High ABV beer trend...what's the point?

[Curtis2010]

There's a ton of great beer in Michigan. Some of the higher rated beers are indeed the Imperials and limited release beers that also come with some fanfare and whatnot. But the bread and butter beers available at the brewery bars have a ton of local 4-7% ABV brews that are outstanding:

HopCat brewery
light side of the sun session IPA 4.7
not right MeowAIPA 6.3
Football SaisonSaison Farmhouse7.9
ZugspitzeHefeweizen5.7

Pike 51 Brewery
Brett Pale Ale American Wild Ale5.1

Bells OberonWheat ale5.8
Bells Best BrownEnglish brown5.8
OarsmanBerliner Weissbier4
Winter WhiteBelgian white5

Shorts Noble ChaosMarzen5.5

Founders Porterporter6.5
Nitro Pale AlePA5.4
Reds Rye IPARye IPA6.6
harvest aLePA7.6
Rubaeusraspberry wheat5.7

I will pass those suggestions on.

Maybe I should have titled the thread "Lower ABV Recommendations"...but I doubt that would have been nearly as lively! ;-)

 

[Curtis2010]

I like the increase in choice of stronger beers here but they are still a niche product really. Most people still tend to drink beer rather than taste it.

Tell him to come visit the UK lots of tasty lower abv beers

Ironic turn of events isn't it? Decades ago I used to travel to the UK on business. This was way before the craftbrew explosion in the USA. Always felt like I needed to detox when I got back after drinking all those stronger beers...not to mention pint mugs. :beer: Coors Light was the big deal back in the States then.

 

[Spartan300man]

Way back in the day, I remember driving across the Canadian border to get Bradors, because it had an extra percent or two ABV over the American beers. i think that was when the drinking age was 18, because we were somewhere around that age, give or take a couple years.

 

[slym2none]

I like the increase in choice of stronger beers here but they are still a niche product really. Most people still tend to drink beer rather than taste it.

Tell him to come visit the UK lots of tasty lower abv beers

OK, in this pic, it lists the style - what are the styles "80 shilling" and "hop trial"?

 

[Qhrumphf]

OK, in this pic, it lists the style - what are the styles "80 shilling" and "hop trial"?

80 Shilling is a Scottish Ale. ~4-5% or so. I'm assuming that the "Hop Trial" is something along the lines of a SMaSH or single hop IPA/Pale Ale/Bitter/Whatever using Topaz hops.

 

[wallybangbang]

Whats the point? So I can drink two, get a good buzz and tell SWMBO I only had two beers.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Eh. I like the low ABV stuff, because I can drink 4 beers, but tell SWMBO that the ABV is equivalent to only drinking 2 beers.

 

[bobeer]

There's a few breweries by me that only offer 7+% beers. It's sort of their "thing" it's hard to go drink there because everyone drives and needs to get home afterwards. I'd think, as a business plan goes, you'd want people to drink more than 2 beers when sitting at the bar. Their growlers are $20+ which is too rich for my blood. Plus, in the summer here it's hot and humid as hell and the last thing i want us an 8% imperial. Will be interesting to see how long these guys last.
Once it gets cold I'll start drinking the big beers but its got to be nice and frosty out there!

 

[Qhrumphf]

There's a few breweries by me that only offer 7+% beers. It's sort of their "thing" it's hard to go drink there because everyone drives and needs to get home afterwards. I'd think, as a business plan goes, you'd want people to drink more than 2 beers when sitting at the bar. Their growlers are $20+ which is too rich for my blood. Plus, in the summer here it's hot and humid as hell and the last thing i want us an 8% imperial. Will be interesting to see how long these guys last.
Once it gets cold I'll start drinking the big beers but its got to be nice and frosty out there!

Adroit Theory? All high octane stuff. I definitely get what you're saying. I don't like the weird adjunct flavored beers generally, so it's not my place anyway, but the all-high-ABV is the final nail in the coffin in my book. I respect if other people like it, but I certainly agree that there's a flaw in the business plan (not unsurmountable, and I doubt there's a perfect business plan anyway, but you get my point, there's a cost to that approach).

