My Beef With Craft Beers in America

[SavaShip]

How come, when I hear of an American Craft beer, I'm not excited? When I drink a beer, I'm looking for something that is malty, with enough hops to balance it, and make a beverage that is enjoyable. But NOOOOOOOOO American craft breweries have to come out, and get in pissing contests with each other about who has the hoppier beer. They always make references to goats, which ironically originated with Bock beers, which are known for very little hop flavor (if done traditionally), and you end up with beers that are basically hops in a bottle of water. They specially grow their own nasty variants of cascade hops to insane Alpha acid percentages, then use more of them than ever before! If people love hops so much, how come the grocery store doesn't sell hop seasoning to put on your eggs in the morning? I think this about best explains my beef (not work safe):

http://www.collegehumor.com/post/6921709/the-complete-guide-to-the-craft-beer-at-your-local-bar

 

[day_trippr]

That was a hilarious read (the link, not the demi-rant).
Thanks for the link...

Cheers!

 

[OaklandHills]

So you're not a hops fan? Or maybe, you're not a fan of bitter simply for the sake of bitter. I agree.

Try Kona brewing company's offerings. I just got to try several of their beers at the brewery, which I recommend. Their beers' complexity is on the malt side. Their IPA is good but won't blow out your taste buds with sheer bitterness. Fire Rock Pale ale was good. Kona Nut Brown Ale was good. I liked the Black Sand Porter too.

And steer clear of anything from Pacific Coast Brewing Co. They make a double IPA "Meglodon"- forget about hops in water, they went for the hops in cough syrup taste. yuck.

Then you could also consider a couple of California offerings. Lagunitas Brewery's Hop Stoopid IPA has a lotta hops, but its not just bitter, it has layers of flavor and aroma. Likewise Pliny the Elder from the Russian River Brewing Company.

Cheers!

 

[SavaShip]

I love hops in beer, don't get me wrong! Ever had a full bodied beer without them? It's awful! I just hate it when they unbalance towards the insane. It's gotten to the point where I just avoid everything that says "IPA" or "Pale Ale" now because all my experiences have been bad. Maybe I just don't like Cascade hops? I like Guinness, and that's bitter, but the bitter doesn't tag along with you for the cab ride home. My favorite trick was always to give someone a Guinness, have them finish the whole can, then hand them a bottle of Michelob AmberBock... what's amazing, is the AmberBock will taste exactly like Coca Cola... it's really a nice demonstration on how the overbitter guinness pulls out the sweet malt flavor of the AmberBock.

 

[DrunkleJon]

Yummm... Brown

 

[Homercidal]

Nice article! I laughed. But yeah, really you can find plenty of malty beers (Although I do concur that there are more hoppy beers available.)

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Now I know what brown tastes like... LOL
Regards, GF.

 

[IrregularPulse]

That hop blood sounds good. Probably not hoppy enough for my elite taste buds though.

 

[DrunkinIrish]

It never fails, everything I brew I just end up with blood and hops everywhere. Then to top it off the beer just tastes like brown. More practice is clearly needed.

On a more serious note, there are alot of good American craft brews that are on the malty side, they just tend not to make it to your mega marts.

Sent from my Galaxy Note 2 using Home Brew mobile app.

 

[SavaShip]

It never fails, everything I brew I just end up with blood and hops everywhere. Then to top it off the beer just tastes like brown. More practice is clearly needed.

On a more serious note, there are alot of good American craft brews that are on the malty side, they just tend not to make it to your mega marts.

Sent from my Galaxy Note 2 using Home Brew mobile app.

I've touched my beloved daughter and turned her into hops! You've twisted my wish!!!!

More seriously, I also read a recent article that people fall into 3 categories, non-tasters, tasters, and supertasters. This is directly related to the taste of bitter. Tasters normally dislike Brussels Sprouts, sometimes Cabbage.. Supertasters normally hate broccoli along with those other vegetables. I seem to fall into the category of a taster. It was theorized that as much as 20% of the population could fall into the category of non-taster. So people who enjoy IPAs might just be people with fewer tastebuds that evolution accidentally spared by not poisoning their ancestors. So according to modern science if someone says, "I enjoy an IPA" You can reply with: "You have no taste." and be literally, not figuratively right!

 

[Jayhem]

My peeve with American Craft beers and so called "craft beer lovers" is BIG BEERS.

HIGH ABV! If it's not over 8% people would "rather just get light beer"

I have a few friends who enjoy craft beers who the first question they will ask me when I give them a sample of my newest homebrew is "What's the ABV?!" Who cares? It's good beer!

