Hops and the Palate

yes

 

Nest time they complain about bitter beer, give 'em a Founders Devil Dancer. That's about the most bitter beer I've ever had.

 

Sam Adams's Longshot DIPA... The one they brew a few years ago.

 

My brother and girlfriend accused me of being hop-obsessed (which isn't inaccurate) every time they tasted one of the beers I was drinking, but my girlfriend has since then come around, and prefers them to the beers I pick out for her. So I would say that at least partially, yes, it is a case of your friends not knowing what to do with all the hops.

 

That beer was as sweet as candy to me.

 

I hated IPA's back when I only drank Coors Light. Then I started trying different IPA's and would force myself to finish the bottles. I learned to appreciate the different aspects of each one. Now I can't get enough. The only problem I have with IPA's and DIPA's is the high ABV and not being able to drink as many of those as I could Coors.

 

I used to think all IPA's were bitter but now I do find more citrus, fruit, and floral flavors to them. But after like two I'd say the hop bitters start to dominate and I have to either switch to something else or stop drinking .

 

Nope, you're just awesome and in the know

 

It takes a while for the palate to get acclimated to bitter things and it takes some people longer than others. You have to ease into it and work your way up slowly.

 

Give them a Stone Ruination. Or pretty much any Stone IPA. They seem to be the most bitter to me.

 

That's is awesome.

I need that in my life somehow...a shirt, a sticker and poster. Yes, please.

 

Gave my brother-in-laws a taste of Heady Topper, they thought it was the worst beer they ever had. But, they are BMC and Corona fans. Way too hoppy for them.

 

I've found hoppy beers to be a matter of getting used to different craft beers. In the beginning I thought SA Boston Lager and even Shiner Kosmos were very bitter. Now I can notice the hops a little in SA BL and almost not at all in Shiner Kosmos. The more hoppy beers you have, the less you taste the bitter and more the actual flavor.

 

I think most of Stone's are too malty sweet.

 

Compared to what? What IPAs do you find bitter in New Mexico?

 

Ruinten was very sweet to me, Enjoy by and Ruination are still fairly hoppy though.

 

I'm just going to say it: Hoppy ≠ Bitter.

 

I agree hoppy does not equal bitter. As for NM , LC Elevated all day. Also many Odell and OB IPA's tend to be less sweet than Stone I think. Also Ska Modus. And Sculpin. Just goes to show how diff't palates are. If you taste the bitterness of hops mostly, then it would make sense that you don't find the Stone beers sweet. The bitter balances it out. As for me the bitter component of the hop profile doesn't resonate as much, so the sweetness shows through. It's " a matter of taste" as they say. Subjective.