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.
Ruination certainly can't be the ceiling. (I think hop Wallop is around 140 IBU)

Say it aint so!

I'm interested in getting my hands on Pliny the younger after seeing the
freaking clone recipe's hop schedule.
 
I don't go out of my way to pick up IPAs, but I tend to like them when I get them. Three Floyds has made some good ones. And, of course Bells Two-Hearted is another of my favorites.

But, I'm trying to go as long as possible only drinking my own beer, so I haven't bought anything so far this year.
 
I've tried beers with a higher IBU than Ruination and maybe my palate is just underdeveloped but I have trouble detecting any extra hoppiness. I think there's a limit to the amount of bitterness a human palate is capable of detecting, but I suppose the limit is probably different for everyone.
 
A bit of an update since this winter has been "hop school" for me.... so far, I've had (what I can remember, at least)... Bells 2-Hearted... DFH 90... Great Divide Titan... Boulevard Double-Wide... Hop Wallop... Left Hand Warrior IPA... Great Divide Fresh Hop IPA... I dunno what to say, I like 'em all. Hops = good to this guy right here. :)
 
0202 said:
Ruination certainly can't be the ceiling. (I think hop Wallop is around 140 IBU)

Say it aint so!

I'm interested in getting my hands on Pliny the younger after seeing the
freaking clone recipe's hop schedule.
Click to expand...

Ruination is hoppy, but the Younger will destroy it. I mean, it is really damn intense. I've had my four glasses of it for the year. I might sneak off for another one this week, but all in all if you drink a couple, you're not going to be tasting anything else for a while.

That's not the case with Ruination to me.
 
I love Pale Ales (especially English ones) and American IPAs - especially the ones that taste like grapefruit juice. I am not a big fan of imperial IPAs though.
 
carnevoodoo said:
Ruination is hoppy, but the Younger will destroy it. I mean, it is really damn intense. I've had my four glasses of it for the year. I might sneak off for another one this week, but all in all if you drink a couple, you're not going to be tasting anything else for a while.

That's not the case with Ruination to me.
Click to expand...

Oh man, you're killing me! I just read up on this and now I have to try and get my hands on some. Santa Rosa is less than an hour away from me, so maybe I'll just drive over and break in at night. ;)
 
nibiyabi said:
Oh man, you're killing me! I just read up on this and now I have to try and get my hands on some. Santa Rosa is less than an hour away from me, so maybe I'll just drive over and break in at night. ;)
Click to expand...

I've had it on tap this week at 3 places in San Diego. There are a couple more that got it. We're blessed.
 
Hops are to beer what hot sauce is to food. A little can go a long way in some dishes (as with styles of beer) but some need a little more. Every once in a while, it's fun to shock your tastebuds with something over the top. And for some people, there is no such thing as too much; for them, if it isn't spicy, it isn't worth eating.

For me, I enjoy an IPA sometimes. It's not my favorite style, but I enjoy it from time to time. If there happens to be a trend towards super hoppy beers at the moment, it doesn't bother me. I'll just ride it out with a nice malty 70/- or an oatmeal stout. This too shall pass.
 
You can tell by the poll results that IPA’s and hoppy beer is wildly popular. It makes sense though that a lot of people like them because they are really over-the-top in my opinion, and America is about being over the top. My guess is that most IPA lovers are younger, 30 or less, and when they aren’t drinking an IPA they are drinking Red Bull.

Myself, I can’t stand hoppy beer. I tried it all, well a lot of it anyway, but every new brand I tried did the same thing which is to curl my face. I have an acquaintance that’s crazy about Sierra Nevada, He said since I love beer so much I would love SN, so I bought a 6-pack. Holy Mother-of-God that was awful stuff. If I ever brewed something like that I would think it was infected. I choked down 3 bottles over about 6 weeks. I kept thinking maybe I would like it better if I kept trying it but it just got worse. I poured the last 3 bottles down the drain because I wanted the empties.
 
Dennis1979 said:
You can tell by the poll results that IPA’s and hoppy beer is wildly popular. It makes sense though that a lot of people like them because they are really over-the-top in my opinion, and America is about being over the top. My guess is that most IPA lovers are younger, 30 or less, and when they aren’t drinking an IPA they are drinking Red Bull.
Click to expand...

Let's be fair, don't lump people into a big group like that. I am over 30, hate energy drinks (love coffee), but do enjoy hoppy beers. Not so much the bitter, but the aroma and the taste of a dry hop. The more it tastes like fresh hops smell the better. As for the age thing, I really did not get into the hoppier beers until I was 29. Over the top hoppy with no balance is not that good. The analogy of the hot sauce is perfect. I agree with it 100%.
 
Ok, I'll take it back. I tend to over-generalize from time to time.

But I really can't understand why they are so popular. I am not kidding when I say, every IPA I have tried tasted like something gone bad. It just isn't where my taste buds want to go.