 

[pdxal]

Different people have different levels of alcohol tolerance. I only brew high gravity beers and I generally drink 6-8 beers of 8% or more in a "session". If I were drinking session beers it would take all day to catch a buzz and I'd spend an entire paycheck doing it. I like to sample low abv beers but only as an appetizer to the main course.

You do realize that 6-8 glasses of 8%+ beers is equivalent to 9.6 to 12.8 standard drinks in a session, right?
How many days/nights a week do you put this much away?

 

[worlddivides]

If you keep going along that train of thought... What's the point of a 20% ABV fortified wine? What's the point of a 32% ABV liqueur? What's the point of a 45% ABV whiskey? What's the point of a 55% ABV brandy? What's the point of a 65% ABV vodka? What's the point of a 74% ABV absinthe? What's the point of a 95% ABV rectified spirit?

Compared to that, a 9% ABV Double IPA or a 12% ABV Imperial Stout isn't really that high and it's completely accurate to style.

I would say that I enjoy beers at all ABV levels from 2% up to 20%, but the truth is that the strongest beer I've ever had was 16% ABV and I didn't care for it much, but I know that the reason I didn't care for it wasn't because it was "high alcohol."

The last beer I made was 9.7% ABV and the beer I made right before that was 6.1% ABV and the one before that was 5.7% ABV and the one before that was 6.9% ABV. So, in my opinion, most of my beers are in the "average" range, but some people would consider that on the high side. Eh.

 

[Hanglow]

OK, in this pic, it lists the style - what are the styles "80 shilling" and "hop trial"?

What Qhrumphf said basically

The hop trial will be a well hopped golden ale, they are in the new improved BJCP guidelines now. They are the most popular style here, for cask beers anyway

modern 80 shilling ales tend to be nice and malty with just enough bittering to stop them getting cloying and little hopping to get in the way of malt flavour, although I have had one that was dry hopped and worked nicely. Not tried that one on the list though

 

[joshesmusica]

I would say that I enjoy beers at all ABV levels from 2% up to 20%, but the truth is that the strongest beer I've ever had was 16% ABV...

in a thread full of a bunch of nonsense, those two sentences top the cake.

 

[Siberian]

Maybe your friend needs to find a better top beers list. We have plenty of great reasonable abv beers here in Michigan that represent the best of what we do.

Founder's sure is known for KBS & CBS, but they're very seasonal and you won't find them now. But what does founders make more than anything else and helped establish as a distinct style? All Day IPA, a session IPA.

Bell's has 2-hearted and Oberon putting it on the map, but locally you can get a lot more then that while your here. Bells makes some great 5-6% stouts and porters available only here.

Saugatuk Brewing and Shorts don't distribute much outside of the state but have a number of excellent Michigan breeds that are wildly available in the state like Neopolition Stout or Soft Parade which won't leave you under the table immediately.

Plus we have Jolly Pumpkin which shouldn't be missed and is easily one of the top wild/sour ale producers in the U.S. Much of their beer doesn't break 5%.

I could go on, but fact is your friend needs to try harder and find a better top beers list.

 

[Chris_Primavera]

From my local BBQ & Beer joint:

