Beer 101

[krkelly]

I've realized how ignorant I am about beer, and decided that this is a failing that demands a remedy. So I must bite the bullet and drink more beer!

Up until now I've been drinking mostly lagers and pilsners, with European ones (mostly German and Dutch) being my favorites. But to be 55 years old without ever having tasted, for example, an English beer style, is unforgivable. (Sure, I've had Guiness and several Scottish beers, but I tasted my first Newcastle Brown Ale just today ... now that's scandalous. It was pretty good, BTW.)

Anyway, I went to the LCBO (Ontario liquor store) because they make it easy to mix and match individual cans of beer. I wanted to sample widely, though of course I chose the day after New Year to make this trip. This was less than brilliant -- they were pretty picked over. Here's what I got, though.

Bottles (six packs)

• Tsingtao
• Dragon Stout (Jamaican)

Cans (500ml)

• 4 Newcastle Brown Ale
• 4 Amsterdam Nut Brown Ale
• 4 Alexander Keith's Premium White
• 4 Alexander Keith's IPA
• 2 Holsten Festbock
• 2 Holsten Maibock
• 1 Abbot Ale
• 1 Yankee Jim's Ice Bock
• 1 Wells IPA
• 1 Caledonian 80 /-

It would help me if some of you more experienced beerists would point out big categories that I missed. For example, I didn't get a Bitter or Porter in there, and I don't know what would be good brands. One problem I have is that when Americans talk about their favorite beers, they usually talk about beers from microbreweries that don't ship to Canada, and I have no hope of finding them. So the more common import brands or Ontarian/Canadian micros would be helpful if anyone knows them.

I have a feeling that I might like, well, every kind of beer ... but this inquiry is for the sake of science

 

[weirdboy]

There are a LOT of beers styles out there.

One place you might start is by looking at the BJCP styles listed here and trying some of the commercial examples listed for each style.

Keep in mind that it is a necessary consequence of categorization, that people will come up with things that don't fit neatly into the categories.

 

[krkelly]

One place you might start is by looking at the BJCP styles listed here and trying some of the commercial examples listed for each style.

That's a very useful link, thanks. Now I know that, ie, Bass is an ESB, so that's one of my main priorities to try next time. My tasting experiments have been pretty successful so far, though ... I've already picked Brown Ale as a favorite, and IPA not so much. You can't just read about this stuff on the net. You have to taste it for yourself.

Keep in mind that it is a necessary consequence of categorization, that people will come up with things that don't fit neatly into the categories.

Yes, that's true of anything that's not purely abstract. And of course beer in the abstract is never as much fun as the one in your hand

 

[smizak]

You're lucky to get Newcastle in the can. All I can get in NY is the skunky clear glass bottled versions. At least Sam Smith started using brown bottles.

 

[krkelly]

You're lucky to get Newcastle in the can. All I can get in NY is the skunky clear glass bottled versions. At least Sam Smith started using brown bottles.

Come across and get some! Where I'm sitting right now (Hamilton) is only an hour's drive or so from Buffalo, but I bet you can find the cans in Niagara Falls. Yeah, I think my first batch of homebrew might be a Newcastle clone. It's a very pleasant beer.

 

[Bullbythehorns]

Come across and get some! Where I'm sitting right now (Hamilton) is only an hour's drive or so from Buffalo, but I bet you can find the cans in Niagara Falls. Yeah, I think my first batch of homebrew might be a Newcastle clone. It's a very pleasant beer.

If you are in Hamilton, a trip to Augusta's Winking Judge is worthwhile to sample many different beers on tap. I thoroughly enjoyed my visits there, plus the patrons will fill you in on details of what's on tap.

 

[scratchypants]

If you are basing your dislike for IPA on the Keith's you picked up, I don't blame you. It is NOT representative of the style.

For general consumption, I like all of McAuslan's products - Griffon Red, Extra Blonde, St-Ambroise Oatmeal... For something special, try anything from the Dieu du Ciel brewery - their Corne du Diable IPA is very good. Simple Malt is another local guy, but his stuff can be hard to find as, last I heard, he doesn't have his own brewery. Check out beeradvocate.com for reviews.

 

[krkelly]

If you are in Hamilton, a trip to Augusta's Winking Judge is worthwhile to sample many different beers on tap. I thoroughly enjoyed my visits there, plus the patrons will fill you in on details of what's on tap.

Great idea! I've been there, but it was years ago, and it never occurred to me to sample some beer styles there. There was a Scottish pub in Hess Village that I used to visit as well ... years ago I lived 3 blocks from Hess Village on George Street. That's pretty good beer country for Hamilton.

If you are basing your dislike for IPA on the Keith's you picked up, I don't blame you. It is NOT representative of the style.

I haven't tasted the Keith's yet, it was the Wells IPA that I tried. It wasn't bad, either, it was just not as tasty as the brown to my palate. I can see how really hoppy beers could wear thin after a while, but I don't assume that I've sampled the IPA's very thoroughly at all.

