IPA hater wants to reform!

[Gameface]

I also think Bell's Two-Hearted is a good choice.

I'm not an expert just remembering what I've heard, but Two-Hearted has been around for a while and was one of the earlier commercial IPAs that got the whole IPA craze started. At the time extremely bitter hoppy beers were sort of unheard of so it's one that isn't too ridiculously over the top. It's not a SMaSH beer but kind of close. It uses only Centennial hops and mostly 2-row. There are some good clone recipes out there.

 

[Pariah3j]

Thank you for the advice. Again, I am not trying to brew what I dislike. I just want to broaden my horizons a bit. I think the APA or UK IPAs ideas are a good start. This is exactly the kind of advice I was looking for.

So assuming I can find them all fresh, these would be a few good starters to try?

Sierra Nevada PA - APA
Samuel Smith's IA - UK IPA
Lagunitas Lil Sumpin' - IPA

Scuba - what are some of the craft/commercial beers that you do like/gravitate towards ? Might give us an idea of where your palate is at and what to suggest.

Me personally - I hate IPAs - haven't found one that I like yet. My wife can't get enough of them and insists that I must try them when she finds a new one. Either she is trying to poison me or likes to see my 'bitter beer face'.

 

[Scuba_Steve81]

Scuba - what are some of the craft/commercial beers that you do like/gravitate towards ? Might give us an idea of where your palate is at and what to suggest.

Me personally - I hate IPAs - haven't found one that I like yet. My wife can't get enough of them and insists that I must try them when she finds a new one. Either she is trying to poison me or likes to see my 'bitter beer face'.

I am pretty limited. But a lot of this is fear of the unknown. I really haven't messed with many craft brews.

Shiner is my favorite commercial beer. I absolutely love most of their line. Bock, hef, dunk, blonde, black.

Sam Adams, especially the fall and winter brews. Not a huge fan of standard SA though.

Yuengling, Heineken, Shock top wheats, Leinenkugul wheats.

I grew up on MGD prior to the Mr Beer incident, but cant stand it now.

Fruity wheats such as a lemon summer shandy are good, but usually too lemony to drink more than a bottle or 2 comfortably.

I also have found a recent liking to meads.

I can also tell you that I want to try to work my way into dark beers. I hate Guinness. Again, I love a shiner black though, but only after two or three lighter beers. I usually buy the mixed pack, start with a blonde, then hef, then bock, then dunk, then black.


Btw, great advise so far. I am going to try to find a store I can mix and match at. I have a store that sells crafts in single bottles if I remember right.

 

[Scuba_Steve81]

Oh I am in Savannah GA btw.

 

[buzd]

I prefer American Pale Ale's personally.... for a commercial brew... Sierra Nevada is great but I 've been hooked on Founder's All Day IPA for a while now. I love the Grapefruit bite..... Goose Island (cough cough) has a couple of good ones as well!!!!

I see you're in Arkansas. If you can get your hands on Commotion (by Great Raft out of Shreveport), give it a try. I love it.

 

[Mainer]

For a commercial example, try Founder's All Day IPA. It's sessionable, widely available nationwide, and I find it somewhat milder than some of the high-Alpha hop bombs out there.

 

[Mainer]

Ballast Point Grapefruit Sculpin is also a nice IPA. My wife, who doesn't like bitter IPAs, likes it. Plus the grapefruit might appeal to your taste for fruit beers, though it can in some ways add to the bitterness.

 

[Mainer]

But also, don't feel pressured into drinking IPAs right away, even though they are "in" right now. If you want a gateway to IPAs, there are a lot of great hoppy saisons out there. I highly recommend Apex Predator by Off-Color brewing. Crisp and hoppy, but with fruity esters that cut some of the hop bite.

 

[JimRausch]

Scuba- Here's a vote for the Sam Adams Rebel IPA series. I am not a fan of the 'slap you in the face' bitter IPAs, but find the SA versions to be flavorful without overdoing it.
As in Yooper's neck of the woods, we have a local packie as well as a local supermarket that have 'create your own' six packs. It's a great way of trying something without getting six of something that you wind up dumping or giving away.

 

[BobOki]

Oh I am in Savannah GA btw.

Which means you have World of Beer you can go to to try many different types.

p.s. run to get out of there before it sucks you in for LLYYFFEEEE... It's like Hotel California (Savannah I mean)

 

[chudsonvt]

If you historically have not liked IPA's but are wanting to try a sample to see if it is something you may want to try brewing again, then I suggest this:

First, go to a tap-house that has lots of beer on draft that definitely moves. That way, whatever you are trying is likely to be a nice, fresh example.
Then, just to get your feet wet, see if they have a session IPA. Maybe sample a few. Try some stronger, hop bombs toward the end. If you start with these, you will kill your pallet for the rest.
Write down what ones you like (if any).
Then you can read more into them and possibly find a clone recipe or at least determine what you like for hop aroma, if any.

I never liked IPA's until only a few years ago. But now I don't know what I would do without them! Good luck!

 

[ViciousFishes]

Stop searching, Brew this:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=568046

I had an excellent IPA from your neck of the woods while in Myrtle Beach over Memorial Day. I'll post back if I can find or remember it

 

[judsonp]

What IPA should I try my hand at, or what bottled beer should I sample to see if it is even worth my time, money, and beer space to attempt this again?

