AALs or IPAs?

I agree that and have experienced drinking too many IPAs. My palate gets burned after four or more IPAs. It feels as if my tongue has been raked with flavor. But I won't drink AALs for the sake of avoiding burned palate, I'll drink an APA or a lower ABV stout.

 

Pretty much what i do. For example i had two vital ipas tonight then two miller lights, then back to vital. It seems to work out.

 

I prefer Helles lagers as my session of choice

 

Anyone else despise the term "session" like I do?

 

I will always prefer IPAs. I rarely repeat beers in a sitting, but if I do it is more likely to hopppy than anything else. Rich IPAs no, but if it is dry with a light body, hell yeah! AALs never do it for me.

 

Like @yemenmocha I would prefer a premium lager to session or any of the styles he mentioned. When sessioning I do not prefer to drink the same beer. I prefer a flight if you will. Starting with my lightest beer and then leaving my ipa for last if that is the strongest/ most bitter beer I will have. I use the pils as a palate cleanser as well. I also have noticed that i can session the lager right up the abv through to a strong dopplebock if you know what I mean over a day like thanksgiving or xmas and feel practically no ill effects. But if I were to try and incorporate IPA's and very hoppy beers for some reason I think I get drunker faster.

 

I can drink four IPAs in a row, but I really don't want to. By 3 or 4 it will just taste bitter and the flavor will be muted. I like to mix my beers up and agree with the recommendations to go with German or English style beers for a session.

 

I'm not an ipa guy, yet. So aal for me

 

I agree here. Under 4% AbV and decent hop finish which I didn't expect.

 

AAL = American Adjunct Lager. Better descriptor than BMC. Don't know about these other johnny-come-lately's but I've been using it for a while.

As to the OP's question, if I'm drinking more than two beers, I go from less hopped to more hopped, e.g. scotch ale, pale ale, IPA. Your palate definitely can handle it better that way.

 

OP, I'm down with the Schlitz Tall Boys & AAL as a sessioner. IPAs can be a bit rough, BUT, it all depends on which brewer & one's own palate. I have for instance gone out & stuck w/Two Hearted or AntiHero all night & been fine. Tried that with some others & was done after 2 & had to switch. Some nights, all over the map, like 10/31/2015...
Nosferatu x2,
Edmond Fitzgerald,
Long Trail's Double Bag,
Backwoods Bastard (2014),
Rising Tide's Waypoint Coffee Porter as the night cap.

 

This is it. Everytime.

 

When possible, I like to mix the beers up - not just many of the same beer. If planned, I would start with lighter styles and end with the heavy hitters. Walking the palate, so to speak.

 

There are many beers designed specifically for being drunk pint after pint without palate fatigue or falling over.They are called "session" beers and good ones have this in common;
They develop their flavour throughout the session , each pint seems to taste better than the one before
They are of sufficiently low strength (though fully flavoured) to allow extended drinking without undue inebriation.
You don't get tired of drinking them and feel you have to move on.