I do like hot sauce though and hot food. The hotter the better!!!!

Dennis
 
Hey, some people like onions. Some people hate onions. Some people are indifferent.

That's what makes America great. We're a big hoppy, malty, yeasty melting pot. Although the crowd here would be closer to a fermenting bucket, but you get the point.
 
Hey, quick reality check for everyone.

This is subjective, and our opinions are not global fact.
It is completely possible for me to love something that
you hate and we are both right.

Trying to offer a justification as to why your opinion
is right in a situation where no right or wrong exists
is stupid.

Drink on ;)
 
I find that my tastes shift seasonally, much as my brewing schedule does. I thoroughly enjoy a big hoppy IPA, but it's not my choice on a daily basis. A supremely quaffable session mild is my choice again and again, so much so that I have a tap occupied with the stuff all the time.
 
0202 said:
Hey, quick reality check for everyone.

This is subjective, and our opinions are not global fact.
It is completely possible for me to love something that
you hate and we are both right.

Trying to offer an explanation as to why your opinion
is quasi fact in a situation where no fact exists is stupid.

Drink on ;)
Click to expand...

Hi, and welcome to the internet!
 
Yeah, sad but true. The internet as a tool is probably the single most powerful invention of our lifetimes. It is also one of the most destructive, culturally speaking.

Then again, without it, I would have never learned how to brew beer. So... +1 internet, I guess.
 
I really do like them-but it's not the ONLY beer I like. A lot of my (non-brewing) buddies will drink only them and little else. I do not like them being bitter/alcoholic just for the sake of being bitter and alcoholic (120 IMO is way too much)...but I do love the flavor of hops, as long as it's balanced. To me, the Bee Cave IPA is darn near perfect
 
llazy_llama said:
Hops are to beer what hot sauce is to food. A little can go a long way in some dishes (as with styles of beer) but some need a little more. Every once in a while, it's fun to shock your tastebuds with something over the top. And for some people, there is no such thing as too much; for them, if it isn't spicy, it isn't worth eating.
Click to expand...

I love some spicy foods, however I've also found the limitations of my palate (and my GI tract) and found the level of spice I like. It's higher than a lot of people's but there's plenty of people who like their food hotter than I do... and that's ok.

But there's a whole sub-group of people who seem to use tolerance of spicy food as a measurement of johnson size. "You're only a man if you can eat the atomic, blazing, nuclear-hot, scotch-bonnet infused Kung Pao Chicken, girly man."

I've noted a similar trend in beer drinkers. There's that small group that think if you're not drinking something that went through 6 hop infusions, was then filtered through hops, and later dry hopped that you might as well be wearing a skirt. I'm convinced that a statistically significant percentage of those who claim to love these massively hopped beers are choking it down but looking macho doing it. Certainly not all. There are some people who probably really like it, of that I have no doubt. Somedays I like reaching for an IPA, other days a Rodenbach. So I certainly get it that people can enjoy different or extreme tastes.

My advice: Brew what you like. Drink what you like. Don't drink beer out of penis envy. It's all beer.
 
CiscoKid said:
I've noted a similar trend in beer drinkers. There's that small group that think if you're not drinking something that went through 6 hop infusions, was then filtered through hops, and later dry hopped that you might as well be wearing a skirt.
Click to expand...

Waste of money in my opinion. Kinda like buying a Ford F-450 when you don't own a business or haul anything around. Sorry, buddy, it doesn't increase your penis size...in fact it proves the opposite.
 
Dennis1979 said:
My guess is that most IPA lovers are younger, 30 or less, and when they aren’t drinking an IPA they are drinking Red Bull.
Click to expand...

I'm only 32, but when I'm not drinking an IPA, I'm drinking water or another good style of beer. I think your assumptions are way off base.
 
I'm 23. My first beer I ever drank when I turned 21 was Stone IPA. Loved em ever since.

Of course I still drink other things. Last night me and some buddies cracked a few vintages of Deschutes "The Abyss" Stout, and then moved onto a six pack of Hoegaarden while playing some Resident Evil.

Today I have to survey the landscape, but most likely Kona Pale and what's left of my Franziskaner stash.

IPA is still my favorite style, and I love me a hop bomb, but it's not my normal beverage. Usually like to make a trip to O'Brien's for a pint or to Stone or Pizza Port and fill a growler.
 
Oh man. I loves me an IPA.

Almost 6 years ago a friend bought me a 6er of Lagunitas IPA as a housewarming gift. I hadn't ever met an IPA that I liked at that point. I tried it and it was terrible. I couldn't understand how anyone could possibly like this beer!! I was drinking copper and amber ales at that time, with no real appreciation for high hop content.