Gun Hill Thunder Dog NY English Stout 5.90%

Gun Hill Gold NY Blonde 4.50%

Lagunitas WTF CA Strong Ale 7.83%

Brooklyn Oktoberfest NY Marzen 5.50%

Hooker Oktoberfest NY Marzen 5.70%

DFH 120 Minute NY Imperial IPA 18.00%

Lost Coast Indica IPA CA American IPA 6.50%

Thirsty Dog Wulver OH Wee Heavy 12.00%

DFH Palo Santo Marron DE Brown 12.00%

Single Cut Full Stack NY Imperial IPA 8.40%

Avery Maharaja CO Imperial IPA 10.30%

Southern Tier Pumpking NY Imperial Pumpkin 8.60%

Troegs Troegenator PA Doppelbock 8.20%

Hooker Tenacious CT Belgian IPA 6.50%

Lost Coast Eight Ball CA Oatmeal Stout 6.20%

Southern Tier Mohka NY Imperial Stout 10.00%

Ommegang Fleur De Houblon NY Belgian Pale 6.80%

Angry Orchards MA Hard Apple Cider 5.00%

Ommegang Hennepin NY Saison 7.70%

Bells Expedition Stout MI RIS 10.50%

Avery Liliko’i Kepolo CO Bel Wit 5.60%

Troegs Mad Elf 2014 PA Bel Strong 11.00%

Sixpoint Gorilla Warfare Porter NY Coffee Porter 7.30%

Bells Oberon MI Pale Wheat 5.80%

Ayinger Maibock GER Maibock 6.80%

Black Hog Coffee Stout CT Coffee Stout 6.00%

Ballast Point Grapefruit Sculpin CA American IPA 7.00%

UniBroue La Fin Du Monde CAN Bel Tripel 9.00%

Maine Peepers ME Pale 5.50%

Weihenstephaner Hefeweisse GER Hefe 5.40%

 

[bobeer]

Adroit Theory? All high octane stuff. I definitely get what you're saying. I don't like the weird adjunct flavored beers generally, so it's not my place anyway, but the all-high-ABV is the final nail in the coffin in my book. I respect if other people like it, but I certainly agree that there's a flaw in the business plan (not unsurmountable, and I doubt there's a perfect business plan anyway, but you get my point, there's a cost to that approach).

Yea, Adroit is one and the other is Ocelot Brewing. Been there twice and every beer is pretty big. They're fairly good beers too so it's a shame I can only have 2 before driving. Otherwise I have to stay there for hours...

And yes, Adroit is all about the weird beers. I honestly haven't had too many of their beers, mainly because their little corked bottles are way too expensive, but the ones I have had I'm not overly impressed with. Their marketing is great though even though their logo is a DC comics Punisher ripoff and their life views printed on the labels I couldn't care less about. It's just beer!

 

[Qhrumphf]

Yea, Adroit is one and the other is Ocelot Brewing. Been there twice and every beer is pretty big. They're fairly good beers too so it's a shame I can only have 2 before driving. Otherwise I have to stay there for hours...

And yes, Adroit is all about the weird beers. I honestly haven't had too many of their beers, mainly because their little corked bottles are way too expensive, but the ones I have had I'm not overly impressed with. Their marketing is great though even though their logo is a DC comics Punisher ripoff and their life views printed on the labels I couldn't care less about. It's just beer!

Yeah, the angst is tedious. I liked Ocelot, and their stuff was a little more reasonable ABV last i was there.

 

[bobeer]

Yeah, the angst is tedious. I liked Ocelot, and their stuff was a little more reasonable ABV last i was there.

I"ll have to check them out again then next time I'm around the area.

 

[Qhrumphf]

I"ll have to check them out again then next time I'm around the area.

Well, I'm talking 5-8% range, with a couple higher than that. Rather than everything being 8%+ like it is at Adroit.

 

[zoomzilla]

You do realize that 6-8 glasses of 8%+ beers is equivalent to 9.6 to 12.8 standard drinks in a session, right?
How many days/nights a week do you put this much away?

I do it enough to know that your definition of "standard" is different than mine. I've never really had much trouble putting away a six pack which is why I drink high gravity beer.

 

[pdxal]

I do it enough to know that your definition of "standard" is different than mine. I've never really had much trouble putting away a six pack which is why I drink high gravity beer.

Not my definition of standard:

http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/what-standard-drink

12oz 5% beer=5oz 12% wine=1.5oz 40%/80 proof booze.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

We like to try the top rated beers in each state we are in

Where are you getting your ratings? Beeradvocate? Ratebeer?

There's a well-known bias in those ratings towards high-ABV. The bulk of BA's top 100 is 7%+, and many of the ones below 7% are sours or lambics. Just about everything else below 7% are Pale Ale or IPA.

If you're using those sites for ratings, high-ABV is going to be what you get.

 

[Curtis2010]

Where are you getting your ratings? Beeradvocate? Ratebeer?

There's a well-known bias in those ratings towards high-ABV. The bulk of BA's top 100 is 7%+, and many of the ones below 7% are sours or lambics. Just about everything else below 7% are Pale Ale or IPA.

If you're using those sites for ratings, high-ABV is going to be what you get.

Dont know where my friend got his ratings, but will ask.

Update: Beer Advocate.

 

[Rayi]

Michigan = Founders