My Beef With Craft Beers in America

[Homercidal]

I don't like anything sweet.

That being said I have had a lot of malt forward beers. As long as their is a nice bitterness to offset them I'm fine. It doesn't have to be in your face hoppy either. As long as I can taste some bitterness I'm good.

However, I have noticed that in the last few years my preception of bitterness has changed. An SNPA does not taste bitter to me anymore.

I do understand you revulsion to certain flavors, like bitterness. I have an issue with Belgian funk. I can handle a little as a backdrop in a beer. I've adapted to Dubbels and Quads and tend to prefer darker Belgians, but some of the Trippels seem to take it way too far.

For me it's not even about the taste. The taste doesn't really bother me. It's more of a physical sensation in the back of my throat. It's hard to explain, and I've never experienced the sensation with any other food/drink. I've been trying to force myself to like these beers, but so far it just hasn't happened. I can drink them, but I don't love them.

I understand that. I don't care for some Belgians, but I love others. I don't mind the barnyard funk you get with some. The ones that are described as Leather, horse sweat, etc. But some of them do have a hard-to-describe flavor profile that actually feels different when you taste them.

I have a Belgian Pale Ale that I brewed as a starter beer for a Belgian Golden Strong Ale. It's got plenty of that Belgian Flavor and I actually really like it, but it's not tart at all. Some of them can be acidic. Lambics are my Kryponite.

 

[SavaShip]

Ha! Berry Weiss tastes like Kool-Aid vomit to me. It's more the fruit flavors that I don't like.

LOL! Awesome! Berry Weiss is one of my favorites, hah! See, this is fun, now you hate something that I really like! I'll add Dragonmead to my list of breweries to check out!

I generally agree with you, but there are other long-time members here who also have a harsh sense of humor and like to kick up dust, but they've learned to respect the mods.

I put this rant in this Drunken Ramblings/Mindless Mumblings forum, because I didn't feel it was appropriate or serious enough for a normal part of the forum, where I try to be as helpful as possible... it really was just me randomly bitching about bitter beers. I respect the mods, Homercidal is awesome! I think I caught Yooper off guard though, but honestly, I though putting this in the "drunken ramblings/mindless mumblings" forum was explanation enough of what kind of post it was going to be. I'll take b-boy's advice and use more emoteicons when I'm being cantankerous

 

[Keith66]

Kool-Aid vomit

The stomach acid gives that stuff a bitterness that just doesn't appeal to me.

 

[b-boy]

I understand that. I don't care for some Belgians, but I love others. I don't mind the barnyard funk you get with some. The ones that are described as Leather, horse sweat, etc. But some of them do have a hard-to-describe flavor profile that actually feels different when you taste them.

I have a Belgian Pale Ale that I brewed as a starter beer for a Belgian Golden Strong Ale. It's got plenty of that Belgian Flavor and I actually really like it, but it's not tart at all. Some of them can be acidic. Lambics are my Kryponite.

Believe it or not, I enjoy Lambics. I like acidic. The barnyard funk is what gets me.

I've noticed that the newest trend is to 'Belgianize' everything. I've been burned a few times. I try to read the labels, but sometimes you don't know until you drink it.

 

[Keith66]

I put this rant in this Drunken Ramblings/Mindless Mumblings forum...

Good point, but I still think you're a d!ck.

 

[SavaShip]

Good point, but I still think you're a d!ck.

HEY! I resemble that remark!

 

[RichBrewer]

I definitely prefer malty beers with a nice hop balance. I will admit though that recently I have tried some IPAs that I thought were pretty good. They just seemed to be better balanced and the forward hop presence was more flavor and aroma and not so much bitter. The problem I have with very hoppy, bitter beers is that I can't taste anything after I've had one. I've been to the GABF a few times and once I try a hoppy beer, my taste buds are shot. It is weird because every beer I try after that just doesn't taste right.

I don't care for sour or fruit beers either but I am pretty open to just about anything else.

Oh, by the way, I love Brussels Sprouts!

 

[b-boy]

Good point, but I still think you're a d!ck.

See how a well-placed emoticon can turn an insult into an inside joke! They are awesome! :rockin:

 

[Keith66]

See how a well-placed emoticon can turn an insult into an inside joke! They are awesome! :rockin:

No, really, I DO THINK HE'S A D!CK!

 

[Keith66]

I love this sh!t!

 

[joelrapp]

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.

Metropolitan out of Chicago does only German style lagers. metrobrewing.com 5 Rabbits also in Chicago does Latin inspired brews. Randy Mosher is part owner at 5 Rabbits.www.5rabbitbrewery.com

 

[Keith66]

Metropolitan out of Chicago does only German style lagers. metrobrewing.com 5 Rabbits also in Chicago does Latin inspired brews. Randy Mosher is part owner at 5 Rabbits.www.5rabbitbrewery.com

Do either one of them export to CA?

 

[joelrapp]

Do either one of them export to CA?

Doubtful at this stage. Metropolitan is about 6,000 BBL a year if I recall. Not sure on 5 Rabbits. When I was up at Siebel they were just getting started really. I can't even find either 200 miles away in Indianapolis.

 

[rmyurick]

I can relate to the complaint about big beers. My 'local' (hoppin'frog) I don't believe makes anything under 7%! Would be nice to have a well-brewed English ordinary or best bitter on tap-I love that stuff!

 

[Homercidal]

I definitely prefer malty beers with a nice hop balance. I will admit though that recently I have tried some IPAs that I thought were pretty good. They just seemed to be better balanced and the forward hop presence was more flavor and aroma and not so much bitter. The problem I have with very hoppy, bitter beers is that I can't taste anything after I've had one. I've been to the GABF a few times and once I try a hoppy beer, my taste buds are shot. It is weird because every beer I try after that just doesn't taste right.

I don't care for sour or fruit beers either but I am pretty open to just about anything else.

Oh, by the way, I love Brussels Sprouts!

Another one on his way to becoming a hophead! :rockin:

 

[SavaShip]

No, really, I DO THINK HE'S A D!CK!

Can we still be friends?

 

[bob1852]

I can relate to the complaint about big beers. My 'local' (hoppin'frog) I don't believe makes anything under 7%! Would be nice to have a well-brewed English ordinary or best bitter on tap-I love that stuff!

If only there was an online forum with homebrew recipes and techniques.

 

[joelrapp]

Can we still be friends?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DmYLrxR0Y8

 

[CraptainWirtz]

PTC which is found in hops.

Are you sure about this part?

 

[SavaShip]

Are you sure about this part?

No that was a mistake, I meant to type alkaloid, but I was busy researching Phenylthiocarbamide, which is the chemical abbreviated PTC on the strips used for testing whether you genetically have the taste buds to taste certain intense alkaloids or not... Thanks for the catch.

 

[dudius]

No that was a mistake, I meant to type alkaloid, but I was busy researching Phenylthiocarbamide, which is the chemical abbreviated PTC on the strips used for testing whether you genetically have the taste buds to taste certain intense alkaloids or not... Thanks for the catch.

Btw I taste PTC but I still like bitter things. Evolution may have caused us to avoid bitter things for safety, but I live on the edge

 

[Keith66]

Can we still be friends?

Oh alright, if you're gonna whine about it.