How Has Your Taste Changed Over The Years?

Similar to you.
Was really into stouts and porters back in the day, now I like them but not at the same level.
Used to hate IPAs, now love them. Also used to not really like lagers but enjoy them a ton.

But to generalize went from only really liking really sweet beers (wheat beers) and stouts to liking hoppy beers like pils and IPA. Also appreciate balance and drinkability over overly-robust beers

 

I was really into barrel aged stouts for quite a while but last fall I just couldn't stomach them any more. To me most of them are just boozy candy bombs with no real finesse. A nicely made imperial will do it for me now.

 

I have progressed through lagers, ales, porters, stouts and now appreciate the complex sophistication of those wonderful Belgian beers. Took me 50 years to do it but I've finally arrived.

 

When I first started out I definitely couldn't do IPAs. After making myself drink them I got accustomed to the bitterness, then one time I had a 90 minute and had a realization that I could get into them. I still like most of the original beers I drank when first getting into good beer.

 

I don't think my tastes have changed on a certain level.
Schlenkerla brought me in... and it still wows me to a ridiculous degree.
I think my ability to pinpoint what I like and what I don't has increased, but I'm still incredibly open to whatever is out there.

 

I started with APAs and American IPAs, went through phase where stouts and porters accounted for more than 70% of my beer drinking and then got into cask bitter, saisons, hefeweizens, sours, etc. Late in the game I am finally coming around to the best examples of Kolsch and pilsners. They still aren't favorites but I've come to appreciate them. At this point there are very few styles of beer that I actively dislike although the macro AALs are still a struggle.

 

AAL 30 yrs ago-- then Bass/Harp (what you could get) and then Anchor and SN- then bigger and bigger/bolder through the 2000s and now---

Just about any well made beer but look much more the finesse and subtlety of lower alcohol well made American IPAs, German Marzens/Pilsners and well just about Belgian anything.

And ok to admit that sours not my thing.

 

AAls to imports to Sam Adams variety packs to pale ales to ipas to now belgians and porters.

 

I remember hating IPA's, but I really like them now. I went from only buying Samuel Adams, to Alaskan, and then Sierra Nevada. After Sierra Nevada, It's when I started looking for imperials, barrel aged beers and such. Don't get me wrong, though, just because I've tried (what I consider) great beers, it doesn't mean that I don't like the beers that I started with anymore. I will keep buying beers from Samuel Adams, Alaskan and Sierra Nevada.

 

I went from thinking that Rolling Rock or Mickey's Big Mouth Malt Liquor was as good as it could get back in the 90s. What got me started down the road to exploring real craft beers was when spending a weekend down in San Diego to attend a Chiefs vs Chargers game the night before went to a local bar and tried on suggestion by the bartender a glass of Stone Ruination IPA . Blew my hair back. That was my awakening to real craft beer and have been exploring it ever since.

 

I started drinking only stouts and porters.

Then some Trappist/Belgian stuff.

Now I drink most any style - but heavily weighted to IPAs.

 

My taste for long lines to get beer and people obsessing over "trade value" has dramatically diminished over time.

 

Unfortunately, my palate has shifted. Once (10+ years ago) Harpoon IPA was a magical liquid that made my taste buds stand up and take notice. Sadly, today it takes much more flavor to do the same. But somehow I go on.

 

I realized I am done with imperial or barre aged stouts. I kept collecting and buying them yet I never wanted to drink them. IPA sours and Belgians do it for me now. Decided to stop fooling myself

 

As my name indicates, I love malty beers. My favorite styles have been RIS, Porters, Barleywines, and Quads. I made a conscious effort to drink, and appreciate, American IPA's and DIPA's and I'm really glad I did. I think my craft tastes are much more balanced now. And I thank my fellow BA's for the inspiration!

 

Out of college, I loved IPAs. About a year ago, I wouldn't even think of having an IPA. Now, I am back into them and love them.

 

But now that the days are getting longer, i find myself looking for lower abvs in styles like kolsch, helles, hefe and pilsners.

 

My tastes have evolved as I try new beers and better beers from different styles. Just when I think I have had an amazing IPA, I find a one better. This also goes for other styles as well...I have also learned to like and experiment with different styles...

 

AAL to English style beers, head first into IPAs. Now backing off to more Pils and such, I'll never turn down a great IPA, but my days of drinking mediocre IPAs are over, at least on purpose. If I get surprised by a new IPA and it doesn't work I'll drain pour it. As alway Ba Stouts, but I don't drink regular stouts.