I Don’t Like IPAs, They’re Too Bitter
How many times have you heard something that like when talking about beer styles with someone? Or maybe you’ve heard something along the lines of ‘I don’t like sour beers, they’re too sour’. Even I’m guilty of it - for the longest time my byline was ‘I don’t like malty beers - they’re too, well, malty’. I also was not a fan of stouts and porters because I believed they were too sweet and too high in alcohol. ‘I don’t need a 15% ABV beer that tastes like marshmallows and graham crackers’ is what I told myself and others.
These statements are all examples of limiting beliefs - ideas, thoughts, or stories that we tell ourselves that close us off or constrain us in some way. They tend to be negative and can hold us back from all sorts of things like personal and professional growth. We all have them in some form or another. Don’t worry, I’m not going to ask you to pull up a chair and let me sort through all of your inner-most thoughts. The point is, it’s possible that you might not like IPAs because they are too bitter. But I would also argue that is a limiting belief.
Last night I was talking with a neighbor about beer styles and he told me that he won't drink IPAs because of their bitterness. I’m not trying to pick on him as he is a genuinely good guy so I offered up this statement - ‘not all IPAs are bitter’. He shot me a very curious look so I continued…..
“Have you ever had a New England style IPA? They are very hoppy but have almost no bitterness”.
“How is that even possible?” he asked me, looking at me like I had just suggested to him that New York Jets were going to win another Superbowl in my lifetime.
“The type of hop used and quantity matters but the biggest factor in beer bitterness comes down to when the hops are added during the brewing process. Just because the brewer is making an IPA doesn’t mean that are aiming to produce a beer that maximizes bitterness. A NEIPA has hops that are added so late in the brewing process that its less about harnessing their bittering properties and more about introducing ‘juicy’ flavors and aromas with no little to no bitterness”.
And that was that - he had never even considered a world where not all IPAs are bitter in the same way that for a long time, I had a limiting belief that it was impossible for a stout or porter to not be sweet or be less than 15% ABV. What I’ve learned after talking with fellow craft-beer enthusiasts and folks working at breweries is that not all stouts and porters are sweet, nor do they all have ridiculously high ABVs. They told me about the differences between Imperial Stouts, Pastry Stouts and Milk Stouts while I listened intently and started opening myself up to the notion that not all stouts are created equal. What I learned through talking and tasting is that I actually do like Stouts and Porters so long as they are not too high in ABV or sweetness, preferring those that have more ‘roasty’/coffee/smoky notes.
Have an open mind - try things. Talk to people at breweries - your server, the brewmasters themselves, other drinkers. Learn about what they like and why. Visit a brewery and order a tasting flight. Ask the server for samples or suggestions. Trust me, your palette will thank you.