I have to be in the mood for them and they’ve blown up so much (around here at least) that some brewpubs make it hard to visit since they dominate the tap list. But when you are craving one, there’s no substitute.
OT: The Booze Bin
- Thread starter Gumballhead
- Start date
Yeah Ayinger and Delirium are about all I drink anymore. Maybe some Samuel Smiths every once in a while. Pretty bad but I’m completely turned off by American beers anymore. Beer is just yet another thing we’ve taken from Europe and absolutely bastardized it beyond belief. See pizzas, bagels, and chocolate for other examples.
I agree to an extent, but the IPA thing is dear to me. When I was first able to drink or close enough that people would buy for me haha, there wasn't much of a craft movement in the US. So I tried all the "imports" and whatever I could find -- I have a collector's mentality so I tried any style and from any country. I wasn't an IPA fan at first, because no one is. No one wants that much hops. But Sierra Nevada was big and I lived in the Bay Area so I liked that the pale ale was different. Tasted like pine cones or something. At some point hoppiness became a contest and I was confused for a while. The first time I had Pliny the Elder was on tap at the Toronado, a king of beer bars, and I had to sip it because it was way too much for me. Many moons later it's like a perfect IPA to me.
The palate adapts and if you get there, great, if not no big deal. Over the years I have found that the less sweetness the better. I like it big and hoppy, but I like it bitter so if there's too much malt I'm out. Beer is way too huge but shit, good for beer and for the brewers who've turned their passion into millions.
Even IPAs I love don't taste the same every time I have them, and I don't mean to say it's the batch, it can be from the same 4 or 6 pack and my palate might love it one night and be meh another. So I think I know why some people hate IPAs haha.
I don’t mind some hops. Not huge into IPAs but the one style that I think the US has done a great job with is the hazy’s. That’s even gone off the deep end though a little bit the last few years.
I dunno if any of you guys are already brewers or in the industry but the BJCP Styles app is a really great one if you want to study beer. It’s the competition guidelines for how every beer should taste, but any casual beer drinker can use it. If you want to have a super awesome time - pick your favorite style and drink 4-5 different bottles of it with the style guideline in your hand (and even buy some of the “example” brands it has listed at the end of each style)……going through all of this is how I really became an import snob. But there’s a lot of American-centric styles being added all the time due to the American brewery scene. There’s used to only be like 5-10 IPA categories and there’s probably at least 10-20 now.
I dunno if any of you guys are already brewers or in the industry but the BJCP Styles app is a really great one if you want to study beer. It’s the competition guidelines for how every beer should taste, but any casual beer drinker can use it. If you want to have a super awesome time - pick your favorite style and drink 4-5 different bottles of it with the style guideline in your hand (and even buy some of the “example” brands it has listed at the end of each style)……going through all of this is how I really became an import snob. But there’s a lot of American-centric styles being added all the time due to the American brewery scene. There’s used to only be like 5-10 IPA categories and there’s probably at least 10-20 now.
Used to hate IPAs. Now I love them. They are an acquired taste, like practically everything.
Definitely respect the complex flavors. I just wish it would stop there lol.
I'm happy there is some stuff that gets mass produced now, because not that long ago you couldn't get anything good while stopping at the grocery store.
The floor has been raised for beer no matter what you like as far as accessibility. I'm happy about that. I remember how frustrating it was to find things at times. When my dad would visit the wife would be like, wait you had more of that? Had to hide the damn beer to age it, because so many things are/were purely seasonal.
More breweries making it easier to find one that is exceptional at whatever style you like is also awesome.
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