I kept that 6er around, every 6-12 months I'd crack another, having convinced myself that "geeze, someone must like this beer for it to be considered good". By the time I had 3 left, it was about 2.5 years later.

I tried my 4th of the pack then. I still remember where I was when it happened. It was like a switch went off in me. Something in my palate adjusted itself.. nay, corrected itself, and I was consuming liquid euphoria. Now I'm a junkie for IPAs. I love em. And living here in the PNW, I'm blessed to be around so many great breweries with so many great IPA options to choose from, whenever I don't have any of my own available.

Stone IPA - Probably my favorite. Such a wonderful beer.
Lagunitas IPA - Nearly misses 1st for 2nd place. Great beer.
Bear Republic's Racer Five - Another california IPA. Good brew in bottles.

WHO says Arrogant Bastard is an IPA? Its a bit malt-heavy to be an IPA. I enjoy it occasionally but I actually find it a bit... mild. lol. I did have to run out and pick up a Stone IPA, which I am currently enjoying.

If you don't like IPAs, fine. that just leaves more for the rest of us.
 
Rook said:
Stone IPA - Probably my favorite. Such a wonderful beer.
Lagunitas IPA - Nearly misses 1st for 2nd place. Great beer.
Bear Republic's Racer Five - Another california IPA. Good brew in bottles.
Click to expand...

All very excellent IPA's. I absolutely LOVE Lagunitas's offering because it is a bit more sessionable coming in just under 6%abv

Not sure what you can get a hold of up in WA, but I'd highly recommend Port Brewing's Wipeout IPA, Ballast Point's Big Eye IPA, and Alesmith's IPA (originally stood for Irie Pirate Ale, and is by far my favorite IPA).

*Note: Not posting to appear a hop-snob. Just being a San Diego beer lover, gotta plug these fantastic breweries and their beers.
 
I really couldn't stand hops before I started brewing. Now, perhaps cause I brew or maybe my tastes have matured, but I love Stone's Ruination IPA. Not sure what happened, but I'm glad it did.
 
Been brewing for at least a dozen years, if not more. I lost count. If I'm not a hophead by now, I never will be.

IPAs = Blech!
 
There's not many IPAs out there that I've NOT enjoyed.

The best thing about being in the PNW is that even in a bar with a lame tap selection, you can usually still find a macro "craft" IPA on draught like Widmer or Red Hook, which is still better than BMC.

To really experience the glory of the hop, I think a "Wet Hop" or "Fresh Hop" IPA or APA is a thing of beauty. To truly experience all of the hop's oils and acids intermingling with the malt is a revelation.
 
I love IPAs also and am drinking one right now. Having said that, I try to brew something that is like Dogfish Head 60 or Stone.

OTOH, I brew/drink lighter session ales too. <shrug>
 
While there are some IPAs that are worth visiting, most are over the top bitter. Don't get me wrong, I'm still searching for that first elusive tapped IPA I tried that had so much back flavor and aroma that defined what I think an IPA should be. I have almost given up the thought of finding it again. While I can't live without APAs, it seems that I cant find my elusive IPA love again. Every time I visit that bar I try what they have, but alas I feel like a jilted lover that can never be requitted.
 
carnevoodoo said:
I'm only 32, but when I'm not drinking an IPA, I'm drinking water or another good style of beer. I think your assumptions are way off base.
Click to expand...

I agree. While I prefer stouts and porters, I do crave a good IPA now and then. It's funny: when I first tried an IPA, oh, three or four years ago, I could barely drink it. I just couldn't understand why anyone would drink something like that.

I heard a lot of talk about Dogfish Head, so this summer I picked up their 90-minute IPA and, much to my surprise, I genuinely enjoyed it. I've always preferred the darker beers, but I'm really making it a point to appreciate the hop character in all beers, whether that's an IPA or an APA, a porter or a Russian imperial stout. Actually, a third of a mix-six I just picked up was devoted to Bell's Two-Hearted and Sierra Nevada Torpedo. I can't wait to try them both.

To typify a group of people because of their taste in beer is, I think, a bit narrow-minded.

What I have wondered, however, is how spicy most IPA drinkers like their food? Despite my initial resistance to overly-hopped beer, I eat some painfully hot foods at times. I'm one of those people that really enjoys extremely hot foods.
 
beerthirty said:
While there are some IPAs that are worth visiting, most are over the top bitter. Don't get me wrong, I'm still searching for that first elusive tapped IPA I tried that had so much back flavor and aroma that defined what I think an IPA should be. I have almost given up the thought of finding it again. While I can't live without APAs, it seems that I cant find my elusive IPA love again. Every time I visit that bar I try what they have, but alas I feel like a jilted lover that can never be requitted.
Click to expand...

Try the All-Amarillo IPA recipe in the recipes section. It's the best IPA I've had. Not crazily bitter, and loaded with amarillo flavor and aroma. Good stuff.
 

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