I disagree with most of you. Style wise - a bit of cane sugar will help keep it drinkable and bitter. The whole point of an IPA in my opinion. So the addition of sugar is pretty standard. So if you want to debate the VERY subtle flavor that molasses will add to a batch is pretty insignificant. It will add less caramel flavors than any crystal malt on the shelf. It can be done. Now I have used brown sugar is pretty much any brown-black colored beer I have used. It leave almost no "flavors" to mention. However, if you are looking to put it in a Cascadian IPA/ Black IPA/ IBA/ HopHead Porter whatever you wanna call it, it works. I have done it, at 15% brown sugar I have done it. It works best in the 5-8% range, it will dry it out, it does a little in the way of body.
It is not uncouth, it would be uncivilized to suggest that creativity and inspiration is inappropriate in homebrew - if you go the malt way you will change the body and aroma - if you go candi sugar you will add more caramelized flavors than the brown sugar would - I think with Style Nazi-ism doesn't do any justice to the homebrew - if all you are after is color change because you want a black ipa then go with some debittered black malts in the less than 1oz per gallon but I use brown sugar in those beers too.