I’ve read a surprising number of posts from members that don’t particularly care for America’s most popular craft beer style. I’m kind of in the middle. It’s just another style to me. There are a few that I love and few that I don’t like at all. Most fall into a huge gray area that’s neither great nor terrible (think bell curve).
I know for homebrewing purposes I won’t be
making any over about 55 IBUs.
I’m with you. You can really pump up the aroma of hops without the back of your throat vomit bitterness or pond scum. It can be Great, it can be Horrible. I will say that’s any beer style out there.
I have to agree…I really have to get myself excited to have an IPA these days…I currently have a gallon and half left of an Two Hearted Ale clone that I’m almost at the point of struggling to finish. The initial bitterness has mellowed so it is a nice beer but my tastebuds are tired…next two five gallons batches are going to be a Pilsner and my American wheat base recipe this time with Amarillo hops.
I rarely drink IPAs anymore but when I’m in the mood for one nothing else will quite do!
This 100%!
I’m with you Keith, and usually it’s mine. I only brew one or two /year now and rarely (if ever) buy IPAs anymore - too much a crapshoot. Most are either not fresh or overly caramelly. I like a hoppy pale ale quite a bit these days.
I enjoy a good IPA. I avoid Imperials and doubles. These almost always have a strange table sugar flavor to me. They also usually have so much hops you can’t pick out any of the flavors; I just get a puckering jumble of flavors that are not pleasant.
On most days, I prefer a more moderate level of hop flavor and aroma such as found in an American Wheat or my versions of British Golden (never had commercial). A very common reaction to people trying my home brew is “It’s not bitter!” or “It’s so drinkable.”
I’d rather have a pale ale or a hoppy lager most times I crave a hoppy beer. Although IPA has never been my favorite style, I’m not anti-IPA and will drink them from time to time. Most of my beer drinking is 4-5% ABV so it’s normally just not something I would drink.
The most dissuasive part of IPAs for me is that so many just chase the fad and many not so well any one stands out from the others. A tapwall half full of citra/simcoe IPAs of middling quality usually has me looking for something else to drink. A really well made IPA is a great beer but most breweries seem to be more interested in cashing in on the IPA fad of the month than perfecting each beer they release (which is not exclusive to IPA, either).
I am not a fan of IPA(s). When I go to a taproom, bar, or bottle shop, I am more interested in session strength balanced beers. They are becoming more difficult to find as everyone is brewing hop blasters or high alcohol beers it seems.
My wife won’t touch a beer under 70 IBU. We all have our preferences.
I rarely brew or drink anything else.
As we discussed on the podcast that’s kind of a meaningless metric. You never really know how many IBUs are in the beer. Go by taste, not numbers.
You just said your wife won’t touch a beer under 70 ibus?
Agree, but then you shouldn’t use a number to describe the beers your wife likes. However, if I can associate an “IBU” number with a taste I can plan better. This chart is a tool I use to plan. As an example, when I was in the Army I ‘called slingloads’ in helicopters. IOW I told the pilot how far the load was off obstacles. Mind you I was looking straight down so 1 foot wasn’t really 1 foot. It was 1 of my units of distance I named 1 foot. That’s the way I think of IBU(s).
Yeah, a lot of people in this region are the same way. I find it disappointing and narrow minded. 
OTOH at least you have a slew of good IPAs where you live. There are some down right nasty ones produced here locally that are very popular.
Along the same lines: One of the reasons I don’t care for IPAs as much any more is because my alcohol tolerance is a good bit lower than it used to be. 2 or 3 IPAs can make me feel the affects (flushed face, buzz) where as 2 or 3 under 6% ABV beers has minimal effect. I rarely drink beers much over 6% during the warmer months. That said I do drink a fair amount of bourbon. 
As far as pale ales go, I like a good pale ale as long as it is balanced. I can’t stand thin, watery and explosively hoppy “Session IPAs”. I have never found a “Session IPA” that I really like.
I enjoy a good IPA when I get a good one. I do not drink them that often so maybe that helps enjoy them more when I do. I agree there are so many bad ones out there, its hit and miss around me as well. I like the good ol go to’s…Lagunitas IPA, Firestone Walker Union Jack, Two Hearted Ale, etc. Even Goose Island IPA, its different but still tasty. I like a balanced IPA with some body, that doesnt mean Caramel or malt sweetness, just good body and mouthfeel. I do not care for dry beers in general, especially hoppy ones. The whole session IPA thing…nah, rather have a good solid Pale. The wife took a trip to Georgia a few weeks back and brought me back a sampler pack from Sweetwater. Had a session IPA, a decent regular IPA but it had an excellent Pale Ale and a very nice Mosaic IPA. Mmmm
When I want an IPA, nothing else will do…but it’s rare that I feel that way.
I’m not going to talk about why I feel the style is overrated, but I think it needs to be removed as the face of craft beer. In general, when one thinks craft, and immediately assumes IPA. That must change, or we’ll be in a world of hurt.
I agree with all the bad stuff people are saying about session IPA’s.
I also agree, and see more and more, that people want full hops aroma without crazy, tongue scraping bitterness and its been my experience that breweries are getting it. More and more new offerings of IPA’s have been hitting the mark for me. I think the influence of NEIPA’s have resulted in more demand for easy drinking IPA’s even if the offering isn’t strictly speaking a NEIPA.
Sorry you find it disappointing that my tastes aren’t the same as yours!
Look it’s not as if I’ve never tried other beer styles. I think I’ve probably tried more than most people. But by doing that, I’ve discovered where my tastes lie. I’ve learned what I don’t like as well as what I do. These days, my IPA seldom exceeds 6.5% and I almost never drink more than 2 a day…usually less.
I don’t mind em, but so many breweries and tap houses seem to dedicate 50% or more of their tap space to them and that bums me out, but I guess they gotta have what sells on tap even if its at the expense of variety.