For general consumption, I like all of McAuslan's products - Griffon Red, Extra Blonde, St-Ambroise Oatmeal... For something special, try anything from the Dieu du Ciel brewery - their Corne du Diable IPA is very good. Simple Malt is another local guy, but his stuff can be hard to find as, last I heard, he doesn't have his own brewery. Check out beeradvocate.com for reviews.

I'll look for these. One thing about my LCBOs: they vary their selections of beer from time to time and I think from store to store. I can try a few different stores and maybe find a wider selection.

 

[fredthecat]

hey krkelly! im also an ontarian, and i know all too well how the lcbo works.. those are some interesting choices, but heres some of their stuff they usually have that i would personally recommend!

-definitely get the faxe festbock over holsten festbock, faxe festbock once you get used to its taste is truly an underappreciated king of beers
-sinha stout if you can get it near you is a great deal
-fullers london porter, or any fullers product for that matter
-duvel
-mill street has a good mixed 6 pack right now and all their products are relatively good
-leffe brun
-PILSNER URQUELL
-wernesgruner is a cheap but delicious one for regular drinking
-paulaner salvator

all these except duvel are around 2.50 per unit or less

and by the way, what part of ontario?

 

[krkelly]

Thanks for the recommendations. The Pilsner Urquell I'm very familiar with. I have to admit that the research I've been doing on beer has been very pleasurable so far

and by the way, what part of ontario?

Hamilton.

 

[mordantly]

as silly as this sounds, i can't remember if i have ever had newkie in a can. ive dealt with the empties a million times, i know that for sure. tsingtao is alright, being a green beer, it is less aftertasty then of say heiniken.

 

[MattHollingsworth]

Be aware that a LOT of the beer you get from overseas is either going to be in horrible condition or not really BE from overseas. Some of the Japanese beers in the North America, for instance, are brewed there, not in Japan. And in my experience, most beers from the UK are not very good once packaged.

Fullers, however, has two beers that are bottle conditioned. Their Vintage Ale and 1845 beers are great in the bottle. If you see those, those are definitely worth picking up.

If you find some of these bottles you had to not be to your liking, realize that it may just be old beer or might otherwise just not be as good as it is in its country of origin. If it's bottle conditioned, it's likely to be in better shape.

You can find a great range of different styles brewed a little closer to home which will likely be in far better shape. But them's my 2 cents.

Anyway, enjoy!

 

[JMG680]

If not for the Fling Saucer here in San Antonio I would not have tried may styles ether. They have 80 beers on tap and close to 200 bottles/cans to pick from. I use them all the time to try a few different beers from the same style when I am about to brew to see what characteristics I like.

 

[Bru]

You guys are spoilt - SABMiller has killed the beer market here. We're lucky if a pub/store stocks guiness besides SAB p!ss water. Fortunately one store now stocks some British ales and a couple of micros have started supplying some good stuff.
Most of the beers Ive tried for the first time are the ones Ive brewed.

 

[krkelly]

as silly as this sounds, i can't remember if i have ever had newkie in a can. ive dealt with the empties a million times, i know that for sure. tsingtao is alright, being a green beer, it is less aftertasty then of say heiniken.

I like Tsingtao a lot. I wouldn't mind brewing one like that.

Be aware that a LOT of the beer you get from overseas is either going to be in horrible condition or not really BE from overseas. Some of the Japanese beers in the North America, for instance, are brewed there, not in Japan. And in my experience, most beers from the UK are not very good once packaged.

I drank Japanese beer in Japan, and I thought it was pretty good. Some of the UK beers I've had lately were very nice: Caledonian 80/- and Newcastle in cans, and Guiness Draft in bottles. These were all brewed in the UK. I've had skunky imports before, of course, but I'm one of those people who's not put out by it much. Heineken in bottles, for example, is always a bit skunky but I still like it.

Fullers, however, has two beers that are bottle conditioned. Their Vintage Ale and 1845 beers are great in the bottle. If you see those, those are definitely worth picking up.

There's a lot of love for Fullers showing up here -- I'll go look for some this weekend

 

[Ragutis]

I've learned quite a lot from reading Michael Jackson's books. I recommend the New World Guide to Beer, and Michael Jackson's Beer Companion. He was an entertaining writer who really knew his beers.

 

[MattHollingsworth]

There's a lot of love for Fullers showing up here -- I'll go look for some this weekend

The Vintage Ale and 1845 are the only two that are bottle conditioned though. You might find their other beers in good shape or not in good shape. But those two have a higher chance of being in good shape, IMHO. And they're tasty as hell anyway. That Vintage Ale is a single malt (Maris Otter) English Barleywine, basically. Can't remember if it was the 2008 or 2009 that I had in August, likely the 2008. The hops change each year but 2009 was Northdown and Challenger...

Anyway, both beers are great. Their other beers are great too but much better to drink in the UK on cask as real ale....

 

[fredthecat]

the lcbo is expensive but its becuase they take care of their stuff ive never found any problems with imports here.. ??

also guinness draught for north america is made in london ontario, and guinness extra is better than draught

 

[krkelly]

guinness draught for north america is made in london ontario

The labels on my Guiness Draught bottles from the LCBO say "Brewed in Ireland."