IPA=blah

[JeffersonJ]

I'm a huge IPA fan, but there is an absolute onslaught of IPAs and many of them seem pretty mediocre compared to the best of the style.

One of our local breweries (Good People) makes a Brett IPA for special occasions that is the best and most interesting IPA I've had in a long while. I wish it was more realistic to make Brett beers on regular/commercial basis.

 

[gstrawn]

Before I go drawing any correlations, does anyone else who loves IPA's not care for Belgians? And vise versa? Because Belgians are in the upper echelon of styles for me. Obviously IPA's are not my favorite.

No, do not draw that correlation, I love brlgians. I love me a huge hope bomb more. But in my two taps I always have one hoppy beer and one malty. I like that balance. I think that because you haven't experienced many ipa's the hops overpower everything else that is to be had. I really don't believe that bitterness os the main feature of a good ipa.

 

[8Bit]

What exactly is attractive about an IPA other than as a dinner beer. Yeah they cleanse the pallet, but so does a glass of juice.

Honestly I am not wild about the style either. So far I've only found 2 commercial examples I enjoy: Bells Two Hearted and Anchor Liberty. To each their own, though I wish the style didn't take up so much space at the local beer joints.

 

[pyth]

I don't much care for what I've tried of IPAs so far. I've only tried a couple, but they seemed very skunked to me.

But then, I generally prefer things like Porters, brown ales & scottish ales. So my pallete might just lean more towards those styles.

 

[scrambledegg81]

Juice is sugary and large consumption leads to diabetes

25 of my 30 years spent as a type 1 diabetic, and all I can think of saying is "WTF????"

 

[Brew_Force]

25 of my 30 years spent as a type 1 diabetic, and all I can think of saying is "WTF????"

He was referencing Type 2 diabeties, theorised to be caused by a long term insulin resistance in the blood, caused by an abnormaly high sugar intake. The body eventually disregards insulin response, because everytime it experiences it, there is too many unprocessesable sugars present in the blood that the body simply doesn't need/want.

When cells are saturated, they're saturated.

 

[boswell]

. . . tasty head, which is also strong and long lasting. . .despite the. . .aftertaste

Sounds good to me

 

[scrambledegg81]

He was referencing Type 2 diabeties, theorised to be caused by a long term insulin resistance in the blood, caused by an abnormaly high sugar intake. The body eventually disregards insulin response, because everytime it experiences it, there is too many unprocessesable sugars present in the blood that the body simply doesn't need/want.

When cells are saturated, they're saturated.

True, but (trying not to hijack here...) so much of type 2 development depends on lifestyle & genetic inheritance that the "too much sugar" theory somewhat went out in the mid-90's.

 

[trigger]

Before I go drawing any correlations, does anyone else who loves IPA's not care for Belgians? And vise versa? Because Belgians are in the upper echelon of styles for me. Obviously IPA's are not my favorite.

I love IPA's. I often find myself in the position of using ~1lb of citrusy Cascadian hops in beers that started as pilsners, or nut browns, or just about any other style. Except Belgians. I don't like belgian beers. I used to try to. I thought since they were so popular I was the one that was wrong. I'd fake it till I could make it. It turns out that, in my opinion, all belgian beers taste like spoiled beer. They taste like all the things that make an otherwise good beer bad, and that's what some people think makes them taste golden.

My point is I hate belgians and love IPAs. You are the opposite. I can respect that, though we may never agree. I can appreciate others efforts in making a fine belgian, but I won't like it.

P.S. I have brewed a Saison annually for the past few years. I usually brew a new batch about the time the keg of the last batch kicks. I do this more for entertainment value. I give a glass to some poor unsuspecting guest and watch them try to choke a sip down while complementing the flavor before giving them a glass of real beer.

 

[HollisBT]

Bitter is something I'm not afraid of, but IPA's just seem all bitter and no flavor to me. Maybe its that most IPA's finish on a bitter note that really drives me away.

Before I go drawing any correlations, does anyone else who loves IPA's not care for Belgians? And vise versa? Because Belgians are in the upper echelon of styles for me. Obviously IPA's are not my favorite.

Perhaps it is just that you perfer the nuances of a nice belgian over those of an IPA/APA? There are several flavor profiles which can be pulled out of a nicely done, well hopped, "bitter" IPA. And believe it or not, most of those flavor profiles are NOT bitter... They are, however, easier to distinguish than some flavor profiles, such as those found in belgians... Just remember that not all IPA's are created equally, and I offer this challenge to all people: You may say you don't like hops/bitter beers, but i argue that you just haven't found the right kind of hops to enjoy.

On the other hand, belgian yeast strains offer flavors and profiles that are much harder to find the nuances in, and can offer a much more complex final product littered with esters and phenols. And while I don't mean that as a bad thing, they are (generally) higher alcohol, AND higher in sugar content, and a tad on the sweeter side.

They both offer their benefits and disadvantages depending on what side of the fence you sit on. But personally, I find it odd that more people speak out about hops than they do malts or alcohol content. I love hops, but beer is a pie chart, balancing malt, alcohol, and hops...

 

[markm2151]

I love IPAs, but the same old c-hop, citrusy American IPA does get old, considering that there are 9,000 on the shelf, and I've brewed a few myself. Why not try what I'm going to - brew an IPA with non-traditional hops. I'm going to do a noble hopped IPA - there are exactly zero of those available commercially, as far as I know.
But, hey, if you just don't like hoppy beers period, skip the IPAs. I could do without any beer to which the word Belgian could be attached, so my simple solution is to let people who drink that kind of beer brew and buy it.

