style in competitions.
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This is telling- and evidence toward my hypothesis that there is a real trend toward 'bigger and badder' IPAs as the newest locker room dickwaving contest. Chriso's distinction between IIPA and IPA is an important one. IIPAs are not for the meek! I do love my hops, but I don't always want enamel-stripping, kick you in the face bitterness. I want lots of hop flavor and aroma that I can experience the depth of.
 
No arguments can be made about taste. I personally love super-hoppy beers. However, I don't like some big IPAs that combine a sweeter malty character with a cloying , resiny hop flavor.
 
One thing about most IPA's is that they will balance out with time. So if it's too hoppy now, let it sit somewhere for 6 months and then see what happens. You'll be suprised at the changes.
 
It depends on my mood really sometimes I really want some enormous hop bomb and other times I can't stand them. I went through a 6 month period last year where I couldn't even drink them but this summer I got back in the saddle and have been drinking II IPAs and the like ever since.
 
flyangler18 said:
This is telling- and evidence toward my hypothesis that there is a real trend toward 'bigger and badder' IPAs as the newest locker room dickwaving contest. Chriso's distinction between IIPA and IPA is an important one. IIPAs are not for the meek! I do love my hops, but I don't always want enamel-stripping, kick you in the face bitterness. I want lots of hop flavor and aroma that I can experience the depth of.
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Also keep in mind the distinction between IPA and IIPA is ABV, not IBU. Stone Ruination, Sierra Nevada Celebration, and Bell's Two Hearted are prob my fav IPAs, but I wouldn't classify them as imperial. For an IPA, which has a higher ABV than amber/pale/etc to begin with, the "imperial" classification is probably up around 9-10%. Those beers are all 7-8%.
 
killerhertz said:
Also keep in mind the distinction between IPA and IIPA is ABV, not IBU. Stone Ruination, Sierra Nevada Celebration, and Bell's Two Hearted are prob my fav IPAs, but I wouldn't classify them as imperial. For an IPA, which has a higher ABV than amber/pale/etc to begin with, the "imperial" classification is probably up around 9-10%. Those beers are all 7-8%.
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Stone Ruination is, according to the BJCP Guidelines, an Imperial IPA :mug:

BJCP 2008 Style Guidelines - Category 14
 
ohiobrewtus said:
I do. You sissy. :D
(...)
Gueze is absolutely incredible, and anyone who says otherwise should be banned from beer forever. :mug:
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Don't take me wrong! I'm developing more of an appreciation for IIPAs as time passes, just as I've developed a fondness for IPAs over the past year that, before I started brewing, I did not have. I'm just not to the point where I love IIPAs on principle, yet. To be fair, I like Bittersweet Lenny's Rye IIPA quite a bit, and that's QUITE pungent. :)

And ... agreed. Banished from the kingdom. ;)


Homercidal said:
Hmm.... i wonder what a PEACH IPA would taste like...
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Have you ever had a chance to try DFH Aprihop? That's a good start! It's distinctly apricot-y, but it's a fairly similar flavor palate to peach, enough to give you an approximation!

That said..........I think you've inspired me. I think I'm going to craft a Peach IPA now. I'm thinking a little Amarillo, a little Galena.... Thanks for the idea! I will report back to you, and if it's good, send yer a bottle!
 
killerhertz said:
Also keep in mind the distinction between IPA and IIPA is ABV, not IBU. Stone Ruination, Sierra Nevada Celebration, and Bell's Two Hearted are prob my fav IPAs, but I wouldn't classify them as imperial. For an IPA, which has a higher ABV than amber/pale/etc to begin with, the "imperial" classification is probably up around 9-10%. Those beers are all 7-8%.
Click to expand...

BJCP Style Guidelines
14B American IPA
Vital Statistics:
OG: 1.056 – 1.075
IBUs: 40 – 70
FG: 1.010 – 1.018
ABV: 5.5 – 7.5%
14C Imperial IPA
Vital Statistics:
OG: 1.070 – 1.090
IBUs: 60 – 120
FG: 1.010 – 1.020
ABV: 7.5 – 10%
Click to expand...

