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******* said:
Has anyone else ever heard of the complaint by some, particularly Europeans, that many American super-premium microbrews are way too hoppy? The theory being that hops were originally a preservative and have become an overused flavoring agent.
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I can see te point. Especially Germans are very conservative as far as beer is concerned. I just happen to like the hoppy bitterness, so I am fine with it. My Dad didn't like a few microbrews I gave him when he was here, because of the hoppiness (is that even a word?). Anyway, did some woodworking and opened a bottle of Optimator as a reward. Maybe a second, that should set me up for a good night's sleep ;)

Stefan
 
I can't think of a better topic for my first post than beer. There are at least 6 different micro breweries in my area, but when going to the store I tend to be partial to sierra nevada. Doesn't even matter what kind. IPA's are usually on the top of my list, but one of my favorite beers if you are ever lucky enough to find it is from buckbean brewery, and it's their orange blossom ale. The hops seem to be on the lighter side, but the faint hint of orange, and the flowery head make it perfect for a hot summer day...

Taylor
 
Yeah, I am fairly conservative too. I want my beer to be beer flavored and not contain rasberry, espresso, chocolate, oatmeal, grains of paradise, sauteed mole foreskins or what have you.
apicius9 said:
I can see te point. Especially Germans are very conservative as far as beer is concerned. I just happen to like the hoppy bitterness, so I am fine with it. My Dad didn't like a few microbrews I gave him when he was here, because of the hoppiness (is that even a word?). Anyway, did some woodworking and opened a bottle of Optimator as a reward. Maybe a second, that should set me up for a good night's sleep ;)

Stefan
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******* said:
Has anyone else ever heard of the complaint by some, particularly Europeans, that many American super-premium microbrews are way too hoppy? The theory being that hops were originally a preservative and have become an overused flavoring agent.
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Yes, this is quite common, I think. Many Europeans I know will complain about the bland awfulness of American mass-market beer, but they would much rather drink a Bud lite or PBR than any craft IPA.

I can understand the complaint that beers with coffee/chocolate/fruit/pumpkin/what-have-you flavors don't taste like beer, but those things are not traditional beer ingredients whereas hops are, so claiming "it doesn't taste like beer" doesn't really apply in the same way. I suspect that (although they may not want to admit it!), most Europeans are just as acclimated to a certain, specific flavor profile as their beer-drinking counterparts here in the States are.
 
Being German, that's my point of reference. And in Germany we brewed beer after the purity law for a few hundred years with only four ingredients. I am still amazed about the variety you can produce with those. I will never get used to some of the variations (pumpkin :puke: ), but I am interested enough to try out new things. To my surprise, one of my favorites - Rogue Northwestern Ale - lists a bit of chocolate in the ingredients. And I actually like a chocolate stout, although I don't see it as a 'beer' as in thirst-quenching and refreshing libation. But I still think I would be beaten up if I offered an old friend in my home village a beer with raspberries in it...

Stefan
 
Stefan, I tried weissbier when I was living in Germany briefly during the 80's and I didn't even get that. LOL i stuck with pils 90% of the time and was quite content.
 
The Belgians don't seem to have a problem with raspberries in their beer. Liefmanns Frambosenbier is an excellent quencher, as are their other lambics.
 
That may have more to do with tradition than anything else I think. I have never seen any of my Belgian friend drinking that stuff.
SpikeC said:
The Belgians don't seem to have a problem with raspberries in their beer. Liefmanns Frambosenbier is an excellent quencher, as are their other lambics.
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Full Sail Black Gold Imperial Stout. Brewed in Feb. 2010 then aged 10 months in Bourbon barrels. I'm sipping this ambrosial beverage with some pesto pasta and teriyakish chicken leg. This is a really nice rendition of the stout genre. Smooth mouth feel and complex flavors.
 
I had a new one yesterday. Left Hand Milk Stout. I got a single from Central Market.

