IPAs can be very "hoppy". I've heard it's acquired taste. Like you, I find IPA, especially those made by craft shops, too bitter. I really, really don't like an over powering taste of hops in my beer.

I say drink what you like. If you don't like a beer full of hops avoid them and get the beers you enjoy. Like is too short to try and enjoy "free" beer that is crap. LOL!

I think IPAs and similar are kind of an aquired taste, much like drinking strong black coffee with nothing in it. A lot of folks can handle mochas, lattes or cream and sugar but not so much the pure stuff. I became a "beer snob" after drinking many German beers that my father-in-law would bring home from business trips to Germany.

I do drink a few IPAs but they have to be REALLY strong. I enjoy Sixpoint's Resin, which tastes like a pine tree in a can. For something a little on the tropical side, Pineapple Sculpin by Ballast Point is also pretty darn good. Most of the other hundred IPAs taste pretty much the same to me, just bitter and boring.

My favorite right now is not an IPA: Fathead's Sorcerer Belgian style dark. It has flavors of dried fruit, raisins, figs, plums, spice cake - candy sugar sweetness.

I like a good Blonde Ale and there are some that are not bitter at all but the IPAs in general are a bit too bitter for my taste. Most amber or blondes though can be really flavorful without that overpowering sensation of the IPA

My uncle use to say regarding beer, at far has he was concerned "You can pour it all back in the horse"

I agree with him 100%.

If you need to "acquire" a taste for something, maybe you should go drink something else.

I wish I could remember if IPAs were an acquired taste for me or not. But I'm a huge fan and I can't get enough. So while I can't settle the debate if it is acquired or not, I'll say this: drink what you like. If you aren't into IPAs, don't stress about it. Drink a beer that you enjoy and that's all that matters.

No doubt. If you don't like it when you first taste it, then why would you keep on drinking it?

Agree. I drink regular old Coors, and like it. My brother drinks those snob beers, at $14 a friggin six pack. And they taste like crap.
No thank you.

for the buzz?

Brewmeister-Armageddon- (resized).jpg

Look for beers that have lower IBUs, either listed on the label or a quick Beeradvocate search.... High hopped beers push the overall bitterness way up. In general, beers tend to get more aggressive as the ABV rises so if you're used to pounding Coors Light maybe try new beers on the lower end. If IPAs aren't your thing you may want to explore the wonderful world of stouts and wheat beers.

I don't like IPAs at all. About all I will drink these days are dark beers. I am at a point in life where I would rather not drink a beer than drink a beer that isn't good.

A good IPA is not bitter or hoppy. I love IPAs...Deschutes has a distinct taste that I can't get enough of.

Yes...I'm always checking the IBUs before buying.

I don't mind the flavor but IPA beers seem to give me a headache.

I like good old fashioned High Life, craft brews, porters, stouts...

IPAs taste like soap, though. Ugh.

Good old Jack and Coke for me.

I do drink beer occasionally, usually Pacifico or an IPA, but I find it too filling to get the kind of buzz I want and it makes it hard to sleep when the time comes. A good Jack buzz and I'm out like a light and wake up feeling like a new man.

People's power of taste varies. What may taste bitter to you may not to others.

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-03/fyi-why-does-some-food-taste-bad-some-people-and-good-others

I don't like any beer, maybe my taste sense is to blame, or to thank.

When I lived in Milwaukee, all I would drink was Miller products. Ever since I moved to Colorado I've gotten into craft beers. Some good ones to check out : Space Dust IPA (8.2% abv ), Little Yellow Pils (liquid freaking gold), Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA, Spotted Cow Cream Ale (don't know if you can get it outside of WI) I'll still drink a Coors light on occasion. My Ex is a total beer snob. I used to joke with her about coors light. When camping I used to say "Come on baby, when you have to drink 15 beers this is the one"

Some beers do taste like crap! However, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder", or taste buds and smell.

Try a "Dry Beer", Asahi Super Dry from Japan, comes to mind, less after taste.
Beers from Holland and Belgium can have a lighter colour as well, but with still have enough of a flavour for your tongue.

