Attempting to jumpstart my IPA palate

Drink what you like, with maybe an occasional experiment. Me, I love IPAs. On the other hand, not big on most Belgian styles these days. Just personal taste.

 

I'd recommend shotgun'n 2 modus hoperandi's then follow up with 2 hop slayer's.

 

I say find a bottle of Stone IPA that is as fresh as you can get in your area. You will get it.

 

Homebrew42 and skinsfan, I agree with you both overall however from my personal experience, hoppier beers and IPAs were indeed something I needed to acquire a taste for. Also, I needed to explore the Pale Ale/IPA styles extensively before it really clicked with me and I needed to learn that all are not created equally, and it is one of the most varying styles IMO...one PA/IPA you can love, and one you can absolutely hate...I don't feel many other styles are this extreme, and I chalk this up to how popular the styles became in the craft beer world and how much experimentation goes on with them.

OP, you could always just keep drinking the maltier/sweeter beers and eventually you may get sick of those and crave the opposite. I find that it is much easier to latch onto something when you are really in the mood for it, bored with what you've been having and craving the exploration vs. forcing yourself.

 

I'll answer as soon as I stop fuming that some dude in Boston who doesn't like IPAs has access to Lunch and Heady Topper while I sit here with none.

Gimme a minute.

 

Drink styles you enjoy, mostly. Once in awhile, revisit styles you don't like with beers you haven't had before. Later down the line you may enjoy a beer from a style you previously didn't like and you will want to try more. Who knows maybe you will start liking that style. As some others have mentioned, don't push yourself to like things. Your preferences are your own. Don't let others influence them. Enjoy drinking beers, it is as simple as that.

 

Drink Alpine beer or go to bed!

 

You know; initially I was going to say ease into it. But if you've got Heady readily available. Go ahead and beat your palette up. That brew is worth it. Cheers!

 

Do you have anyplace near you that will let you "make your own 6pak"? Most places only charge around $9 to do so - maybe put together a mixed 6pak of different ipa's. This would give you a nice variety of the subtle differences that exist in the style, and may help you find some of the flavors that you enjoy, i/e more sweetness, more floral, more citrus, more herbal, etc., just a thought. I was very dismissive of the style at first, but now love ips's and dipa's. It was most certainly a journey at first, and was alot of fun as I expanded and matured my palate. I hope that you enjoy yours, cheers!

 

My two favorite styles are Stouts and IPAs, and I actually think I enjoy a good Oatmeal Stout more. But if I go for a few days without getting some hops I find myself actually craving that taste.

 

One warning: the bigger the beers are that you start to get into, the less you will like your regular favorites...I am discovering this more and more LOL

 

OP: I've given up on trying to love IPAs, but I appreciate them just enough to have one every once in a long while. Ska make a really good one in Modus Hoperandi ... in a can.

 

You can make yourself crazy by trying to put some sort of tasting order to IPA's and if you already made the effort to acquire some Heady, don't let it sit, try it, and report back - we're all different so don't over analyze. Heady is more on the citrus side of bitterness as opposed to pine.

 

I'm not sure I get the IPA break in part, there's no training wheels IPA's IMO. There's nothing about Heady Topper that brutalizes your palate. If you don't like super hoppy brews it won't make much difference if your sucking down a Two Hearted Ale or a Heady Topper. If you don't like the Heady Topper maybe a good Pale Ale is what you may like. Nothing wrong with Burning River or Victory Headwaters.

 

Words of the wise... My sentiments exactly.

 

I went backwards, I was into all types of craft beers then had a Hopslam, I think the hops with the smoothness of the finish got me hooked, every since that eureka moment, I have been a hop head trying everything I can get my hands on and brewing a few batches as well. That was 3 years ago.