I drank it, as the store guy said, cold beer in a cold glass. I usually don't drink my beer cold, but this one was milky smooth like the way root beer made you feel as a kid. As the glass warmed up(thanks, 85f overnight low), the roasty, malty beer flavor took over for a nice warm finish.

I got a six pack today. One of the best stouts(or porter in general) I've had.
 
Founders is a beer you should all be drinking on a regular basis. This craft brewer is one of my favorites and this porter is silky smooth and full of carmel and chocolate notes!



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I like beer a lot, i like wine and spirits as well but beer is well... beer.

On a very hot day a nice pint of Hoegaarden served realy cold is like a bandaid of love.
 
Anyone else find it odd that the only decent beers that Canadians and Americans both talk about enjoying are European? I can't speak for the US market, but I know that in Ontario it's because the state (provincial) monopoly makes it stupidly difficult to get craft brews on the shelves.
 
Craig said:
Anyone else find it odd that the only decent beers that Canadians and Americans both talk about enjoying are European? I can't speak for the US market, but I know that in Ontario it's because the state (provincial) monopoly makes it stupidly difficult to get craft brews on the shelves.
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I live in Ontario, and I don't find it difficult at all to find our great craft brews. Much isn't available at The Beer Store, because a little-known fact is that they're actually jointly owned by Labatt's and Molson's not the Ontario government.

You just have to know which stores carry the best selection of craft beers, even though I agree that no one store has them all. Or you can always have the fun of visiting the brewer directly as I often do with one of my favourites, Cameron's, located in Oakville close to my Hamilton home.

I also enjoy Beau's Lugtread lagered ale (that is our everyday beer), any of the Great Lakes Brewery products and Flying Monkeys IPA.

However I'm primarily a wine drinker and love living 15 minutes from the Beamsville Bench, home of some world-class rieslings and great pinots.

I always bring back a bottle of bourbon if I visit the US, because they're so expensive and hard to find here though.
 
cnochef said:
I live in Ontario, and I don't find it difficult at all to find our great craft brews. Much isn't available at The Beer Store, because a little-known fact is that they're actually jointly owned by Labatt's and Molson's not the Ontario government.

You just have to know which stores carry the best selection of craft beers, even though I agree that no one store has them all. Or you can always have the fun of visiting the brewer directly as I often do with one of my favourites, Cameron's, located in Oakville close to my Hamilton home.

I also enjoy Beau's Lugtread lagered ale (that is our everyday beer), any of the Great Lakes Brewery products and Flying Monkeys IPA.

However I'm primarily a wine drinker and love living 15 minutes from the Beamsville Bench, home of some world-class rieslings and great pinots.

I always bring back a bottle of bourbon if I visit the US, because they're so expensive and hard to find here though.
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I was saying it's hard to get out of province crafts on the shelves in Ontario. You get a couple of US offering every now and then, but nothing like the selection that's available.
 
Am I the only one that is turned off by the stupid names of many of the craft brews? It is the same way with some of the wines that have come out recently. "Clever" is okay for about 5 minutes and then things like "Hoptimus Prime, Kilt Lifter, Leghumper, Moose Drool, Face Plant, Bastards either of the Fat or Arrogant persuasion and Goats Do Roam wear kind of thin.
 
Craig said:
Anyone else find it odd that the only decent beers that Canadians and Americans both talk about enjoying are European? I can't speak for the US market, but I know that in Ontario it's because the state (provincial) monopoly makes it stupidly difficult to get craft brews on the shelves.
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I've not had an import in a long while. America is not running short on great brews. Recent ones that come to mind are by Left Hand, New Belgium, Big Sky, Shiner, and Woodchuck.
 
I had a bad micro brew experience the other day - either that bottle had gone bad or it was the nastiest brew I ever had. Had come home from the shop, thirsty, took a hearty swig and almost puked. Forgot what it was, but I will avoid that label when I see it again....

Stefan
 
Makes me happy to see someone drinking a Founders. Dirty Bastard is some amazing stuff, and the Porter is next on the list.
 