I'm not alone but I enjoy craft beer for the taste, smoothness and satisfying feeling, not to get drunk!

 

[SavaShip]

My peeve with American Craft beers and so called "craft beer lovers" is BIG BEERS.

HIGH ABV! If it's not over 8% people would "rather just get light beer"

I would LOVE to see some full-bodied delicious beers brewed like Olde English Ales weighing in at less than 2.4% alcohol, so I completely agree with you! I could enjoy the flavor, and not worry so much about my liver!

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

More seriously, I also read a recent article that people fall into 3 categories, non-tasters, tasters, and supertasters. This is directly related to the taste of bitter. Tasters normally dislike Brussels Sprouts, sometimes Cabbage.. Supertasters normally hate broccoli along with those other vegetables. I seem to fall into the category of a taster. It was theorized that as much as 20% of the population could fall into the category of non-taster. So people who enjoy IPAs might just be people with fewer tastebuds that evolution accidentally spared by not poisoning their ancestors. So according to modern science if someone says, "I enjoy an IPA" You can reply with: "You have no taste." and be literally, not figuratively right!

I did the 23andme genetic testing thing, and it came up with this. I'm one of the "non-tasters"... And lo and behold, I love Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, hoppy beers, black coffee, dark chocolate, orange peel, etc.

 

[DrunkinIrish]

I would LOVE to see some full-bodied delicious beers brewed like Olde English Ales weighing in at less than 2.4% alcohol, so I completely agree with you! I could enjoy the flavor, and not worry so much about my liver!

I feel like some of the flavors in some beers actually comes from the high abv. I do however agree that drinking beer to "get wasted" is a waste of time. You can get the same effect for less time and less money by drinking Walmart brand vodka. Added bonus, less of a need to pee!


Sent from my Galaxy Note 2 using Home Brew mobile app.

 

[noob1979]

I thought that hit the nail on the head for some crafters in my area. Others don't talk about the beer they drink as much. I like Guinness, and not a fan of cascade hops, to me its like drinking a cedar tree with a hint of citrus. I do like the taste of millennium hops though, just not in great quantities. Very funny article.
Cheers


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[Zuljin]

This is like the extreme hot sauce craze. It's on the down turn now. I think honey is picking up as the next fad. Good.

 

[Beernik]

Granite Face Pumptoberfest Winter Spice Blackberry Sprummer Wheat Seasonal Ale

Basically my opinion about:
Hemisphere beers
Wet hopped beers
Organic beers
Seasonal beers that have nothing seasonal about them -> I'm looking at you Uinta Yard Sale Vienna lager. The only thing seasonal is the skier on the label.

 

[Keith66]

OK SavaShip, you cracked me dafuq up! I think you're my twin, beer-wise anyway. Thought I was reading one of my own anti-bitter rants. And the brussels sprouts thing?!... I've thoroughly hated them all my life! Now I know why... apparently I'm a taster! So while the USA, and California in particular, are over-hopping everything, I'm sitting here brewing German lagers and hefes, and Belgian ales. Now I know why!... Thank you for enlightening me, oh similar one! Prost!

 

[dudius]

I've heard something about a "lupulin shift", which is the idea that people who enjoy hoppy beers will often develop tastes for more bitter and more resinous beers. Similar to the way a person can enjoy spicy foods and continue to push their palate towards higher heat.

Truth is, I love aromatic hops in beers but I dislike crazy IBU levels. I've found that by aging hop bombs like Founder's Devil Dancer I've been more able to enjoy the flavor of the beer (bitterness mellows out and hop flavor comes out as more complex).

What I'd like to see more of is craft beer drinkers who won't turn their noses at micro brewers who make classic German or English beers. Belgian beers are the only ones that seem to get any respect from the common american craft beer drinker.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[Keith66]

No kidding! I only know of 3 brewers in the US that specialize in German beers. 1) Gordon Biersch 2) Sudwerk in Davis, CA 3) Prost Brewing in Denver. There may be others, but likely not many. Jack Russell Brewing in tiny Camino, CA specializes in English ales.

 

[BBL_Brewer]

Beef and craft beer sounds really good right now......

 

[SavaShip]

OK SavaShip, you cracked me dafuq up! I think you're my twin, beer-wise anyway. Thought I was reading one of my own anti-bitter rants. And the brussels sprouts thing?!... I've thoroughly hated them all my life! Now I know why... apparently I'm a taster! So while the USA, and California in particular, are over-hopping everything, I'm sitting here brewing German lagers and hefes, and Belgian ales. Now I know why!... Thank you for enlightening me, oh similar one! Prost!

