Why are IPAs/DIPAs so popular?

I disagree, and I can't handle more than 1-2 IPAs at any given time.

I think IPAs are popular for a multitude of reasons, with the first one being that they are the antithesis of a Macro. Then once they started to take off, the hype machine and the bandwagon took them off even further. Then some really good ones came out and voila, there you have it. It is also one of those styles where each one can taste so drastically different from the next so it is a style worth exploring.

With that being said, though, I would like to see more styles arise to the forefront and I don't like the trend I sometimes see where hoppy automatically = good, "world class", etc.

 

I'm not sure I'm adding any more value to what's been said but I think the range of this style makes it very intriguing. For instance, what if you did a single malt, single hop (SMaSH) beer and wanted to feature one hop variety...all the way through including dry to get an idea of what that hop imparts for bittering, flavor, and aroma?

Or, like many brewers do, just use American "C" variety hops?

Then there's the whole East Coast (more malty, tends to be darker in appearance) vs. West Coast (lighter in color, drier, etc) variation.

What happens when you take that kind of artistic license with a Vienna Lager, Dry Stout, or Kolsch? You blame the brewer for being "out of style", right?

In addition to all the inherent yumminess of IPA's/DIPA's I think it's a broad style that brewers can be flexible and creative with.

If I drink a German Pils and the brewer has taken some "artistic license" I might enjoy it but the range for that style is much narrower and I might be inclined to say "it's a good beer but it's not a German Pils".

How often does an DIPA get accused of being "too hoppy"? Possibly "unbalanced" but I don't think there is an upper limit on DIPA hoppiness (just ask Mitch Steele or Vinnie). There are definitely upper and lower limits on other styles and I think that might limit their popularity...especially if you don't "get" the style.

 

Weed!

Sorry, obligatory colorado answer.

 

works for me.....

I love hops just not as much as most IPA lovers do.

I do know if you drink hoppier(sp) you want more hoppier, at least for many folks.

To me there is a limit. So most of these beers are past mine.

 

HOPS GOOD ARE...UGH

 

Seriously, there is so much variety in hops that one could explore the IPA and DIPA styles forever. And with DIPA's you can find many with a ppronounced contribution from the malt profile too.

 

You have hit it on the head exactly. The poetic license, while is poetry indeed, takes the beer to the edge or beyond of it's class or definition. The other truism in this thread is that hops are intoxicating. Their scent is intoxicating,the variety in the tastes and the floral, the bitter, the herbal, these all can be pushed to their respective limits and be totally gratifying. But what an IPA won't ever be is a nice clean lager. If you can smack your lips over nice helles lager like sly fox, and be content in a lack of abandon then you are ready to drink some beer.

 

I love the smell, its the taste that gets me.

 

I've had maple bacon ice cream. That's pretty interesting.

 

American IPA's have a lot of the citrusy and floral aromas, often tropical, and especially the dry hopped ones have a lot of these hop characteristics without the overwhelming bitterness. They're very approachable as a style because of the tropical, citrusy, floral things going on.

 

I don't smoke, but if I did, I would want to crumble up some dry hops and smoke that. I love how they smell.

 

I never smoked hops. buds all the time. lol

 

I absolutely love Sly Fox Golden Helles beer (and Victory Lager and Stoudts Gold and Barren Hill Edel-Helles and Weihenstephan Original and ….).

Having stated the above, I also absolutely love Ithaca Flower Power (and Bells Two Hearted and Fat Heads Head Hunter and Firestone Walker Union Jack and Heady Topper and …..)

Enjoying a well-made Munich Helles and a well-make IPA/DIPA is not mutually exclusive.

Cheers!

 

Because burnt and smoked meat goes better with hop bombs.