Maybe I'm getting old but high ABV doesn't seem to do it for me anymore

[landis]

I just was drinking a Nut Brown that just finished up 3 weeks of conditioning last night when I got to thinking about ABV. Back in the winter I was on a higher ABV kick (an imperial stout at 10%, and an IPA at 7.5%). But after that IPA I've switched gears to lower ABV beers that I can enjoy 3 or 4 and feel no ill effects.

My Nut Brown is somewhere around 4%, I have an oatmeal stout at 3.8%, and an IPA at around 4.8% and I think these have to be my favorite beers to date. Maybe I'm just getting better at brewing, but maybe having the ability sitting down with 2 or 3 of my beers and really enjoying the flavors and aromas and not worrying about feeling like garbage the next day at work is helping the situation.

Maybe it's just a phase and next year I'll be brewing barley wines, but I was just wondering if anyone else has experienced the lower ABV kick.

I've been thinking about trying Orfy's Mild next - sounds delicious.

 

[BigKahuna]

I've been dumping the BrewVint alcohol boost in the last 4 of 5 batches. I like to brew higher abv for winter drinking...it's nice to have someting to warm you to bed when it's dark at 5 pm!
Sometime between Febuary and March, I'll get to the lower abv beers so like you said, I can Quaf away while it's still light out till 9M and still make it to work the next day.

 

[david_42]

Most of my beers are under 5%, many under 4%. Brewing a good small beer is much tougher than making something that clobbers your taste buds (and brain) with the first pint or two. Traditionally, beer is a beverage often consumed with meals not a fast road to intoxication. That's what gin is for.

 

[Bob]

+1 to a nice G&T.

I can't remember the last time I brewed a beer over 6% ABV. I like beer. I like to drink several beers in one sitting. I'd rather have four or five flavorful beers than one or two. I don't care for getting sloppy on one or two beers; the evening is over far too quickly, never mind about the next day.

So we're on the same page, Mr Landis.

Cheers,

Bob

 

[landis]

Last fall / winter I picked up a case of Victory's Moonglow weizenbock and I remember that 2 beers was my limit on that one for an average evening. I knew that at 3 I would be working off a nice headache the next morning.

During the evenings one of my favorite things to do is to sit around an play guitar and drink some homebrew. The guitar sessions are definitely more enjoyable when I can put away a few beer and still feel my fingers enough to play well.

 

[Tenchiro]

Both types certainly have their time and place, but I really do enjoy having 2-3 beers at a time and not being completely smashed. Although most of mine tend to hover at about 5%, and having a few gets a good buzz but are not overwhelming.

 

[Homercidal]

It's not unusual to prefer more alcohol in the winter months, and lighter beers in the warmer months. I'm going through this right now. But then I mostly have Blatz cans right now, so no wonder I'm in no hurry to drink them...

 

[phissionkorps]

I like to have some of both around. Something 4-5% to have 2 or 3 after I get back from gross anatomy lab (trust me, you need a beer after slicing up a cadaver) and while studying, then something that's 6%+ for the weekends. Lately everything I've been brewing has been pretty high on the abv (melomel ~14.5%, braggot ~14%, biere de garde ~8.5% (I know I overshot for the style...whoops), apfelwein)

 

[DeathBrewer]

I do a bit of each, but i've been leaning toward the smaller beers more. i even went to The Trappist in oakland and instead of going for all the big belgian beers, i was sampling all the blondes and wits. i guess i'm actually getting somewhat responsible

 

[TheFlatline]

There's only a handful of high ABV beers I enjoy personally. I'm drinking a Duvel at the moment, which is one of them (750 ml and 8% alcohol? That's like drinking a bottle of wine by yourself), but the down side is that I only *really* enjoy the flavor until I get a steady buzz going.

Lately I've been drinking 4% beer, both homebrew and commercial, and really trying to taste the hops, the malt, and the flavors of the yeast. It's amazing how much more refined my palate has gotten. I love the drunk buzz still, and will get my drink on swimmingly, but now I don't just want something that tastes good going down, I want something that simply tastes good.

I'm currently in the process of determining what types of beer go best with different flavors of hookah tobacco. I think I'll have some nice reccomendations after some intensive research with my friends.

 

[Kauai_Kahuna]

Age has nothing to do with it for me.
Colder weather for me means higher ABV, that way I get a nice buzz without having to go into a cold bathroom to make space.
Warmer weather, I sweat like a ????, need the fluids and a high ABV will just get me killed doing something stupid like cave diving smashed at night. It's kind of like the "Lets go to Mexico" deal.
Most of the time I stay with the lower ABV's.

 

[Homercidal]

Don't be Cave Diving! Even the most Experienced Cave Divers get killed.

 

[BigKahuna]

Colder weather for me means higher ABV, that way I get a nice buzz without having to go into a cold bathroom to make space.

ya...and it gets down to what....high 70's there? Wuss!

Don't be Cave Diving! Even the most Experienced Cave Divers get killed.

Oh Come on....I've done several cave dives....Still alive to tell about it.

Drinking and Diving...Hummm? Again with the survival of the fittest theory...stupid people die first.

 

[bearkluttz]

i agree that both have their place. Lately i have been satisfied with hitting around 5%. not too high, not too low, don't feel like doing nothing but sitting around after a few. It's nice to have a few beers during the day while its hot outside and then feeling up to doing yard work in the evening.

 

[zoebisch01]

It's indeed nice to have a range of beers to choose from. Most of mine are around 4.5% to 5.0%, and I have a string of special Ales that are up there. But I rarely drink those, that's why they are in bottles and not in kegs.