Manly Beers? Chick Beers?

Mad Fox Orange Whip IPA, recently reviewed here, is getting many compliments and favorable reviews from fans, especially on the Mad Fox Facebook page, and a local beer enthusiasts group, also on Facebook. One recent comment jumped out at me:

I had it for the first time on Saturday, thought it was kind of a chick version of an IPA. Very drinkable. 

I'm quite found of extremely hoppy and bitter IPA's. If I can describe a beer as a fitting replacement for grapefruit juice at breakfast, I'm happy. I like a long-lingering bitterness in a beer. As noted previously, Orange Whip may be one of the best IPA's I've tasted, and it wasn't mild or meek by any stretch. Yet it was not taste bud wreaking either, which made the "chick beer" comment very interesting.

I'm betting that the comment was made tongue-in-cheek, but it's thought-provoking nonetheless. We've all heard the beer snob jokes about wimpy beers. Maybe times are changing when a hoppy, bitter IPA can be described as a "chick version."