We Asked 10 Beer Pros: What’s the Most Overrated Beer Style? (2026)

Taste is relative. And that’s a good thing. Imagine how boring life would be if everybody liked the same exact movies, music, cuisine, or even beer. Differing opinions also lead to compelling debates: Anyone claiming the Beatles were overrated, for instance, is bound to be subject to a certain level of judgement. (Note: Nobody is suggesting the Beatles are overrated, so kindly put down the torches and pitchforks.)

The beer world is ripe with those kinds of outlying opinions to ferment. Regardless of how popular a style may be, there’s always going to be some beer enthusiasts who simply don’t understand the fuss. Their disdain may not quite draw the ire the previously mentioned fictional Beatle hater may receive, but singling out a beer as being overrated may nonetheless stir up spirited talking points among hopheads.

This kind of chatter can also be quite fun. To get the dialogue going, we asked 10 brewers and beer pros to name the beer style they feel lands squarely in the overrated category. If they happen to call out your favorite style, to paraphrase the Dude in “The Big Lebowski,” it’s just, like, their opinion, man.

The most overrated beer style, according to brewers and beer pros:

Imperial stouts
Fruit-adjunct beers
Pastry stouts
Czech-style beers
Barleywine
High-ABV stouts
Milkshake IPAs
Beers with aggressive, strong flavors
Double and triple IPAs
American light lagers

“A cursory look at Untappd suggests the world’s highest-rated beers overwhelmingly belong to styles defined by high alcohol content and maximalist flavor profiles, which is a notion I wholeheartedly reject. Barrel-aged, boozy behemoths — particularly imperial stouts — dominate the top of the rankings, consistently outscoring beers of nearly every other style. Close behind are strong IPAs and barleywines; likewise dense, intense, and high in ABV. The numbers point to a clear bias against balanced lower-strength beers. Is the best pastry stout truly better than the best Bohemian pilsner? No. Is the best triple IPA better than the best Belgian pale ale? Certainly not. Yet that is precisely what the ratings imply. For that reason, I believe that strong beers in general, and imperial stouts in particular, are the most overrated beer styles in the world.” —Tim Adams, founder and owner, Oxbow Brewing Co., Portland, Maine

“Fruit-adjunct beers. Recently, there’s been a push to make beer taste ‘not like beer’ to appeal to new demographics. While some fruited craft beers are respectable, many are simply standard beer styles spiked with purees, extracts, or syrups. If you want those fruit flavors, a fruit-flavored seltzer with a clean base is the way to go. Unfortunately, brewers’ hubris often gets in the way of better judgment, and brewers will force beer to taste like fruit.” —Vincent Phua, owner and general manager, Alameda Brewing, Alameda, Calif.

“Pastry stouts are the most overrated beers due to a tendency for brewers to hide the true authenticity of beer itself. The yeast quality has to be precise, and it depends on its health and ability to hold the essence of anticipated flavor. Unfortunately, a lot of brewers are not willing to fight to make it survive and work like it should.” —Ari Ballard, former assistant brewer, Second Line Brewing, New Orleans

“I embrace a proper Polotmavé or Tmave Pivo, but I’ve begun to notice Czech styles becoming an empty distinction. If Czech ingredients, recipes, or brewing processes are not used, then seeing descriptions like ‘12º Plato Czech-Style’ on a beer menu just reads as empty buzz words.” —Holly Diehl, head of sales, Wild East Brewing, Brooklyn

“The most overrated beer style is barleywine. Every year people pretend their palates are more refined as they choke down what often tastes like boozy cough syrup and insist they love it. There are a few good examples out there, but too much of the style feels like suffering disguised as sophistication. Big and intense doesn’t automatically make a beer great.” —Richie Tevlin, owner and brewmaster, Space Cadet Brewing Co., Philadelphia

“Right now, I think these big 12 percent-ABV barrel-aged imperial stouts and pastry stouts are overrated. So much so, the consumer just collects them and doesn’t find a special enough occasion to open them. I think the industry should drop down the ABV. They should also start packaging these balanced stouts in a can. It’s a better and more sustainable option for the consumer.” —Brendan Arnold, head brewer, Alternate Ending Beer Co., Aberdeen, N.J.

“I’d say the most overrated beer style has to be milkshake IPAs. They barely resemble a classic IPA and just taste like juice. I’ve definitely been selling fewer of them and fewer breweries are making them, but it’s a style or trend I’ve never been able to get behind,” —Dave Argust, owner, Beermill, West Chester, Pa.

“The most overrated style of beer is any common-format can or bottle that requires splitting between three or more people because it’s so heavy-handed. That includes bracingly sour beers that give you instant acid reflux, cloyingly sweet stouts or sours, or triple IPAs that clock in well over 10 percent ABV. I understand the ‘You’ve gotta try this!’ novelty to some extent, but the best beers are ones that you can commit to 12 or 16 ounces, and the last sip tastes just as good, or even better than the first.” —Tyler March, co-founder and head of operations, Wild East Brewing, Brooklyn

“I think double and triple IPAs are overrated. With ABVs over 8 percent and IBUs that can be well into the hundreds, these beers can be intimidating for a lot of drinkers, myself included. They’re intense and not the most approachable introduction to craft beer. The industry is finally shifting toward more sessionable styles like lagers and lighter ales, but for years IPAs dominated tap lists because they were what people wanted. While I get it, the downside is that when hoppy IPAs became the face of craft beer, it shaped what younger drinkers thought beer had to be. Many don’t realize hundreds of styles exist beyond the hop-forward options. The overemphasis on these extreme, high-ABV beers has limited perspectives and left some potential craft beer fans thinking craft beer just means bitter and boozy.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​” —Evan Blum, co-founder, BrewedAt, Philadelphia

“This one might be polarizing, but I think American light lagers are overrated. While making a really good one, especially on a craft scale, can be challenging, even the best examples aspire to be pretty close to sparkling water. I generally prefer the water. For a beer, even a highly refreshing one, I am looking for some flavor and complexity.” —Flint Whistler, brewer, Sixpoint Brewery, Brooklyn

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