New obsession with IPA's!

[bobbrews]

I believe we all have an IPA switch nestled inside of us. For some it takes longer than others to discover your love for them. When I started my adventures into trying the various styles of beer out there I was convinced I would never like IPAs. I drank wheats, Belgians, stouts, you name it but one day the switch was flipped and I never looked back.

This was exactly my line of thinking / path as well.

Belgian fan first, IPA fan later. Now, I almost brew and buy IPAs exclusively.

 

[OldWorld]

I like a nice IPA but find the style to be boring and predictable. I'd rather brew something that is not stylistically on the commercial market.

There is nothing wrong with making a good home brew IPA...the challenge of IPA for homebrewers is getting good hops. Now that you've taken the plunge into IPA admiration, you must now complete the full hop head right of passage...

Grow your own hops

 

[shaneogle89]

I would love to grow my own hops! Is it fairly easy to do? I looked at some of the pictures on the hop growing forum and it looks like a lot of work!

 

[jfrank85]

First IPA i ever had was a FFF Dreadnaught bomber. From that moment on I had instantly fell in love with the floral, piney, spicy, grassy, earthy, dank, and fruity little cones we know as hops. Excuse me, i need to wipe the drool from the keyboard.

 

[H-ost]

You are down in california so you are lucky enough to get some FRESH Hop Stoopid from Lagunitas. Seriously, try it...

 

[shaneogle89]

You are down in california so you are lucky enough to get some FRESH Hop Stoopid from Lagunitas. Seriously, try it...

I will definitely have to try it! I've heard it's real good

 

[CBXBob]

I remember someone, in some thread, wondering if there was a hop scented air freshener for his car. Might be a good seller for this crowd

 

[shaneogle89]

A hop air freshener would be an awesome idea hahaha

 

[16thNatural]

A Hop flavored Condom would be great fir the ladies.

 

[Ridire]

Hello, my name is ridire and I have become a hop addict...


I am exactly what the OP describes. I went from BMC to realizing that beer could have flavor, which made me adopt the mantra "the darker the better". I started drinking nothing but stouts and porters. I would go to restaurants and just say, "give me a glass of the darkest beer you have in tap". While in that mode, a friend from Texas told me I was a fool because the greatest beer in the world is brewed in my home state and that I was oblivious to it...he was talking about Bell's Two Hearted Ale. I finally caved in and bought a sixer...now crave hops. I love the IPA's.

I still love a good porter or stout but I have slowly been corrupted into a hop head.

 

[bobbrews]

I believe I could honestly convert any American hop hater into a lover of such things... Realistically though, I'm not going to send all of you a free bottle of homebrew. Years ago, I used to hate bitter hoppy beers just like some of you. What can I say???... Things change! You really have to get over the bitterness and dryness before anything else, and your palate will change for them... Though the flavors and aromas of citrus, fruit, pine, and/or marijuana should come fairly natural to you from the very beginning.

 

[Pelican521]

I am a convert as well...what did it for me was a six pack of Lagunitas Sucks in addition to home brewing and getting an appreciation of hop.

I have a Racer 5 clone in my primary now...

 

[Genuine]

My first craft beer was a 90 minute IPA so I have loved IPA's from the get-go. However, getting into Stouts and more malty beer took me a bit. So now, I love both styles equally, however I will be found to be having more stouts in the colder months than in the summer.

 

[Beer-lord]

90% of what I brew are IPA's. All kinds from the mild to the extremely hoppy. I just love them.
I have a Beer-Bucket list of IPA's not available here and am on the hunt to find each and every one of them before I die.

 

[Stigy]

Mmmmmmmm hops!