Progression in Palate development.

If I were you Id grab my balls an just jump into sours. Only cool guys drink sours.

 

Progression? Drink every style you can find, and figure out what you like. There is no linearity to beer appreciation. Drinking a porter will not make an IPA taste any better or worse when you first drink one.

 

I'd have to agree. Saisons are pretty unique, freaking delicious, and easy to make!
Then check out some ESBs.

 

That van de Keizer Blauw is a freaking fantastic beer.

 

Depends on the character you prefer from the stuff you've been drinking. Porters/stouts/Scotch ales lead easily into old ales, barleywines, and English strong ales. There are some similarities of malt/yeast character and probably the same hops.

If you want to move onto malty but very different character, the Belgians are a good idea. Belgian strong and/or dark ales have a very different yeast character. All of them can be great, just depends if you want to move to stuff that has some more similarity to what you've been drinking or jump across the Channel.

 

If it were me, I'd go dubbels and quads. Also someone mentioned saisons, don't forget about those either

 

No reason plan what style you are going to drink next. Be promiscuous and go nuts with whatever you find.

 

I just jumped back here because someone "liked" what I said. I didn't remember what I wrote so I came back to read it. Then I saw this.

I'm sorry, but I really have to disagree with you here. While eventually IPAs could be embraced, it's hardly necessary to explore the category to get palate development with respect to hops. While nothing can replace an American IPA or Double IPA, and there are some phenomenal beers in that category to be sure, hops can certainly be explored through English Bitters, Czech Pilsners and a vast array of German styles. Technically, you could even explore American Pale Ales and English IPAs and start to understand what the fuss is about with American IPAs.

Palate development is not just about getting your tongue to accept the aggressiveness of the American IPA, it's about understanding how all four major components of the beer contribute to its flavor. I've taken years to explore Farmhouse Ales and I'm still experiencing palate development from the depth of malts, yeasts and hops that are used in a category that is broad and vast. It's quite an enjoyable experience.

Truthfully, American IPAs are unique and irreplaceable, but there are a broad array of styles that are hoppy in some fashion that certainly deserve exploration as well.

 

I don't know, Baltic Porters?

 

I've never been able to understand the desire to progress and develop a palate along incremented lines. I think it's probably a personal preference thing, but why do you care what others think you should drink next? Be bold - experiment. Unless you are aiming for master cicerone or master bjcp judge understanding of beer flavors and nuances, what's the point in stressing out about what you're drinking and if you are ready for it or not.

It's like the tickers who are more satisfied adding another30 notches to their belt at a brew fest than having a couple or a few good beers with friends. Beer is meant to be enjoyed, and it is my opinion that you won't enjoy it as much if you let yourself be restrained by what you think you do or don't like. I don't really care for most double IPAs and a lot of bourbon-bbl stouts, but I would hate to think I missed out on drinking Double Jack, Pliny or Eclipse because I typically avoid those styles. Drink beer, don't worry about analyzing every single nuance to death.

 

I'm also jumping on the Belgian quad train. Cuvee Van de Kaizer is a favorite. Get two, one to drink now and one to drink in a few years. I suggest drinking a few St. Bernardus Abt 12s and then move on to the St. Bernardus Christmas which isn't far away. Perhaps my favorite beer style.

 

I'm sippin on a sour right now, Cuvee Rene.
I wouldn't have enjoyed this a year ago lol.

 

if ipa's are too bitter, start with apa's and hoppy west-coast reds. it's seriously worth acquiring a taste for, as some of the best beers ever are ipa's. if you try sours and like them right away then great but i found it harder to acquire a taste for sours than i did hops, not to mention sours can get expensive...

 

Why be so rigid? Wander aimlessly for a bit. Enjoy the roadsides along with the road.
If you keep on like this the only logical place for you to end would be with Sam Adams Triple Bock and licking the insides of fireplaces. Step aside while you can.