U.S. craft beers tend to over-represent heavily hopped styles such as the IPA. Just as sweet and sour mixers can cover up low quality spirits used in a cocktail, excessive use of hops can cover up flaws in a poorly crafted brew. There are exceptions, but they're still comparatively rare. For example, how many doppelbock's are made in the U.S.? Even less hoppy styles of beer, such as stouts, tend to be massively hopped by U.S. craft brewers.
The craft brew scene has exploded only in the last couple of decades and most microbrewers are comparatively new to the craft. Hopefully a broader variety of styles will become better represented as brewers gain experience and try to differentiate themselves from the overly hopped masses.
At present, the lion's share of my favorite North American microbrews are from Quebec. I don't know why, but the brewers of that province are hitting it out of the park right now.
> U.S. craft beers tend to over-represent heavily hopped styles such as the IPA.
Hah, well finally I am validated. I was an anti-IPA snob when IPAs became all the rage. People would tell me how great this beer is, soooo bitter. Which to me is like drinking 80 proof vodka and claiming to taste the undertones of grains in it.
It sort of became like a badge of beer connoisseurship -- the more bitter you liked them the more you knew about beer.
Anyway, my favourite are wheat ales but also like stouts.
> For example, how many doppelbock's are made in the U.S.?
Beer Advocate lists 618 Doppelbocks: http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/style/35/ and, taking a quick look down the list, it appears that at least half of them seem to be made in the US.
Interesting. I wonder how many of these were more than a small one-off batch. I've certainly never seen Samuel Adam's doppel, and they're no longer a small craft brewer!
I've noticed a slight backlash against the IPA style and its overpowering bitterness lately. A lot of craft breweries are now selling lots of other styles, like Pilsners, subtler pale ales, wheat beers, and maltier red and brown ales, porters and stouts. Ninkasi is one of my favorite breweries, their oatmeal stout and double red ale are fantastic. They have a few good lager/pilsner styles too.
IPAs are relatively easy to get right, but subtler styles like pilsner require more precision in the brewing process.
I think that's something that's relatively recent, in the last 10 years or so. Way back then, IPAs weren't as common in Seattle, there were tons of browns, ambers and darker, less hoppy varieties.
Now I'm seeing far more hoppy stuff around, but I'm also not goign to bars in Seattle anymore.
The craft brew scene has exploded only in the last couple of decades and most microbrewers are comparatively new to the craft. Hopefully a broader variety of styles will become better represented as brewers gain experience and try to differentiate themselves from the overly hopped masses.
At present, the lion's share of my favorite North American microbrews are from Quebec. I don't know why, but the brewers of that province are hitting it out of the park right now.