First beers I truly loved were Bock style. I recently went to a bar and ordered a Bell's Best brown ale on tap... Had to be 38 IBU... I got really upset because I kept thinking brown ales were supposed to be malty and tasty, and this made me want to lay my tongue on some railroad tracks and let the next train take care of it. It just turns out that I learned something important... English Brown ales are delicious and balanced... American Brown Ales are just an excuse to jam hops into a dark colored beer... Why do us Americans ruin everything like that!? Interesting side note, my favorite beer ever was Gulden Draak, ever had it?

 

[Homercidal]

First beers I truly loved were Bock style. I recently went to a bar and ordered a Bell's Best brown ale on tap... Had to be 38 IBU... I got really upset because I kept thinking brown ales were supposed to be malty and tasty, and this made me want to lay my tongue on some railroad tracks and let the next train take care of it. It just turns out that I learned something important... English Brown ales are delicious and balanced... American Brown Ales are just an excuse to jam hops into a dark colored beer... Why do us Americans ruin everything like that!? Interesting side note, my favorite beer ever was Gulden Draak, ever had it?

And you know the BJCP differentiates between English Brown Ales, and American Brown Ales, right? They are different. Specifically the type and amount of hops. Somewhat the ABV.

IMO the hops are well balanced for an American Brown. Certainly not as hoppy as Tasty's Janet's Brown Ale, which is admittedly a fairly hoppy, fairly high ABV American Brown Ale.

I remember a few years back when Bass Pale Ale seemed very bitter to me. Ah, youth!

 

[SavaShip]

And you know the BJCP differentiates between English Brown Ales, and American Brown Ales, right? They are different. Specifically the type and amount of hops. Somewhat the ABV.

IMO the hops are well balanced for an American Brown. Certainly not as hoppy as Tasty's Janet's Brown Ale, which is admittedly a fairly hoppy, fairly high ABV American Brown Ale.

I remember a few years back when Bass Pale Ale seemed very bitter to me. Ah, youth!

Yes, which is why I made the statement that Americans ruin everything. The BJCP basically says English Brown Ales go from 12-30 IBU Southern ones upper is at 20 IBU... While American Brown Ales go from 20-Infinity IBU (that's what 40+ means) Good luck finding a bar that can tell you if a Brown Ale on tap is English or American though. The fact that there is no upper limit on bittering units for the American Brown Ale is just further proof that most American beers are just nasty bottles of bitter crap designed only for 20% of people who are genetically missing taste buds.

 

[two_hearted]

I've touched my beloved daughter and turned her into hops! You've twisted my wish!!!!

More seriously, I also read a recent article that people fall into 3 categories, non-tasters, tasters, and supertasters. This is directly related to the taste of bitter. Tasters normally dislike Brussels Sprouts, sometimes Cabbage.. Supertasters normally hate broccoli along with those other vegetables. I seem to fall into the category of a taster. It was theorized that as much as 20% of the population could fall into the category of non-taster. So people who enjoy IPAs might just be people with fewer tastebuds that evolution accidentally spared by not poisoning their ancestors. So according to modern science if someone says, "I enjoy an IPA" You can reply with: "You have no taste." and be literally, not figuratively right!

That's one way of looking at it. The other would be that super-tasters have much more sensitive taste buds. So, if someone says, "I don't enjoy IPAs" You can reply with:"You are very sensitive." and be literally, not figuratively right!

 

[two_hearted]

I don't get why some many people are getting on this "everything is too hoppy, too high in alcohol, blah blah blah" bandwagon. There is more beer to try than ever before in the US. Yes, American styles tend to have more hops and higher abv, but there are plenty of beers across the spectrum being brewed in the US. I can walk into one of many, many bars around me and find tons of options. I have local breweries in Ohio that specialize in german beer and sours. New local breweries are putting out great kolsch, blondes, english brown ales, belgian styles, and more all the time. Maybe its behind the times up in Minnesota, but I find that hard to believe (other than how much you love rollerblades). You just seem to have a terrible attitude about American craft beer.

There is so much beer out there. Yes, some of it is bad. I've had some awful english beers, I've had a ton of terrible IPAs, I really don't care for German lagers. The key is to figure out what you like and why you like. Don't just find one thing you hate and then start some stupid rant about IPAs. Its been done. Get over it. Go start a thread about how amazing the subtleties of a nice English brown are...