I understand where you are coming from. By far, my favorite style is an IPA/ double IPA/ imperial IPA, see where I'm going here? But, I do tend to find the same old grapefruit citrus c-hop flavor and aroma becomes mundane after awhile. I really like your idea of doing an IPA with noble hops, please let us know when you start, recipe, etc...

 

[jonmohno]

.woops wrong thread. But try a SN Ruthless Rye ipa asap.and see what happens.

 

[Brewkowski]

I just had a SA White Water IPA, and I thought it was a really nice IPA, not too bitter at all and the aroma for me was great and I'd keep it around as an affordable decent IPA, not at all like the one I got from a local brewery but nice in that I could see drinking several of them vs. drinking only 1-2 of something around 130IBU's. I do think IPA's have been on trend, specifically with a boat load of IBU and aroma.

 

[unionrdr]

I still think the uninitiated are mistaking the stronger citrus/herby/spiciness of the late hop additions for bitterness. Even in food,herbs,spice,& citrus can give much the same effect. I had some spaghetti sauce last night that tasted much like the hops I was smelling in the room. IPASKETTI!! yahoooo!

 

[Beerbeque]

tCan
I bet you'll come to love IPAs sometime in the future. Most craft beer lovers/homebrewers do eventually. IPA is my favorite style, followed by APAs. Now most ambers and brown ales bore me for lack of hops. I don't like Belgians at all but I'm working on it slowly. Im currently drinking my latest IPA brewed with all US Northern Brewer hops. It's quite different from most because it lacks the citrus flavors but is still floral. I think you would like it.

 

[Zamial]

hahahaha They all sing they same tune until they have a Lupilin Shift.

 

[Taypo]

OK, so consider me an IPA virgin because I really havent found one that I like yet. I havent tried many, but what I have had has tasted bitter. Any recommendations for a "starter" pale ale or IPA? Not too hopped, but more hop profile than my normal stouts and ales?

 

[BeerWard]

OK, so consider me an IPA virgin because I really havent found one that I like yet. I havent tried many, but what I have had has tasted bitter. Any recommendations for a "starter" pale ale or IPA? Not too hopped, but more hop profile than my normal stouts and ales?

Bell's Two Hearted Ale. I call it the gateway IPA. Great citrus from the Centennial hops. No bitter. I can taste it just thinking about it

 

[eastoak]

hahahaha They all sing they same tune until they have a Lupilin Shift.

so true. many of the beers i used to love are now, meh. i like my own beer more than most commercial beers with the exception of Aud Blonde and Happy Hops from russian river. the whole high alcohol super bitter thing is not for me, i'm more into the aroma and flavor. i need a beer right now....

 

[wailingguitar]

I like the occasional IPA, but prefer English hops to the grapefruity Casacades that are typical of an American IPA

 

[Bierliebhaber]

OK, so consider me an IPA virgin because I really havent found one that I like yet. I havent tried many, but what I have had has tasted bitter. Any recommendations for a "starter" pale ale or IPA? Not too hopped, but more hop profile than my normal stouts and ales?

DRIFTER ! would be perfect. It's a pale.

 

[Zamial]

OK, so consider me an IPA virgin because I really havent found one that I like yet. I havent tried many, but what I have had has tasted bitter. Any recommendations for a "starter" pale ale or IPA? Not too hopped, but more hop profile than my normal stouts and ales?

Pliny The Elder/PTE or a clone of it. IMO is the best gateway IPA I have had with Bells 2H and DFH 90 min. in 2nd and 3rd.

To date I have met very few people that are not hop heads that dislike those above beers. The secret is get them as fresh as possible. Within 30-90 days all the aroma is gone and within 60-120 days the flavor is as well, leaving nothing but the bitter.

I am also gravitating away from overly bitter to extra heavy flavor and aroma additions in my IPAs. A "session" IPA that has low bitterness and high flavor/aroma is on my next to brew list.

 

[mmient]

I love IPA's/DIPA's, but have had some that taste like lemon Pledge. I love Stouts, but have had some that taste like the soot that comes out of the chimney when it gets cleaned. If I don't like it, I move on. Either way, it won't stop me from trying as many of 'em as I can!

 

[alexdagrate]

So you had a Sam Adams beer, didn't like it, and YOU'RE SURPRISED?

 

[tCan]

So you had a Sam Adams beer, didn't like it, and YOU'RE SURPRISED?

Is that supposed to be a slant on Adams? Any beer lover worth their salt will admit they at least make ok beer.

I'd hate to see what you say to your friends when they hand you a Pabst or Yuengling.

 

[jonmohno]

I think a few of their beers are ok and a few pretty good,but i wouldnt consider it on the scale of good craft beer at least not in my top 50 or so,but thats just me.Im not snobbing it but there is just something Leinenkugals about it. I did somewhat enjoy the small batch series somewhat.I think the Sam Adams boston lager glass is one of the sweetest finds though,love that curvy shape. One of the most perfect made beer glasses ever,alot of pale ales and ipa's will be drank from this. Just not a Sam Adams beer most likley.:0

 

[rexbanner]

Is that supposed to be a slant on Adams? Any beer lover worth their salt will admit they at least make ok beer.

I'd hate to see what you say to your friends when they hand you a Pabst or Yuengling.

Look at his sig

 

[chiguy]

Sierra Nevada pale ale + summer day = happy me. Technically not an IPA but still...

 

[Sacdan]

Have you ever had Pliny? I could send you one and you may just change your mind.

 

[DisturbdChemist]

I don't like IPAs *wink* I want to try pliny so badly. I can't get it in texas