More bitter than Palate Wrecker?

If you're really concerned with just bitterness, you're going to want to find drier hoppy beers. A lot of high-ABV hop bombs have quite a bit of sugar left in them and so taste less bitter than their IBUs suggest. In my experience, Palate Wrecker was actually an example of this (which is not to say the overall intensity of flavor doesn't still wreck your palate).

Off the top of my head, I want to recommend Smuttynose.

 

Lots of beers from the past were quite bitter and astringent. Holt's of Manchester and Shipstone's of Nottingham come to mind. There was a general reduction of bitterness during the 70s because public taste had altered. Thankfully somebody has bought the Shipstones name and got the former brewer to reconstruct the brew as it used to be. Lovely stuff too though some of my drinking friends find it a little too bitter and astringent.

 

Post on BA said it was 140. Bummer. Well, some of short's other offerings are hop heavy, but they are seasonal.

 

Narragansett released an imperial IPA a few years back. It was the most bitter beer I have ever consumed. It was a complete abomination, but it will be forever be remembered by me when folks ask for the most bitter brew.

As for super bitter and tasty...hmmmmm, I guess I'd go with Ruination too.

 

Sierra Nevada Hoptimum is ridiculously hoppy and bitter.

 

Hoppin Frog Hop Damn, Green Bullet and Hi-Res were the three that came to me right away.

 

For some reason Stone's Lucky Bastard is sticking in my mind. Not more bitter than Palate Wrecker, but on par. I had it years ago tho, and really can't recall the entire sensation, tho.

 

Palate wrecker is a bitter ipa, but it's also brewed with a great malt backbone that mellows out the hop and booze a bit... I think that beer kicks ass. I read someone else also mentioned resin which is a huge hop bomb as well. Maybe you were just expecting more of an unbalance but most of those hop bombs are well balanced these days so the ibu is still there but it's wrapped up in a delicious package. Good luck on the hunt let us know what you find to be the bitterest I guess

 

That Stone green tea ipa is a bit bitter.

 

Hoptimum is out of season and any you find now will be from last year. The 2015 version should be released sometime in May I would think.

Palate Wrecker is one of my favorite beers and I plan on having a few on draft tomorrow or the day after.

Godspeed on your quest!

 

Not to worry, IBU is a tricky thing that needs to consider when the hops were added to account for perceived bitterness. And bitterness itself in a beer, as others have already mentioned, is not only a function of which hops were used and IBU. I am still learning to use and understand it all in brewing.

There actually is a figure we call theoretical IBU, since the human palate isn't capable of tasting over 80-100 IBU (or up to 130 IBU according to some folks) and this too doesn't adequately describe the real bitterness of a beer.

At the end of the day IBU is more a guide to the brewer to help perfect a recipe rather than a tool to tell how bitter a beer is by looking at the label.

 

If you want something that's easy to find try Magic Hats big Hundo IPA. 100 IBUs. Jut reviewed this past NBS.
I wouldn't say its a really good beer( though compared to the rest of MHs offerings its better IMO)
But it certainly is BITTER.

 

Is that your friend Mr. Brown behind that? I read your review of Star Bitter from Belvoir, and I was getting some serious thirst for it, even this early in the morning here. One day I hope to make it your way, and hope to enjoy a few with you when I do.

 

Colin Brown is the brewer and Richard Neale owns the Shipstone's rights. But Colin enjoyed Shippos so much that when he opened his brewery 20 years ago his standard bitter, Star , was pretty close.The present Shipstone's is a tweaked up version.
Belvoir Mild ( Dark Horse) is also a wondrous beer.

 

I love hoppy beers, but I found something that was too over the top for me. 1000 ibu (mikkeller). yikes, it was exceptionally bitter. as if I was chewing on hops.

If you want something more balanced, I like resin. it's piney, hoppy, and very tasty.

 

RuinTen > Ruination

Bitter is good, but that astringent, harsh, acrid bitterness is not something that is sought after in an IPA. That is a sign of a poorly made IPA --> Sly Fox Route 113 comes to mind: http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1853/9365/

 

Seems like perceptions and ?tolerance? of bitterness are sometimes worn as "badges of honor" much like individuals abilities to appreciate/endure amazingly hot things. Hard to find anyone would not interpret things such as Palate Wrecker as very bitter no matter how bombed your palate has become. I get that one's enjoyment of such is highly subjective.

To me, Moylan's Hopsicke is insanely bitter. At one point I did actually enjoy it but now find it too much. Same for the "quadruple IPA" they make. Overrated West Coast IPA from Surly is very bitter but less enjoyable than some of their other offerings with too much in the bittering hop department and dry.

Another nod for Hoptimum as a well made very bitter choice--still more than I want--pine needles on steroids.

 

agreed, the amount of dipas suggested here is odd. Indiana's Flat 12 half cycle is 6% and 104 ibu and seriously, seriously bitter. Not floral, not citrusy, not piney...just bitter. To me.

 

Resin