Query for all you Hop Heads

A beer smothered in the "C" hops will give you a very citrusy (grapefruit) flavor profile, including Citra (which has been mentioned), as well as Centennial and Cluster.

 

I'm surprised to see so many people suggesting Citra. I usually associate that fairly heavily with the pine flavors that OP seeks to avoid.

I swing in the opposite direction as OP - so the stuff I steer away from might interest you: Galaxy or anything for Australia/New Zealand.

 

Most of the advice here is sound. The fresher the beer the better. Brewers who spread their hop additions trhoughout the boil will produce a less bitter beer that accentuates the hop flavor. Try Dogfish Head 60 minute IPA. Sometimes bigger beers such as DIPAs have a better balance. My wife who is a wine person recoils at Surly Abrassive but can actually drink and enjoy Pliny the Elder. Anything brewed featuring Nelson Sauvin hops is quite nice but in the end, you can only rely on your own palate. Explore and see what you like.

 

1. everybody's palate is different, so don't get frustrated if a reported grapefruit bomb tastes like mangoes or pine to you ... and trust your palate, not another beer drinker's palate.

2. fresher can definitely be better, like @pat61 points out (and everybody here is thinking if not saying). but if an older IPA doesn't have a hint of grapefruit in it, experience has taught me a fresh one won't either. the good news here: if an older IPA *does* have a hint of grapefruit in it, a fresh one will have MORE grapefruit flavor.

3. Stone Enjoy By, Sculpin ... those are reliable for me. You've got a long list already here, so I'll live my votes for those two.

I have the exact same feeling toward IPAs as you -- love grapefruit bombs, hate most of the rest. Hope you find some you like!

 

Find out what hops you like and don't like and check out the 'beers' section here on BA. It usually has a good description of whats used and also checkout 'Hops 101' also here.It sure would be cool if ALL breweries listed what the hell was in their beer..a list of 'ingredients' like most other consumable products.

 

Alpine Nelson, Freshly Squeezed.

 

Would agree, Carton Boat definitely grapefruit bomb. Look for anything with Austrailian/New Zealand hops which are generally more tropical fruit forward. Also Citra and Mosaic hops have more tropical fruits tastes.

All good but I gotta have that piney-ness in my IPAs.

 

IMO @Jstonerock24 wins the gold star here: Centennial hops will provide citrusy flavors like grapefruit.

The beer you want is Bell’s Two Hearted. That beer is solely hopped with Centennial hops.

Cheers!

 

For a session IPA, Pinner from Oskar Blues is by far the best one out there. Light and easy drinking but dank and grapefruity. It's so delicious.

 

Deschutes fresh squeezed is probably a good choice for you

 

It is very common for your palate to NOT like those bitter beers - A TON of beer drinkers fit into either stout/porter beers or the hoppy brews, so don't push yourself into liking something you won't. However if you really want to try some, Two Hearted is your best bet I think. If you can find it, Empyrean's Imperial Mango IPA is one that I push HARD while I'm bartending because of the fruitier aspects. But every post is pretty spot on so far.

 

One week I think I hate a particular hop variety, then the next week, my taste buds pick up on something different.. Sadly this advice may be costly. But sample EVERYTHING. Find what suits you. The fruitiness imho is just one aspect that makes a great IPA. The smoothness, crispness, clean fermentation/yeast flavor all add up to make something special too.

I will say, many years back I remember most IPAs having this straight hop field hop stew hop smell mixed into their beer. The balance wasn't very good. Just a true hop bomb (more so then than what we considering hop bomb now). I think brewers have fine tuned their recipes noting that adding just 100 lbs of any type of hop wont make the IPA any better. I'm not sure how long you have steered away from IPAs. But I feel they have gotten more subtle and balanced. Or maybe my taste buds are just shot to hell and everything just seems more balanced now. hence, sampling being a big key.

Lagunitas brands of IPAs all don't seem too piney for me anymore

 

I agree with most, look for citra and simcoe based ipas you should be in the right direction. Abita grapefruit ipa is a great easy drinker, as well as peak organic ipa amongst others. White ipa may help you ease into hoppyness, since zest is usually added. Good luck

 

Flower Power, Union Jack, and Stoneface should treat you well.

 

Start with the English IPA's and then perhaps move to the citra side of the profile. Americans overdo the hops, which is highly approved of by many, but as a stout/Belgian drinker I find some of the flavors to be growing on me with more experience in tasting them. That said, anything with a solid malt backbone and citra hops is pretty good on a hot day.

 

Anything showcasing Simcoe, Citra and Mosaic will probably suit your palate.

 

Founders Centennial is widely available, also if you can get Sweetwater ipa I find it grapefruit forward.

 

I suggest looking for IPAs with Nelson or Mosaic. Nelson is very tropical; think pineapple and white grape juice. Mosaic is fruity and earthy and reminds me of apricot juice.

Simcoe can be "grapefruit", but it can also be piney and dank. Centennial can be "grapefruit" but it can also be piney and grassy. Citra can be lemony and citrusy, but it can also be cat piss. Sometimes it isn't just about the hops used, but the processes and methods of extracting the flavors and aromas from the hops.

 

Grapefruit Sculipin is what you seek and then Fresh Squeezed from Deschutes

 

Freshness freshness freshness
I was in the "I hate IPA's" camp, until I finally had a real fresh, citrusy DIPA.
Now I love them, along with the big Belgian beers and Imperial Stouts.
So many grocery store IPA's are so bitterly disgusting, it is a real shame.
Now I am even brewing my own, trying to mimic Heady Topper and Pliny.
It is a very tasty struggle.

There is also a lot of info on hop flavors.

https://www.hopunion.com/aroma-wheel/

Oh yeah, try Victory's Dirtwolf and/or Hop Ranch.