[PORTERHAUS]

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

[Phil_M]

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.

[pete b]

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.

[denny]

I rarely drink IPAs anymore but when I'm in the mood for one nothing else will quite do!

I rarely brew or drink anything else.

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.

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.

[bayareabrewer]

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.

[denny]

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.

OTOH, I've heard from breweries that refuse to have any IPA on tap at all.  Almost like a badge of honor for them.  You certainly don't need to dedicate a lot of tapsto them, but it seems silly to purposely turn down sales by not having at least one.  I don't know of any brewery that can really afford to do that.

[chumley]

I try to keep a 1.065 to 1.075 IPA on tap most of the time.  They are my beer of preference to order in a bar maybe 25% of the time.  Over the years I have found that most bottled or canned IPAs are not fresh enough, and I really do not like dank (CTZ) hop flavor.  Give me an IPA with Centennial, Cascade, Amarillo, and Chinook.....now you're talking. 

That said, I am looking forward to tapping my first NE IPA this week with Mosaic, El Dorado, and Ekaunot, as I have not used any of them before.. 

[MagicRat]

Oddly enough, even as the OP in this thread, my votes for Best Beer this year included IPAs (Bell's Two Hearted, Cigar City Jai Lai, Lagunitas Lil' Sumpin' Sumpin'). 
My favorite IPA that I've brewed I used 5 ounces of hops. Pretty sure that's about all a Bell's clone calls for.  I like many IPAs, but the ones I enjoy the most are on the more moderate side.


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[JJeffers09]

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.

I think for me personally, no one has come close to Kosmicki's All day IPA.  Its a great beer.

[BrewBama]

The way I understand NEIPA(s), they have moderate bitterness but significant hop aroma. I may like that better than a super bitter hop blaster


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[santoch]

Living a couple hours from Yakima, we get our share of IPAs up here. No, MORE than our share.  And I love IPAs. But, I'm just tired of them.  It sucks to walk down the aisle at the grocery store, and see a wall of BMC swill on one side, and a wall of IPAs on the other. Take out the Goose Island, 10 Barrel, and Elysian (I refuse to pay money to AB-InBev), and its even more sparse.

Sure you can find 1 or 2 porters or stouts, or a few witbiers.  Once in a while, there's a Kolsch.  But most of the beers in the stores here are just alcohol and iso-alpha-acid delivery vehicles.

So, I'm back to homebrewing because that's about the only way to get the beer I want to drink.

[majorvices]

Sorry you find it disappointing that my tastes aren't the same as yours! 

Apology accepted.

[erockrph]

Living a couple hours from Yakima, we get our share of IPAs up here. No, MORE than our share.  And I love IPAs. But, I'm just tired of them.  It sucks to walk down the aisle at the grocery store, and see a wall of BMC swill on one side, and a wall of IPAs on the other. Take out the Goose Island, 10 Barrel, and Elysian (I refuse to pay money to AB-InBev), and its even more sparse.

Sure you can find 1 or 2 porters or stouts, or a few witbiers.  Once in a while, there's a Kolsch.  But most of the beers in the stores here are just alcohol and iso-alpha-acid delivery vehicles.

So, I'm back to homebrewing because that's about the only way to get the beer I want to drink.

I live about as far as you can from Yakima, and it's the same thing here. Every brewery I can think of has at least 2 IPAs available at any given time. I love hops, and I love IPAs, but when I go to a brewery I'm looking for things like German lagers, English ales, sours, etc. Everyone has IPAs (and they're not always good), but not everyone has a good brown ale any more.

[el_capitan]

Living a couple hours from Yakima, we get our share of IPAs up here. No, MORE than our share.  And I love IPAs. But, I'm just tired of them.  It sucks to walk down the aisle at the grocery store, and see a wall of BMC swill on one side, and a wall of IPAs on the other. Take out the Goose Island, 10 Barrel, and Elysian (I refuse to pay money to AB-InBev), and its even more sparse.

Sure you can find 1 or 2 porters or stouts, or a few witbiers.  Once in a while, there's a Kolsch.  But most of the beers in the stores here are just alcohol and iso-alpha-acid delivery vehicles.

So, I'm back to homebrewing because that's about the only way to get the beer I want to drink.

That's exactly why I've always been focused on drinking mostly my own beer.  I  buy commercial beer only when I somehow run out of homebrew, or when I want to sample a new style or offering.  Other than that, it's all homebrew all the time. 

Also, I'm pretty sure this whole trend toward session beers and away from hop-bombs was predicted years ago by Gary Glass.  Session ales and lighter German beers was the prediction, IIRC.  So the whole LODO Munich Helles fixation was not a huge surprise to me. 

Like you guys, I moved past IPAs a couple years ago and have been exploring some fringe styles like Grödziskie and more sessionable European styles.  I still brew a couple IPAs each year when I crave them, like right around New Year's.  Really just when the mood strikes me.