I wonder if some of the microbrews use the similar method for naming their beers as Ben and Jerry's apparently uses for coming up with some of their ice cream flavors and names? You know, take a focus group of 20 year old stoners and throw them in the walk-in freezer with an ounce of Skunk #1 and let em' have at it. In the case of the brewers, perhaps a beer cannot be offcially named until the principals have killed the first keg in one sitting.:biggrin:
 
******* said:
I wonder if some of the microbrews use the similar method for naming their beers as Ben and Jerry's apparently uses for coming up with some of their ice cream flavors and names? You know, take a focus group of 20 year old stoners and throw them in the walk-in freezer with an ounce of Skunk #1 and let em' have at it. In the case of the brewers, perhaps a beer cannot be offcially named until the principals have killed the first keg in one sitting.:biggrin:
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Not far off the mark on how we named our school beers lol :p
 
Shiner Bock is pretty big here in Texas. Here in Fort Worth we have Rahr & Sons that makes and interesting assortment of local beers. I have been a cooking with beer binge lately.
 
It's almost as good as the 120 minute.
 
sw2geeks said:
Shiner Bock is pretty big here in Texas. Here in Fort Worth we have Rahr & Sons that makes and interesting assortment of local beers. I have been a cooking with beer binge lately.
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Yeah, but Rahr & Sons pretty much sucks. I was pumped to find a local beer, even toured their facility; but their beers are across the board sub-par. Their dark offering is half-assed, their IPA tastes rancid, their red is boring as miller lite. Shiner does hold a place in my heart, but outside of their Bock and Lite Blonde, it's ALL the same. Their Hefeweizen was like a beer placed near a piece of bread and a lemon shoved in it. Their Dark offering was, again, half-assed. I can't figure out why Texas can't seem to put out a GREAT beer.

Frank Zappa said "You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline", and as it stands, the Nation of Texas is a pretty lackluster one.
 
I was looking at the Pilsener Urquell just now, but some nights it has to be a Makers Mark....

Stefan
 
Ok so i tried 3 new beers last week. Dogfish Head 60 minute IPA. Was not real impressed. tasted like chewing on hops, with a pretty boring background. Dark Horse Sapient Trip Ale: Again, not real impressed. Tasted like smoked cheddar cheese with a really bitter, almost rotten after taste. Founders Dirty Bastard: Love this beer. Amazing taste, great chocolate undertones with almost an almond finish, strongly recommend. Maybe i should just stick with the thick, dark beer.
 
I'll second *******'s recommendation on Duvel. I've long loved that beer.

Also, I tried an interesting beer in Chicago recently at the Purple Pig, it was Nora, by Baladin out of Piedmonte, Italy. This beer was: (and here I quote Saveur Magazine) "created as a tribute to the brewers of ancient Egypt and uses unmalted kamut, a grain cultivated for thousands of years in the Nile River valley. The Egyptians didn't brew with hops, so Musso [the maker at Baladin] uses as little as possible, instead drawing a balancing bitterness from myrrh and ginger added prior to fermentation."

The beer was $35 and came in a .75 l bottle and paired really nicely with food. It was a nice beer for a wine lover.

k.
 
Good stuff on both counts. Have you tried Staropramen? I like it a little better than Urquell or Budvar. Also, if you like wheated bourbon like Makers, you have to try the higher end Weller bourbons if you haven't yet. The best I ever had was 19 year old Weller, but that was a one time runbackin the 90's. The current top dog is William Larue Weller, which is at least 16 years old, maybe 18 and goes for about $75 a bottle in Florida, but the 10 or 12 year old is very fine too. They make a 22-23 year old PAppy Van Winkle, but I am not sure what the exact mashbillis and it is over $200 a bottle, so no thanks.
apicius9 said:
I was looking at the Pilsener Urquell just now, but some nights it has to be a Makers Mark....

Stefan
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