Brewers Association (beertown.org) Style Guidelines
American-Style India Pale Ale
Original Gravity (ºPlato): 1.060-1.075 (14.7-18.2 ºPlato)
Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (ºPlato): 1.012-1.018 (3-4.5 ºPlato)
Alcohol by Weight (Volume): 5-6% (6.3-7.5%)
Bitterness (IBU): 50-70
Imperial Or Double India Pale Ale
Original Gravity (ºPlato): 1.075-1.100 (19.5-23.5 ºPlato)
Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (ºPlato): 1.018-1.028 (4.5-7 ºPlato)
Alcohol by Weight (Volume): 6.0-8.4% (7.5-10.5%)
Bitterness (IBU): 65-100
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Sorry. Your point doesn't hold water. The disctinction is not just ABV.
 
I like IPA's, but the few Imperial IPA's or Double IPA's I've tried have been too sweet for my tastes. The latest one is Flying Dog's Double IPA. It's a sipping beer, but I would much rather be drinking a Sierra Nevada Bigfoot or Lagunita's Gnalrly Wine. Double Dog is too dog sweet for me.
 
McKBrew said:
Got to start out small and work your way up.

Think of an IPA like your first day in prison. When Bubba comes up to initiate you you really don't want him to have that big of a package. After a few weels with Bubba (Broken Halo) you kind of get used to it and then when King Dong (Dogfish 120) comes up and wants to make you his b!tch you accept it a lot easier and might actually look forward to it because you started out small.
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Dude, wow! dahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah! brilliant analogy. Frickin hilarious!
 
Oh hell yeah +1 to Avery...I knew there was one I couldn't think of earlier...would have helped if I had looked in the fridge. I seem to like those Colorado brews quite a bit though, maybe I'm kind of biased.
 
BillyVegas said:
Anyone else with me?

I mean, I love what hops bring to the table... but most IPAs are just... a little too much on the hops for me.

IPAs make me feel hops aren't my thing... could I be foolish?

Perhaps.
Click to expand...

Which IPA's are you referring to? The standard IPA or the huge, hop bomb, double, triple, quadrupel IPA abominations?
 
I agree with the original post. I am an anti-hop-head.

I do not like the bitter taste of hops.

I don't mind an IPA once in awhile, but I am not a fan.
 
I also agree, for the most part. Hops have their place, but I don't like it when they overpower everything else.

Same goes for malt, however. I've tried a few barleywines that really weren't balanced on the other end, and they were even harder to drink than overhopped brews.

I don't know if it's available anywhere other than upstate/western New York, but Saranac seems to employ a brewmaster who absolutely loves hops. Everything I've had from them is overhopped to the point that their brown ale, vanilla stout, and IPA all taste about the same to me. I'm always disappointed when I buy their beer, but I'm sure there are some hop-heads who can't get enough.

So as I get more into this addicting hobby, I'll be striving for balanced brews and not hop-monsters or barleywines.
 
I love IPA's. Like Revvy said Founder's Centennial IPA, Bell's two hearted, Stone IPA. I get why people don't like IPA's, same with stouts. I'm not a big fan of ambers or brown ales personally. My girlfriend doesn't like the roasty coffee like flavors of stouts. Can't really argue about that. IPA's are her favorite though, so you know what I'm buying. :)
 
Ya, everyone has their own likes and dislikes in beer. I love IPAs and I don't like fruit beers; just personal preference.
 
Update- I had Sierra Nevada Pale Ale earlier today off tap. Last time I had this years ago I didnt like it at all.

Delicious beer.
 
BillyVegas said:
Update- I had Sierra Nevada Pale Ale earlier today off tap. Last time I had this years ago I didnt like it at all.

Delicious beer.
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I've been meaning to try that one, since I hear so many good things about it, even though I don't particularly care for hoppy brews.
 
As I said, I enjoy the smell of hops in their raw state- and historically- I disliked overly hoppy beers.

After making a brew and dealing with hops... this Sierra Nevada Pale Ale was enjoyable with its hops. It had the delicious smell of hops and it really let me taste how they should be in a "hoppy"-ier beer.
 
Most IPAs are badly unbalanced, but the people who like unbalanced IPAs drive that market. Most places that have an IPA and an American Pale, do a better job on the APA. Five years ago, that wasn't the case. An example, Bear Republic's Racer X. Great beer five years ago, I'd buy it by the gallon when I visited. Had one last spring and it was harsh, raw & hugely bitter. I finished the pint, but I'll never buy one again.
 

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