Love/Hate Relationship Beer Styles

Thank you for this. We haven't had a good pumpkin-hating thread since the fall. I always appreciate an opportunity to remind anyone who will listen that pumpkin beer is an abomination.

 

Whatever differences we may have, even through bitter battles over whether NE IPAs are good or terrible and whether it's acceptable to spend 10 hours in line for a release, at least we all can agree that we hate pumpkin beers.

 

I used to hate IPAs, now it's 90% of what I drink. Last summer I rekindled an old affair with helles lagers and pils, I see that continuing

 

Over the years I have tended to prefer drier beers and lower abv beers. When I first got into beer Rochefort 10, Chimay Red and Unibroue were my favourite beers. Lambics aside, now I recommend the following:

Recommended:
1. Rodenbach Vintage (grand cru is cut with sweet immature beer)
2. Orval
3. Saison Dupont
4. Duvel
5. Westmalle Tripel
6. Westmalle Dubbel

If you aren't wanting a sweet beer, try to get the Westmalles as fresh as possible. Within 6 months of bottling is a good window.

 

Before @zid's thread about saisons, I was on the fence with this style. I have found that, since saison is such a wide range, you can't be too sure what you will get with newer offerings. I like the drier, peppery versions, and do not like as much the fruity, floral kinds. I wonder if the latter come across as "sweet" to some - they sorta/kinda do to me as well.

But to the OP's question, DIPAs fit the bill for me. Specifically the ones I think will have that onion/garlic herbal bite to them (Stone is an example). I'll still have one now and again, but if I see anything over 7-7.5% I am very wary; give me a regular IPA any day, though. Luckily the GF enjoys all levels of IPA, and I can get a sip without committing too early .

 

No argument as per the Pumpkin beers. I usually end up with a 4-pack in the fall at some point... usually a Dogfish Head 'Punkin' or somesuch, and that is more than enough. They always look and sound better than they taste. The only disclaimer I'm going to throw in are the brews by 'Jolly Pumpkin'. They're outstanding.

On a similar note... excess pumpkin beer makes great beer bread. Great all winter with soups etc.

 

Fell in love with Stouts and Porters about 22 years ago and for the most part it's all I've had since. I do like the occasional Barley Wine or Quad but there has been no love loss for my stouts.

 

I drink a pretty wide variety of styles and can at least appreciate the better examples of the styles that I don't like (don't really care for black IPAs but Lost Highway from Mother Road is a very well made beer). However, I simply can't do barelywines any longer even though I used to absolutely love them. I don't know ow what it is, I mean I've tended to drink less of the more "extreme" styles over the past couple years but a lot of those I can happily come back to every now and then. Barelywines though...

 

IPAs hopped with Mosaic.

Some are pure tropical fruit goodness, others are like drinking onion juice.