None Of that Hoppy S***e

Possibly not for some drinkers

A customer goes into a pub and scans the pumpclips. He doesn't see anything he recognises.  Eventually, he asks for a pint of something called "Best". But first, he seeks reassurance from the barmaid - " It's not that hoppy s***e, is it?"

It seems that the idea of "hop-forward" beer has reached the average drinker, but in a possibly negative way.  Surprising as it may seem, a lot of beer drinkers don't actually like the taste of hops all that much.  They must like the bitterness, otherwise they wouldn't be drinking beer. But the floral/grapefruit aroma hopped beers probably put off as many people as they attract.

So, are Hopfucks the greatest and most pure expression of beer, or are they the malt beverage equivalent of the arthouse film, enjoyed by an elitist cognoscenti, but alienating and unapproachable to the rest?

I think, for a lot of people, beer is a means to an end rather than an "experience" to be sought out. Your milage may vary, of course.  Both approaches are equally valid. But it's something to bear in mind when you find yourself looking down on somebody else's choice of beer.