 

[Homercidal]

Yes, which is why I made the statement that Americans ruin everything. The BJCP basically says English Brown Ales go from 12-30 IBU Southern ones upper is at 20 IBU... While American Brown Ales go from 20-Infinity IBU (that's what 40+ means) Good luck finding a bar that can tell you if a Brown Ale on tap is English or American though. The fact that there is no upper limit on bittering units for the American Brown Ale is just further proof that most American beers are just nasty bottles of bitter crap designed only for 20% of people who are genetically missing taste buds.

And the BJCP designates Bell's Best Brown as an example of an AMERICAN BROWN ALE, not an English Brown Ale.

Why hold the rest of us craft beer drinkers accountable for your dislike of hop bitterness? Do you know why there are so many hoppy beers out there? I'll give a hint, it's not because only 20% of craft beer drinkers enjoy hoppy beers.

There are lots of malty beers out there to try. I would check the BJCP guidelines and choose a few that are more aligned with your tastes. A lot of English and Scottish beers are more malty, as well as Ambers and many others.

I do agree that there are plenty of hoppy beers out there, but the reality is that craft beer drinkers generally acquire a taste for hops as they continue to try different styles. I like to say that everyone becomes a hophead eventually!

 

[Homercidal]

Oh, and the BJCP sets the IBUs for an American Brown Ale at 40. The Northern English IBU's upper limit is 30. There isn't that much difference between them.

Check out this handy graph for finding beers that less bitter!

http://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/01/24/beer-styles-ibu-chart-graph-bitterness-range/

 

[Yooper]

..................The fact that there is no upper limit on bittering units for the American Brown Ale is just further proof that most American beers are just nasty bottles of bitter crap designed only for 20% of people who are genetically missing taste buds.

Pretty harsh words for things that others may like.

"nasty bottles of bitter crap" is maybe your perception- but either dumb fools like me either like many styles of beer, or maybe you are the one with the problem.

I'm a certified BJCP judge, and I have a trained palate. I can pick out ingredients in food, wine, beer, and so on.

I love almost all styles of beer, but never could get into Belgians or sours. Instead of calling Belgians "nasty bubblegum fruit crap", I said "I could not get into them".

There are a lot of other things I can't stand out there- like Kraft Macaroni 'n Cheese- and won't buy them. But I would never be derogatory toward others who enjoy them.

There is a fine line between being a beer geek, and an intolerable ass.

 

[SavaShip]

And the BJCP designates Bell's Best Brown as an example of an AMERICAN BROWN ALE, not an English Brown Ale.

Why hold the rest of us craft beer drinkers accountable for your dislike of hop bitterness? Do you know why there are so many hoppy beers out there? I'll give a hint, it's not because only 20% of craft beer drinkers enjoy hoppy beers.

There are lots of malty beers out there to try. I would check the BJCP guidelines and choose a few that are more aligned with your tastes. A lot of English and Scottish beers are more malty, as well as Ambers and many others.

I do agree that there are plenty of hoppy beers out there, but the reality is that craft beer drinkers generally acquire a taste for hops as they continue to try different styles. I like to say that everyone becomes a hophead eventually!

Why be combative? The point here is A: no bar can tell you what beer is what style. "Bell" is an English name, so instead of misleading me by calling it "Best Brown" they should have called it "Best American Brown", or the bartender could have told me when I asked... Even in Tap Houses they have no clue. In fact, most American Tap Houses only represent 5 styles, even if they have 40 taps. I went to the Boulder Tap House in Baxter MN, they have 40 beers on tap. 26 of them were IPAs, and 10 were freakin' Ciders, and lambics don't count!! Do you know how many were malty and balanced (between 17-27 IBU)? I'll give you hint, it was less than 1. So yes, I hold you, the vocal minority with genetically missing taste buds accountable for making all tap houses believe that beers over 40 IBU are what beer drinkers want out of a "good" beer. I've drank beer for over 20 years, I have expanded my palette, but will never become a "hophead", because genetically I have taste buds that detect poison. You were silent, until there were a handful of "me too" agreements, now you need to move in and silence us, not just you, but others must join you to quell this hops rebellion. Oh no, someone might read this one, and a TapHouse might actually put a Bock, or English ale in one of their 40 taps!!! OH THE HORROR!!! The fact you're trying to silence me right now proves that you're the pushy ones... when it's people like me who are enslaved to not drinking decent, balanced beers in tap houses because you want your opinions to overshadow those of we little people who genetically have our taste buds and understand when something tastes like poison.