I didn't like the style until I had...

This statement will probably get me booed and shunned from the BA community but I didn't like IPAs until I had Sam Adams Latitude 48 IPA. It was the first time an IPA wasn't an overly bitter pine bomb to me like others I've had were. I don't think I've had that beer since but it was mild enough to let me explore and get more comfortable with hoppy beers.

 

Definitely some overlap between scotch and old ales; sweet caramelized wort But anyways, thanks for clarifying. From the comment about barleywines being too sweet, I'd figure you would like old/scotches less but maybe I understand where you're coming from. Is it because the sweetness in those two (IMO) seems better crafted and more appropriate with the general flavor? Because I too avoid sweet "redder" barleywines with more of a toffee or dark fruit flavor and prefer them to be hoppier (like Bigfoot). Unless the sweetness is from aging, at least.

 

Didn't really like sours until Rodenbach Grand Cru. Still trying to wade in slowly to that style, but Rodenbach made me receptive to it.

Didn't like bourbon barrel aged beers until I first tried BCBS. Now I can't get enough of them.

Didn't really like barleywines until I tried a cellared 2011 Bigfoot. Game changer for the style there.

 

I didn't like AAL until I tried *deep voce* tecate light.

 

I tend to like the leathery, tobacco notes that come thru in certain old ales, more so than that toffee / caramel sweetness.

 

Wee Heavy was always a difficult style for me. But I really like Brau Brothers Bancreagie Sour Peated Ale.

 

Piercing Pils

 

I didn't like AALs until I had...oh, wait a minute, I still don't like AALs.

 

Well, duh!

 

I guess I didn't really give sours a chance until I had Anderson Valley's Rosy Barl. Now I give all sours a chance.

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/193/90537/

 

Founders Breakfast Stout and Imp Stout opened me up to big stouts...

 

IPAs in General. But I tolerated DIPAs until I had stone enjoy by 4/20 which threw my mind for a loop. Wow what a beer so dank and hoppy. Starting to love DIPAs now.

 

IPAs or Double IPAs until I had a 90 minute many years ago. It was in a big bottle, kind of like Squall, and it absolutely blew me away. Total hophead now.

 

I've pretty much at least tolerated most styles after the first few samplings, but I still haven't found a Barleywine I've liked (planning to give Bigfoot a try again...been about 2 years since I last sampled). Had some old ales lately that worked out for me so figured maybe a few Barleywines might fit my pallet if I revisit again after a layoff.

 

Westmalle Tripel

 

ESB Until I had Yard's Extra Special Ale. Haven't had a lot of these, but I thought it was a bland style before, or other examples just tasted like IPAs. Yard's ESA changed my mind.

 

IPAs, until I had a fresh Sierra Nevada Harvest (now N. Hemisphere)

 

Double IPA Flower Power

 

Sours til I had Cascade stuff

 

Not a big fan of crap on a cracker

Ballast Point Pale Ale brought Kolsch beer back into my beer fridge.