American Beers = Overly Hopped

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by Das_Reh, Apr 19, 2015.

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  1. drtth

    drtth Initiate (0) Nov 25, 2007 Pennsylvania
    In Memoriam

    We already have some domestic breweries that produce lagers that show well when compared to Bavarian Lagers on a level playing field. Are they identical? Probably not, but then most Bavarian Lagers aren't carbon copy clones of each other either and some are less enjoyable than others. Do the Domesticly brewed Lagers offer enjoyable flavor profiles? Absolutely, and that is what really counts at the end of the day.
     
  2. Jirin

    Jirin Initiate (0) Apr 28, 2013 Massachusetts

    There's enough American beers that aren't heavily hopped that a generalization is wrong.

    I don't mind hoppiness when it's balanced with a lot of malt.
     
  3. Brutaltruth

    Brutaltruth Grand Pooh-Bah (3,195) Mar 22, 2014 Ohio
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Amen, but so often it seems there are beers that are so hopped without balance that the original posters statements have merit. It is almost as if the brewers are brewing for other brewers....to prove that theirs is bigger. Sometimes I wonder if any balance is ever in the picture.......then again, I think a Russian Imperial Stout is a fine summer sipper.
     
  4. redmagik99

    redmagik99 Initiate (0) May 15, 2007 California

    american beers aren't overly hopped, non-american beers are underly hopped
     
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  5. lester619

    lester619 Initiate (0) Apr 17, 2009 Wisconsin

    I love hoppy beers and if anyone called me a hipster to my face I would punch them in the throat.
     
  6. Dandrewjohn

    Dandrewjohn Zealot (575) Apr 13, 2013 Texas

    I'm not sure I've ever come across an American craft brewer, at least one that's of any consequential size, that doesn't offer a range of styles with some being of lower IBUs. Almost all offer hoppy beers, but almost all offer others that are mildly or very lightly hopped. Fortunately for me, I'm a fan of nearly all.
     
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  7. dgmirelli

    dgmirelli Initiate (0) Mar 21, 2015 New York

    agreed, Tank 7 is not drinking like an IPA at all.
     
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  8. crazycatcouple

    crazycatcouple Initiate (0) Mar 26, 2015 Arizona

    id like to ask the name of the said tripel that was too hoppy.
     
  9. chrisjws

    chrisjws Pooh-Bah (2,768) Dec 3, 2014 California
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    We Americans don't do subtle and nuance. That's for commies.
     
  10. hophugger

    hophugger Grand Pooh-Bah (3,410) Mar 5, 2014 Virginia
    Pooh-Bah Society

    too many hops.........................hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, so, what is the problem ??
     
  11. alucard6679

    alucard6679 Pundit (997) Jul 29, 2012 Arizona


    You made my night.
     
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  12. JackRWatkins

    JackRWatkins Maven (1,448) Nov 3, 2014 Georgia
    Trader

    I do absolutely agree with this, but I will not that it has gotten better, it comes originally from brewers creating beers that were in reaction to macro been, they wanted something that was a very punk rock statement against big beer, think of it like heavy metal (punk) vs bubblegum pop, when that became popular everyone started doing it
     
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  13. bobhits

    bobhits Maven (1,474) Oct 31, 2006 Kentucky

    I don't feel like hops cover up things like belgian spices. They enhance them more often than not for me at least. Don't get me wrong, sometimes it's just a bad beer with poor choices of hops or amounts for the rest of the beer to support. That's a failing of the brewery, not a result of them just using too many hops.
     
  14. HugeBulge

    HugeBulge Initiate (0) Dec 31, 2012 New York

    this entire thread sucks, sounds like you need a bud bro.
     
    crazycatcouple likes this.
  15. ColinStClaire

    ColinStClaire Initiate (0) Jul 31, 2012 Washington

    I feel this way when I try some new local non IPA. I think that they use roughly the same amount of hops they use in an IPA for something like an ESB or a stout. I mean, I want all my beers to have some hop flavor, but do I want a milk stout to smell like Torpedo? No!
     
  16. ColinStClaire

    ColinStClaire Initiate (0) Jul 31, 2012 Washington

    But I also agree that there are plenty of American beers that are wonderfully balanced. I think in my experience it's mostly brand new breweries playing it safe. Over hopped = playing it safe. At least here in the PNW.
     
  17. ianskate

    ianskate Initiate (0) Sep 28, 2010 New York

    Maybe it's just (for the most part) the American way? Not that there's anything wrong with it. Compare that to the British Mild in the 1960's or a German Marzen (whenever it hit its peak in popularity). I think every country has sort of developed it's own popular style, and at the moment maybe the US is its hop domination phase.

    Maybe it'll change... who knows? You can always buy something else, and with the beer movement being what it is... you have so many choices!
     
  18. AstronautMikeDexter

    AstronautMikeDexter Initiate (0) Feb 14, 2013 Indiana
    Deactivated

    Meh.
     
  19. oldbean

    oldbean Initiate (0) Jun 30, 2005 Massachusetts

    There's plenty of great non-hoppy beer being made in America, more than ever before. Even if there are more hoppy beers as a percentage, the absolute number of non-hoppy beers is (I'm guessing) greater than ever before. It's not like saison or stout drinkers have more limited options than they did ten or twenty years ago.
     
  20. BourbonJersey

    BourbonJersey Pundit (823) Jan 18, 2014 New Jersey

    Successful American brewers brew to the taste of their consumers... based on a lot of the BA top 250, seems to me that a lot of American brewers are brewing with just right, albeit higher than their foreign counterpart, hop levels.

    A lot of Americans want their taste buds punched in with that citrusy/piney/tropical/earthy/hoppy goodness. Even if it's not your style, you gotta appreciate the fact that these brewers can temper these high IBU/Alpha Acid levels into something that tastes good (even if it's not your cup of tea).

    Edit: Even if it's not your cup of tea, there's plenty of other styles being brewed in America and plenty of these not-so-hoppy beers are delicious.
     
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