Extremely hoppy beers aren't just a west coast thing, though; it seems there are a lot of bandwagon breweries that latch onto trends. 10 years ago it was 2k+

Extremely hoppy beers aren't just a west coast thing, though; it seems there are a lot of bandwagon breweries that latch onto trends. 10 years ago it was 2k+ (yes, >2000) IBU IPAs, lately it's more sours. SF and Portland seem to be the epicenters. I feel your comment about the "token" stout; I used to go to the Refuge (https://www.refugesc.com/ https://www.refugesc.com/) quite often but one of the reasons I stopped is because their beer list is so overwhelmingly Belgian and I just want a regular stout or porter now and again.