When I was a kid once I asked my Dad why do you drink beer, he would say, he liked the taste. He would give me a sip, my usual response was, 'Yuck!'
My Dad would have a few dozen bottles of beer around the house, for guests mostly. Molson's Canadian, Red Cap Ale, Black Label, Labatt's Fifty, Labatt's Blue, Molson's Export, Old Style Pilsner (Lethbridge). Those beers all taste quite different to me now.

I agree. One of my newfound favorites is Zombie Dust from 3Floyds in Munster, IN. As I get older, I find I enjoy wine and distilled spirits more than I used to. A nice XO cognac is best of all.

I like to mix it up..I have a beer fridge in the garage, and usually by a different case (12 pack) every week..I've tried many different beers this way..sometimes I go for old classics like pilsner or Canadian..old Milwaukee is fine too. If I had to pick a fave, it'd be the ass't Rickards-red is a great 1! But drink what makes u and your guests happy..cheers

Chilling by the pool, I like a Leinkugel grapefruit summer shandy as a change of pace. My current favorite fancy beer is Fat Tire.

I like California IPAs and Pale Ales. I think it is a bit of an acquired taste though. I don't drink them nearly as often as I used to because of the calories and the first drink is often a bit overpowering. After 2 or 3 though, I get the hang of it

I'm fortunate to have a Total Wine nearby so I've had many a microbrew. Often I get the impression more thought was put into the artwork on the label than the taste of the beer.

definitely an acquired taste.

try some wheat beers, they are light and refreshing but have more flavor than like a bud light, which will taste like water after you've developed a taste for the craft beers.

took me awhile to like IPAs but I enjoy them now (obviously you can just slam a bunch of them like a light beer)

if you are looking to drink a whole bunch of beer at like a bbq, camping or some event, I wouldnt go with the craft stuff. Maybe one or two then go with the light beers.

When I play pinball at my local joint I have 1 "good" beer then switch to pbr haha

No such thing as "too hoppy"!

I love me a good IPA. I'll drink some occasional really dark stuff but IPA's are my go-to. The bud-lights of the world I can't tolerate. That stinks as beers of that ilk are much cheaper.

The new beer fad is out of control and way over rated I believe. They are making a shit ton of money on people though.

If you like New Belgium beers, give Voodoo Ranger a try. Basically same price, higher gravity and oh, so yummy!

I'm at a point where I won't try one unless someone has recommended it or I trust the brewery. There is a lot of garbage out there. On a positive note, I used to have such a hard time finding Sierra Nevada. Now it's everywhere. My local Publix actually has a decent variety of microbrews. That's not a bad thing.

Note to self, only purchase strong IPAs when Twilight is over for some pinball = more beer for me

I tend to choose beer brands based on the occasion, time of year and if at mealtime; the food.
There is nothing better than an ice cold Bud after a hot day of yard work or with pizza , burgers and ribs. If I'm just sitting outside watching the world go by; a 25 -70 IBU IPA is my "go to brew"... in the Fall an Octoberfest. Poolside favorite is Bud Light Lime.
In the end drink what you want, experiment a little.... beer is a good part of the good life....

IPAs are gross to me. Trendy craft beers they can't figure out how to make taste good so they just hop the crap out of it is my impression.

Try a " sessionable IPA" at a lower IBU, say 15-25. Most domestic beers like Budweiser are about 7 IBU's

80% of IPAs are crap. IPAs are suppose to be balanced. The more hoppiness (bitterness) the more body (sweetness) is required. Hops are cheap, grain (malty sweetness) is expensive. So called craft brewers just bitter the crap out of an ale and call it an IPA.

A good IPA will be heavier than a normal ale.

So forget the IPAs! The are a lot of great beer styles. I love an ESB (extra special bitter) which isn't very heavy or bitter! I love Sam Adams Lager and Ale. Either are super tasty with complex flavors that are delicious but not over-powering!

I would also add that a lot of craft beers are just produce terrible batches but a small brewer can't afford to throw out a bad batch. Nasty flavors are not supposed to be part of good beer. Cardboard flavor (too much oxygen got into the beer) band-aid flavor (phenols were created) etc.

