Most 4-7% ales can be done fermenting within a week. Some people like to move the beer from one vessel to another, to clear up (or get the beer off the yeast cake), which may take upwards of 2 months (most sit on a 5-14 day cycle).
Us personally, we'll brew on a weekend, then by that following weekend, we'll move to another vessel for another week, at which point we'll dry hop it and keg hop it, throw it on some gas, and drink it by about day 17. Many breweries have 12 day cycles on their IPAs. They say for a lot of beers, the yeast is basically done, and its' beer by about day 5. All the rest is superstition in some sense. "yeast has to clean up. or stuff has to fall out". There are many methods to the madness. We've done batches in as little time as 10 days. Not exactly ideal but they turned out good.
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Reds: There are two camps here really. There are many out there that they call Hoppy Reds. Pretty much red IPAs. Then you have the ones closer to Fat Tire Amber.
I would look to the following.. Nugget Nectar, Fat Heads Imperial Red Ale. I like one called Jamaica Red ale by Mad River. I look to these lists alot when looking for new stuff
http://www.beeradvocate.com/lists/style/128/
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They call IPAs palate wreckers for a reason. I think after just one or two, the small details of many beers are lost. Then depending on allergies on your nose, and what you ate before, I will have the same six pack of beer over the course of a week, and I get about three different tasting sessions out of it.
Waldo's was one of them. I had that one last after about 4 other IPA/APAs and it just felt way boozy wwithout the hops. I had it very first drink of the evening yesterday and the citrus flavors really came out.
Single sessions are cool I guess. But anymore I need at least two to get a good gauge to see if its something I like