Definitely try Bell's Two Hearted and Founder's All Day IPA. Excellent beers and on the tamer side.

Lagunitas IPA, Cigar City Jai Alai, and Ballast Point Sculpin are also really worth trying.

 

[Homercidal]

Am I the only one craving an IPA right now??

 

[QuadConPana]

...just buy a 6-pack of Bells HOPSLAM! and drink 1 per night...

Not the worst advice in the world. Before I became a lupulin addict, regular IPA's tasted like they had been poured into a soapy glass. One of the first that I really enjoyed, though, was DFH 120. And, to this day my wife doesn't care for IPA's but love DIPA's. Probably the extra maltiness is the reason.

 

[Nummey]

Am I the only one craving an IPA right now??

Beat me to it - have read every reply and am salivating for an IPA right now!

 

[Mirilis]

Try Grapefruit Sculpin, Zombiedust (even though its a PA), or Gumballhead.

 

[Scuba_Steve81]

Which means you have World of Beer you can go to to try many different types.

p.s. run to get out of there before it sucks you in for LLYYFFEEEE... It's like Hotel California (Savannah I mean)

I do have a world of beer! Awesome suggestion to get them right off the tap!

I even think they sell flights!

Again something I would've never thought of.

 

[JimRausch]

Beat me to it - have read every reply and am salivating for an IPA right now!

Hmmm. Anyone besides me wonder if AAs are addictive? I see plenty of "I used to hate IPAs, but now I can't get enough of them". Makes you wonder, since hops are in the same general family as Cannabis.
Please note: I have no desire to get into a pot discussion.

 

[Scuba_Steve81]

Hmmm. Anyone besides me wonder if AAs are addictive? I see plenty of "I used to hate IPAs, but now I can't get enough of them". Makes you wonder, since hops are in the same general family as Cannabis.
Please note: I have no desire to get into a pot discussion.

FTR, anything that gives a sense of satisfaction can potentially be psychologically addictive. Just not physically, although the mind can manifest this as well. Pot, chocolate, women, adrenaline, etc. If you think about it positively enough, you will eventually begin to crave it, which will make you think about it more often...

 

[BobOki]

Still totally on subject, but am I the only one that sees Scuba Steve's name and oddly thinks Cuba Pete instead? Maybe I need more beer -_-;;

 

[Yooper]

Definitely try Bell's Two Hearted and Founder's All Day IPA. Excellent beers and on the tamer side.

Lagunitas IPA, Cigar City Jai Alai, and Ballast Point Sculpin are also really worth trying.

Oh, I forgot about Cigar City's Jai Alai. We don't get it here, but I bought tons of it when I was in Florida, and drank it on tap at the hotel in Disney, and it's probably my favorite IPA.

 

[ViciousFishes]

I went through this conversion to a craver of IPA over the last 6 months. I've found BeerAdvocate indispensable in deciding which ones to try, buy and order. It's been the number one beer style for awhile. Like anything, there are standouts and pour outs.

Here are two I just kegged this weekend. Same recipe, brewed 12g and split into different fermenters. One got London Ale III, the other British Ale II (wanted to compare 1318 to Conan, but couldn't find it in the greater Raleigh area). View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1465247609.560160.jpg

http://beersmithrecipes.com/viewrecipe/1150543/here-be-dragons-ipa-double-batch

 

[Scuba_Steve81]

OK, started sampling. I only had time to visit a small local liquor store so selection was limited.

The only thing I found freshish was Big Easy IPA. Drink by 7/29/16.

Not really my thing, but definitely slowly drinkable. Grapefruit mixed with lemon peel is the best explanation. Lots of different hops from what I read, so can't nail one down.

 

[brew703]

The Big Easy IPA is a session IPA brewed by Abita in NOLA. I drink it during the summer. If Big Easy had a drink by date of 7/29 then that beer is probably 6 mths old.

If World of Beers has Ghost in the Machine by Parish Brewing give it a try. It's a DIPA but very smooth and no where near 100+ IBU's as they claim. I like it but it's hard to find.

Sierra Nevada has Beer Camp IPA. I bought a sixer and didn't really care for it. Not much flavor IMO.

Bells Two Hearted is a great IPA. We just started getting it here in Louisiana. I brewed a clone of it and it was close.

Bunch of great suggestions. Looks like there are a few breweries in your area. Check them out as maybe they have something you might like.

 

[mattdee1]

I'd suggest to just grab some IPA singles from time to time, keep a few on-hand, and work them into your rotation. Try them in different situations/settings, etc. It's amazing how much that can impact the enjoyment factor of a beer. For me, anyway.

 

[ThatVideoKid]

Boy I wasn't sure if I was going to stop by trillium after work but now I definitely am.

If you were up here I would suggest the smooth NE hoppy ales... but alas

 

[Mainer]

Boy I wasn't sure if I was going to stop by trillium after work but now I definitely am.

If you were up here I would suggest the smooth NE hoppy ales... but alas

I almost offered to send him a Maine Beer Company gift box.

EDIT: But I didn't.

 

[lolcats]

I didn't read all 6 pages, but wow

I would start with a Two Hearted Ale

 

[kristiismean]

Bells "Two hearted"
Half Acre "Daisy Cutter"
Ska "Modus Hoperandi"
Boulevard "Single Wide IPA" and "Pop-Up IPA"
Three Floyds "Zombie Dust"

Start with those. They are all different. and imo, all very good and solid IPA's.