Are IPAs not for me?

I say take a break from IPAs yet revisit them once in a while. There is a beer out there for everyone in every style. You just have to find it...

 

I don't mean this in an offensive way, I'm only thinking out loud on this first statement I have a hard time understanding questions asking "why don't I like this?" "am I losing my taste for this?" Am I not a <insert whatever here> drinker?" Only the person asking the question would know right? No one else can know if you like something or ever will. Give it a try or a few then either ditch it or not. I've tried many beers once or twice or even three times then never again.

Ok....on another note. Sometimes it depends where you are coming from. At times someone new to craft beer may be just coming off the commercial crap and used to drinking big sips of beer and fast. At least for me...this isn't good for an IPA. Slow down.
Next is the kind of IPA. I like IPA's and have for a few years but lately, even after all these years have realized I have been drinking big IPA's. Doubles etc. Higher ABV also. As someone above mentioned, there is allot going on there and it may overwhelm the palate. Recently I switched to DFH 60 minute ale and what a difference it made (for me). I have discovered I like regular IPA's and not so much the bigger ones.

Somethings can be an acquired taste but why? If you want to "get used" to something that is up to you...not others. But IMO; why? Just say yuk, and move on

So maybe you can give just a straight not imperial or double, IPA a shot if you haven't already and see what that does. Something easy going. Otherwise just move on. Drink what YOU like. Not what seems like the in thing. And only you know if you like something. Have fun and enjoy your beer.

 

You're not alone. Never liked them when I was 20, nor as I'm closer to 40. I will have an APA from time to time. But still, hoppy and bitter is a very acquired taste.

 

Hop Notch (now "Hop Nosh") might be one for you to try. It's more citrusy and less bitter than a lot of the IPAs I've tried.

 

Why force what you don't like? I don't like Belgian stuff or Sours, Wild ales and such, so what, I don't like them. I'd but Cantillon if I saw it just gathering dust, but I'd trade it for IPA's. If we all likes the same things it would be a very boring world.

 

Some people just don't like bitter flavors. I love that (I drink my coffee black, for instance). No big deal.

Folks rave about sours on BA, but they're not for me. I have no intention of trying to force myself to like them. Why? Because I generally just don't enjoy overly sour flavors in drinks. And the latest style craze, gose? Yuck (to me at least).

But if you're really interested in liking IPAs/DIPAs, try ones that have a more citrus quality to them...like fresh Sucks. Or (as suggested above), maltier ones...like DFH 90 minute.

 

It might be that your palate has to adjust. The first IPA I had was Racer 5 Bear Republic and the aftertaste was so bitter that I thought the beer was infected. Eventually over time after having some APAs and weaker IPAs, the Bear Republic was way more manageable.

Now I can handle hoppier beers, but some people's palates never quite develop the taste for it. Don't worry. Even though IPA is the most popular style of craft beer, there's a whole world of other styles to try. I grew sick of IPAs and don't even really bother with them anymore, and I don't have any trouble finding something else to drink.

 

There's nothing that says you HAVE to like IPAs or Stouts, or Sours, or whatever style you insert here. People should just drink what they like, it's not a contest.

 

I certainly wouldn't suggest either of those. I love IPAs but these are very aggressive and bitter for someone not accustomed to hoppy beers. I think something like Founders All Day, Terrapin RecreationAle, or other "session" IPAs are a better gateway as the bitterness is generally toned down but they still have the flavor. DFH 90 minute is very sweet and not too bitter either so that may work as well like others have mentioned.

 

I've never understood the acquired taste thing with IPAs. Beer in general is acquired taste but once you get over the initial bitterness you can pretty much take anything on. In my experience it's the bolder flavours that appeal to newbies the most, and it's the milder stuff that takes time and experience to appreciate to the same degree.

 

I hated them at first, but after a lot of experimentation, I found one I liked and from there the love really blossomed. Took a while; definitely an acquired taste. What worked best for me was trying IPAs made with different types of hops; I found some I liked better than others initially. Another pointer, stick to the lighter ones. These may not be the ones with the best reviews, but they are a lot easier on the palate IMO. Maybe I'm wrong, but at first it helped to try the ones with a little less alcohol. Or even trying some pale ales that have a decent amount of hops such as Cigar City Invasion or Uinta Wyld.

 

I also favor DIPA's over IPAs, unless the IPA is well balanced, I like the malt backbone with a nice clean hoppy finish, It also depends on the hop variety used...I've learned over the years that I don't care for Columbus Hops

 

Switch to Scoth Ales, or Steel Reserve.

 

I have always heard that the acquired tastes become your strongest desires. With this in mind I usually give things a few tries. Without that I would never have the taste for sharp cheddar and horseradish. MMMMMMMMMM horseradish cheddar.

 

I had been anti-IPA until about a month ago when I found a couple I liked. I had been focusing mostly on stouts, beligians, and other malt-forward brews (usually stronger ones).

On a whim, I gave a couple a try since there was nothing else of interest on the menu at a local bar. Something clicked on one of them and I've been having a ball trying all of the beers I had been avoiding over the last few years. There are still some I don't like, but I've found several that I've been buying more and more of lately.

Some of the recent ones I've been enjoying:

Dogfish Head 90 minute (enjoyed this much more than 60)
Firestone Walker Union Jack (interestingly, I didn't like Double Jack)
Founders Double Trouble
Maine Beer Co. Lunch
Greenflash West Coast IPA

 

I suggest breaking in on hoppy APAs, like Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, and milder IPAs, like Harpoon or Goose Island. There are reasons why these are among the higher selling beers. The OP is in NH, and I would not suggest anything by Smuttynose, they are too bitter for me and I love IPAs. Ipswich is also pretty bitter. Mayflower has a unique nutty character that you may like, and Wachusett and Wachusett Monsta are pretty approachable. Magic Hat Blind Faith isn't popular on BA, but that's partly because it is a mild IPA and not overly hoppy or bitter. Peak Organic is another you might like.

 

I don't like Imperial Stouts. Hell, I hate 'em. Finally accepted it. Leaves more for everyone else. Don't beat yourself up.

 

Hated them for years and now can't get enough of them! Tastes change - that said, my turning point began with DIPAs. Specifically, DFH 90 & Southern Tier Unearthly.

 

odd how these "acquired tastes" seem to always come with addictive substances...

 

My thoughts are that until you geek out on IPAs you are likely to get a lot of poorly represented IPAs. If you're drinking a super fresh word class IPA, it's an altogether different beast than just trying whatever IPA they have on tap at your local watering hole. Also like anything that is extremely popular, there are a lot of mediocre IPAs cashing in on the popularity.

I frequently give IPA's fresh from the brewery to folks that "don't like hoppy beers" and I always get the same response, "I usually don't like too much hops, but this is really good!"

Hops flavor and bitterness are two different things, but the flavor fades quickly so a lot of people only associate the bitterness. To go back to the coffee analogy, it's like the difference between fresh ground kona brewed in a french press and gas station coffee. If your only experience with coffee is that crap at the gas station, you'll think coffee just tastes bitter and you might think you don't like the flavor of coffee.