Sample beers -- all nasty

I got a box of "sample" beers from a local distributor. The idea was to try them all and decide what beers to have on tap at our bar (I'm providing consulting for a friend). The selection we got consists of a bunch of big name commercial beers: Bell's, Dogfish Head, Samuel Smith's, North Coast, etc.

Here's the kicker: they are all gross. Every one of them. They all finish with a burning sensation, like there's a shot of bad vodka added to each bottle.

I am not too experienced with picking out tastes, but I would definitely describe it as "hot" and "alcohol burn", the result of fusel alcohols. But I thought fusel alcohol comes from high fermentation temperature, and don't know how it would get into bottled commercial brews.

They don't smell or taste "skunky" or "cardboardy" as far as myself and coworker are concerned; just harsh. What could cause this?

boy, I don't know. I guess it must be from improper handling, since Bell's especially is a tasty beer, and all of their selections are good.

oh yeah, I've had many of them before and I don't mean "yuck, I hate craft brew", I mean these specific bottles are bad. Also checked dates and they're all recent.

I actually reported the bell's bottle to their quality control department, it tasted like an infection. Bell's Best Brown, Sour Edition -- actually pretty good.

mrmekon said:

oh yeah, I've had many of them before and I don't mean "yuck, I hate craft brew", I mean these specific bottles are bad. Also checked dates and they're all recent.

I actually reported the bell's bottle to their quality control department, it tasted like an infection. Bell's Best Brown, Sour Edition -- actually pretty good.

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But if they are ALL bad, how can it be Bell's fault? I say improper handling at the distributor/vendor. I mean, sure a bad bottle or even a six pack, could be the brewery's fault, but if all of those craft beers you tried are bad, it can't be the breweries.

Yooper said:

But if they are ALL bad, how can it be Bell's fault? I say improper handling at the distributor/vendor. I mean, sure a bad bottle or even a six pack, could be the brewery's fault, but if all of those craft beers you tried are bad, it can't be the breweries.

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I know. The Bell's was the first one I drank, and it was also very different. Bell's was sour, it tasted like a flanders red, it was awesome. The next 7 or so bottles tasted like turpentine.

Could be that the sample packs sat out in the heat. I mean, it does get pretty hot during the summer, right? If they sat out in a hot warehouse for an extended period of time that surely is going to have some effect on the flavor.

Yea, sounds like improper handling. Thats whats nice about home brew, you have control over every aspect. As a commercial brewer once the product leaves the brewery its a crap shoot. A crap shoot that affects your reputation and bottom line.

My question is what kind of improper handling would cause this?

Exposure to light would cause "light-struck" beer, which smells skunky, which this doesn't.

Exposure to heat would cause diacetyl and rapid oxidation, butter and sherry tastes, but it doesn't taste like that either.

It tastes like fusels, but as far as I know those can only be produced during active fermentation. I don't even think these are bottle conditioned.

Man that sucks... IMO those are all mostly good beers.

Just wondering you do have SweetWater stuff on tap right? If not man you should...

mrmekon said:

My question is what kind of improper handling would cause this?

Exposure to light would cause "light-struck" beer, which smells skunky, which this doesn't.

Exposure to heat would cause diacetyl and rapid oxidation, butter and sherry tastes, but it doesn't taste like that either.

It tastes like fusels, but as far as I know those can only be produced during active fermentation. I don't even think these are bottle conditioned.

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What North Coast beer is it?

Maxkling said:

Just wondering you do have SweetWater stuff on tap right? If not man you should...

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We'll get some Sweetwaters, but we're not going to have a 420 tap. Everyone has a 420 tap around here, and the goal is to have an unusual variety for a small bar.

Ben_Persitz said:

What North Coast beer is it?

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Old Rasputin. Also have a Brother Thelonius that I'm afraid to open.

My question is what kind of improper handling would cause this?

My guess - most likely heat - beer is notoriously temperature sensitive and doesn't travel well.

If you have options for your distributor, I would use another one. If they were careless with handling once, they will be again. And I would use local beers if at all possible.

SteveM said:

If you have options for your distributor, I would use another one. If they were careless with handling once, they will be again. And I would use local beers if at all possible.

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These guys are basically the craft beer distributor of the area. Each brewery is handled by only one distributor, so if you want Bell's or Lagunitas or Weyerbacher you must go through them. But their warehouse is temperature controlled and I've had tons of spectacular beer that came from them, so I think it's just that their samples were mishandled. They did just move warehouses, and the samples were probably lowest priority.

yeah I'd be real worried about this distributor. There shouldn't be any handling issues getting something straight from them.

where i work samples sent out to potential customers are the pick of the litter. something is wrong...

Did others taste or only you? Did the other people have the same reaction? Could be the first beer threw your taste off for the balance as it seems more than odd that they would all have that problem. A lot of the commercial beers shipped/transported around the country and world are subjected to extreme temps and they don't come out with fusel burn.