[fuzzywalrus]

The latest trends in Oregon have gone to breweries that aren't inherently IPA specialists. It's a niché but there's plenty of action but rough financially since Commons recently had to scale back. Right though there's more than a few: Cascade, De Garde, Upright, Ale Apothecary, Wolves and People, Logdans, Occidental, Yachats, Alesong, Viking Braggot, Monkless to name a few.

There's also a few breweries really upping their barrel aged game and pushing more less-common styles like Crux, Pfriem and Fort George. Honestly, it's better than it's ever been to be an non-IPA drinker. I'm a stouts / sours and Belgians guy and what's happening here is great.

Even San Diego, the one city that embraces IPAs more than Portland or Bend has a few like Lost Abbey that aren't IPA specialists.

We're starting to see a new wave of beer and it's becoming wonderfully diverse. The craft beer scene in Oregon tends to be a bit more forward but its spreading and with breweries like Brewery Vivant in Michigan or Black Project in Colorado, or older ones like Trinity in Colorado.

[anyfoo]

“niche” doesn’t have an accent aigu on the e, that would make its e pronounced, roughly equivalent to what you’d transcribe as “nisheh” in English. The e is silent.

[Graziano_M]

Yeah that made me cringe. If you don't know how to use an accent, err on the side of leaving it off.

[masonic]

Accented words are so passé.

[dharmon]

BA beers have definitely gotten more popular down here in San Diego. Not just bourbon, but rum, and even gin! (Saw it at amplified brewing)

Btw, logsdon is awesome. Probably the best saison I’ve ever had. He was the cofounder of wyeast (one of the two big yeast manufacturers), so he definitely knows his yeast. (I think he is also married to a Belgian, so he knows his Belgian beer)

[moonka]

In Seattle we're starting to see more "Juicy" IPAs and fresh hop IPAs, which aren't nearly as sour and hoppy.

[peatmoss]

My favorite Seattle brewery of the last several years is the Machine House. They make flavorful English style ales at low enough ABV that I can drink more than two of them without hating myself.

I will say that I used to genuinely love IPAs, but I think that the author is right that they used to be more balanced. Also, I've started to have something of an adverse reaction to very hoppy beers, namely a dull ache centered around my brainstem. This is after an otherwise small amount of alchohol (more alcohol with low / no hops doesn't produce the same effect).

EDIT: More delightful than any of the local beers, is the advent of Westland Distillery, whose peated single malt is delicious.