Larger brewers like Miller and Bud have incredible levels of consistency. Hard to do on a small scale.

I would recommend trying Pinball Juicy Hop Pale Ale from Two Brothers Brewing Company out of Warrenville, IL. It's an American Pale Ale and they add the hops after the boil so it doesnt taste extremely hoppy. A couple of my buddies arent into IPAs but they do enjoy this brew. It launched in February and it's been very popular!

I think the nastiest beer I ever tried had a buttery taste. Awful!

I have to giggle at the notion of this being a beer fad. No the American Pilsner (such as Bud) was a fad that started after WWII that lasted far too long. Beer was a local brewery thing with thousands of style before prohibition killed off the local breweries.

This new fad (rebirth) began in the late 80s.

I'm not a fan of IPA's, I prefer Wheat/Whit beers. My wife is exactly the opposite.

Current favorite is Florida Cracker from Cigar City brewing. She prefers their Jai Lai.

Enjoy!

Try any IPA by Tree House and tell me if you still don't like IPA's.

I think buttery taste is diacytal. Caused by a runaway bacteria in the fermentation process. Again, brewer makes a bad batch and doesn't dump it out.

Wit (white) beers are a great summer beer. I love Blue Moon. Have the server not put in an orange slice though.

IPAs tend to range from 6.5-7.5% ABV. So if you're drinking them at the same rate you'd plow through 4.5% Bud Lites, that might help explain the hangover!

Nothing wrong with liking what you like. I'm not a big fan of light beers just because I find them over-carbonated and light on flavor, and many people that are into beer have a similar reaction -- take a tour at Coors and you'll probably hear how resistant the brewers were to making light beer at first, since they didn't consider it "real beer." I wouldn't lump Coors Banquet or Budweiser into that category -- I think they're good American Lagers and hold up well against craft beers in the same category. The negativity aimed at them probably reflects that they were pretty much all that was available in the US for a number of years, and that they're made by mega corporations (which have fallen out of favor in recent years).

Good on you for continuing to try new stuff. Luckily there's a huge variety of beer available now, and even if IPAs aren't your thing, you may find that you enjoy some of the hundreds of less hoppy craft beers out there: pilsners, stouts and wheat beers for example. And in the end if you still just prefer Bud Lite, well there's nothing wrong with that, you're a cheap date and you'll come out a bit slimmer than the rest of us (assuming you're not drinking 2x as much Bud Lite, or course)!

As with most types of food and beverage, you can easily find mediocre or even bad craft beer, especially at the extremely local brewpub level. That said, if you're just starting out there are several dozen major "craft" breweries (New Belgium, Bells, Sierra Nevada, Deschutes, etc.) that simply don't make bad beer. You may not enjoy a particular style they offer, but you can be confident that they brewed it well and that it came out tasting exactly how they wanted it to taste.

Miller, Bud and Coors also have very skilled brewers who do an amazing job with consistency, especially since they have to make beer that tastes the same at different plants around the world working with the local water chemistry which will vary considerably and really does impact the end product. Anyone who knows anything about brewing would never disrespect those brewers.

I like my beer

1. Cold
2. Free or Cheap
3. Delicious
4. Without fruit or cinnamon or other horseshit accoutrements

First thing on the list should always be
Is it Canadian Beer

I remember when I first tried beer when I was 14 or maybe 8. I didn't like it at all but I liked the buzz.
It took a few years really before I realized I actually liked the taste and was no longer drinking it just for the buzz!

It's amazing how the beer selection in Canada has grown over the past 10-15 years. I have a good friend in Toronto and I remember hitting up the beer store with him in the early 2000s and it felt straight out of Strange Brew, pick your variety of Molsen and they roll it down the conveyor belt. Now the LCBO has an incredible variety of beers, and as I understand it they do a nice job of making room for newer and smaller breweries, not always the case in the US where InBev and SABMiller distributors often buy up most of the shelf space for their dozens of brands.

I've never really kicked a beer outta bed, but cannot get into Sours!

In the summer for me it is a GOOD German or Czech pilsner