I think I’m getting burned out on hop bombs. Brought home a FW Union Jack and could drink it. Maybe it will pass, but at least for now I can’t get enough toasty roasty cararely goodness. Seems like the less hops the better.
Anyone else alpha intolerant these days?
With the exception of Denny’s RIPA, which I brew 2-3 times a year, I haven’t made an American IPA in quite a while. I, too, get palate fatigue from the hop bombs.
Awesome, glad I’m not alone. I’m not anti IPA, or thinking I’m cool and trendy, I guess I’m kind of surprised that I haven’t found these spectacular flavors sooner. Looking over the recipes I’ve been brewing the past few months, with the exception of an ESB, they all use an ounce or less of hops. The biggest OG is 1.050 and my favorite is a simple little 70/-.
I have a half pound of each Simcoe, Centennial, Cascade, and Mosaic on standby though. Just in case 
I love hops… but I love malt and yeast character even more. I love Belgians and German styles the most. I love IPA, too, but… there’s more to life!
I have been liking malty beers more the last year.
My taste goes in cycles. Back to brewing more British styles, Wee Heavy, and malty lagers than a couple of years ago.
Same here. I love hops as much as anybody, but I hit overload after a while. I usually only brew 5 gallon batches of AIPA a couple times a year , and do smaller batches if I’m experimenting with new hops. But every time a hoppy batch is gone, I do something malty, roasty, or often Belgian. If I go out to a brew pub or beer bar I never have the same beer twice - always looking for a new experience. There are just too many good styles to be locked into one.
Amen. I’m getting tired of going into my local bottle shop and finding that 80% of the offerings are IPAs. I’m getting tired of going into a newly opened brewery and finding more than half of the selection are various riffs on the hop-bomb. I’ve started referring to them as AFIPA (Another F* IPA).
I do enjoy them, but come on-- it’s a big world out there! I love malt and yeast too!
I don’t mind a nicely balanced IPA with enough malt backbone to lend structure to the hops - Bell’s Two-Hearted comes to mind. But the “I can add even more IBUs” enamel-strippers get old very quickly. Especially in colder weather, give me a bunch of malt and yeast complexity and warmth over raw hoppiness. The top of my list are Belgian Tripels right now.
Funny. I’ve been becoming more of hop head, but yesterday I had a taster of stone enjoy by and considered tossing it. I just want into it.
New Belgium or Ommegang abbey ales are good choices. And don’t skimp on the onions.
I usually love American IPA. But, last year I got burned out after judging several AIPA. Ever since then I have enjoyed the malty styles much more. Although I am getting the itch to brew a IIPA.
Currently (the last several years), I have only been doing 45 minute high-alpha bittering charge for about 90% of my beers. Chasing the hop-bomb is expensive and messy. :-\
Also, since I am an allergy sufferer the subtle delicacies of hop-aroma are wasted upon me.
I’m a malt man at heart, but I go back and forth. I try to never buy or brew the same beer back-to-back. Keeps things fun and interesting. Less burnout on specific styles.
+1 on the allergies. Makes evaluation tough.
Luckily my wife has a great sense of taste/smell, so she’s my guinea pig.
I tend to drink beers seasonally. Ipas are best enjoyed int he warmer months, stouts and malt forward rich beers int he cold months. Thats just me of course:D
Around here there’s an AIPA or hoppy APA on tap at all times. There’s also a malty winter beer and Belgian of some sort. Variety is the spice of life.
In 4.5 years of brewing I have made exactly one IPA and it was a black IPA that could easily have based as a porter.
I like an IPA every once in a while but I’d rather have a pale ale with lots of hop flavor and a lot less bitterness.
You pick now when all the breweries are releasing their freshest IIPA of the year with 2013 hop crop to get sick and tired of IPAs? :
Never tired of it for long ! All about hop freshness for me.
Beautiful balance makes a beer eminently enjoyable. My favorite place to drink has about 11-12 rotating taps. 10-11 of them range from 3.2% to under 6%. Mountains of malty flavor and plenty of hop aroma and flavor and very, very balanced beers. There’s usually one bigger one with massive IBU’s for the “Xtreme tasters” out there, but the bulk of their offerings are brewed for those who want to savor the flavor and appreciate all that a well crafted beer has to offer. Good Food is also important in this establishment, and the hops bombs don’t play well with many foods.