Brewers use hops, a
small bitter flowering plant, to provide a counterbalancing aroma and taste to beer. The
basic idea is not unlike what you would find in a good wine. As you drink, the malty beer washes over your tongue, bringing you body and sweetness. As you swallow, the hops
hit the bitter taste buds in the back of your mouth, serving as a tonic, leaving (hopefully) a refreshing taste.
You hate
beer — if you do hate
beer — because most of the beers you've tried are unbalanced. All you can taste is hops. And with
nothing to balance them, hops taste nasty.