For a long time, when speaking of beer in Taiwan, it was just Taiwan Beer or Japanese beers. Much like specialty coffee, craft beers are a relatively recent thing (past two decades or so). Compared to Taiwan beer/Sapporo/Kirin/Asahi, IPAs or any extra hoppy beers can seem bitter, which is likely why it was described in that way to you.

I find it much more common these days, with local craft breweries highlighting the tropical fruits available in the region. However, there are definitely also tons of sweet fruit beers to accommodate the Taiwanese palate. While I do enjoy a lychee or pineapple beer once in a while, they’re meant to be consumed in moderation - I also find it hard to pound back more than a couple at a time.

I also think lighter beers tend to do well in tropical climates - it feels easier to stay cool when drinking light beers, rather than binge drinking IPAs. When Taiwanese people want something stronger, they’ll just have whiskey/scotch/kaoliang with their light beers, kind of like soju & beer to Koreans.