[nateo]

If one also knows that your perception can only discern a difference of about 4 to 8 IBUs (depending on who you read), then there is not much point in stessing too much over it.

I make beers with basically three levels of bitterness, 10-20, 40-50, 80+. I could probably tell smaller differences, but for my system, and my tastes, those are my rules-of-thumb for bitterness.

[brewchez]

It seems to me that our concept of hoppiness is shifting away from IBUs and bitterness.  Hopping a beer later in the process to make flavor/aroma bombs with a lighter emphasis on true "bittering additions" is a focus on hop oils and other delicates in hops.  I wonder if the chest thumping around 100+IBUs bbers will eventually give way to oil content and some undefined future unit of aroma.

Just thoughts.

[nateo]

I wonder if the chest thumping around 100+IBUs bbers will eventually give way to oil content and some undefined future unit of aroma.

Kinda like how florists use International Prettiness Units to rate their flowers?