I'm wondering if this Hop revolution that has been going on the past few years, is somewhat destroying a lot of people's palates. I've heard the word boring thrown around a lot lately, basically to describe beers that aren't crazy hop bombs. I'm not saying this is what the OP means, just relaying what I've been hearing on this subject. Especially when I agree, there are some boring Ambers out there, but to lump the whole style this way seems pretty outrageous. I've had plenty of boring IPAs and stouts as well.
One example that pops right to mind is what I heard last night at a monthly tasting I attend. One of the treats we got was the Brewpubs IPA they brew, only we got it straight from the tank, before it was put on tap. It had only been a week since it had been transferred from the fermenter and had a really nice hop aroma to it. A couple of the guys there were commenting on how boring it was. "Only 60 IBU's? Needs more hops, it's boring." When in reality, it was one of the nicest IPAs I've had in a while, why? Because it had a decent little malt finish, but the fresh hop aroma was really distinct. You could almost feel it get into your nose, leaving a hint of a flowery fragrance in there as you drank it.
I know the beer gets pushed through a hopback as it's transferred and I don't know, yeah it definitely didn't punch you in the face with hops, but that's what made it even more interesting to me, you were able to detect the subtle nuances of the hops more that way.
I'm not here to bash anyone, we all drink what we like, because we like it. It should be that way. If you like ultra hoppy beers, then by all means, drink them. I just don't think that you should discount an entire style because it doesn't suit your tastes exactly. Sometimes, the simplicity in a beer and it's ability to not hit you in the face can be the beautiful thing in it.
Sorry for my long winded rant, but it just seems that as much as the IPA is kickstarting a brewing revolution, I can't help but wonder if it's also kind of leaving behind some of the classic styles because they aren't pushing the hop limit to the max. I was seriously blown away by the "boring" comment last night. I just have a feeling that seeing the card and seeing 60 IBUs had already pre-determined for that person that this was a boring beer, not hoppy enough, when in reality, it was full of wonderful hop aroma.