Random Beer Thoughts

[regularjohn]

I had a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale at Disneyland

 

[steimie]

Ain't tryin to be that guy, buuuuut the voters on this list are very interesting, eh?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Joshua Bernstein, Author, Complete IPA, The Complete Beer Course and Brewed Awakening
Sam Calagione, Founder, Dogfish Head Brewery
Jimmy Carbone, Owner, Jimmy’s No. 43 (New York City); Founder, Beer Sessions Radio
Geoff Deman, Head Brewer, Free State Brewing Company
Greg Engert, Beer Director & Partner, Neighborhood Restaurant Group (Washington, DC)
Ethan Fixell, Freelance Beer, Wine & Spirits Writer; Beverage Educator
Aaron Goldfarb, Novelist & Beer Writer
Ken Grossman, Founder/Owner, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Stephen Hale, Ambassador Brewer, Schlafly Beer
Gregory Hall, Founder, Virtue Cider; Former Brewmaster, Goose Island Beer Co.
Brendan Hartranft, Co-owner, Local 44, Strangelove’s and Clarkville (Philadelphia)
Julia Herz, Craft Beer Program Director & Publisher, CraftBeer.com
Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø, Founder, Evil Twin Brewing; Owner, Tørst (Brooklyn)
Noah Kaufman, Digital Editor, Food & Wine
Justin Kennedy, Freelance Beer Writer; Producer Steal This Beer podcast and Beer Sessions Radio
Jim Koch, Founder, Samuel Adams
Jason Perkins, Brewmaster, Allagash Brewing Company
Michael Roper, Owner, The Hopleaf Bar (Chicago)
Patrick Rue, Founder/CEO, The Bruery
Scott Ungermann, Brewmaster, Anchor Brewers and Distillers
John Verive, Contributor, L.A. Times Food; Founder, Beer of Tomorrow

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's not a conspiracy or anything because the list is right there at the bottom of the article. Still, big shocker that so many of these folks' beers landed on this list. I believe the list is good, sure. Still funny.

And they all like Anchor beers.

 

[Shakedwnst]

Ain't tryin to be that guy, buuuuut the voters on this list are very interesting, eh?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Joshua Bernstein, Author, Complete IPA, The Complete Beer Course and Brewed Awakening
Sam Calagione, Founder, Dogfish Head Brewery
Jimmy Carbone, Owner, Jimmy’s No. 43 (New York City); Founder, Beer Sessions Radio
Geoff Deman, Head Brewer, Free State Brewing Company
Greg Engert, Beer Director & Partner, Neighborhood Restaurant Group (Washington, DC)
Ethan Fixell, Freelance Beer, Wine & Spirits Writer; Beverage Educator
Aaron Goldfarb, Novelist & Beer Writer
Ken Grossman, Founder/Owner, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Stephen Hale, Ambassador Brewer, Schlafly Beer
Gregory Hall, Founder, Virtue Cider; Former Brewmaster, Goose Island Beer Co.
Brendan Hartranft, Co-owner, Local 44, Strangelove’s and Clarkville (Philadelphia)
Julia Herz, Craft Beer Program Director & Publisher, CraftBeer.com
Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø, Founder, Evil Twin Brewing; Owner, Tørst (Brooklyn)
Noah Kaufman, Digital Editor, Food & Wine
Justin Kennedy, Freelance Beer Writer; Producer Steal This Beer podcast and Beer Sessions Radio
Jim Koch, Founder, Samuel Adams
Jason Perkins, Brewmaster, Allagash Brewing Company
Michael Roper, Owner, The Hopleaf Bar (Chicago)
Patrick Rue, Founder/CEO, The Bruery
Scott Ungermann, Brewmaster, Anchor Brewers and Distillers
John Verive, Contributor, L.A. Times Food; Founder, Beer of Tomorrow

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's not a conspiracy or anything because the list is right there at the bottom of the article. Still, big shocker that so many of these folks' beers landed on this list. I believe the list is good, sure. Still funny.

Pretty sure they only wrote down 5-7 beers each....

 

[quirk6]

That list was pretty insightful; enjoyed it.

Funny; this past weekend, I had a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale at Disneyland for the first time in like 6 years, and I was blown away at how incredibly it holds up compared to the new haze craze. Shows that it's good to periodically get your head out of your ass, stop chasing the new ****, and go back to appreciating some of the established classics.

Y'know, I've never actually had SNPA. I always just assume the ones on the shelf here are old and don't bother. I should actually check my assumption some time.

 

[drgarage1]

That list was pretty insightful; enjoyed it.

Funny; this past weekend, I had a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale at Disneyland for the first time in like 6 years, and I was blown away at how incredibly it holds up compared to the new haze craze. Shows that it's good to periodically get your head out of your ass, stop chasing the new ****, and go back to appreciating some of the established classics.

Last one I had was great. One before t was a buttery mess. I wish it were actually as consistent as its reputation.

 

[Snarf1]

One before t was a buttery mess.

********.

 

[LukeAleTime]

Y'know, I've never actually had SNPA. I always just assume the ones on the shelf here are old and don't bother. I should actually check my assumption some time.

It's one of the few beers that you can risk getting an old one and it won't matter too much. Holds up very well

 

[bumbillbee]

Sorry if this was discussed already but what the **** is this October website? As if goodbeerhunting wasn't bad enough?

"We think of GBH as sort of the Grantland to October’s ESPN" well hopefully that means GBH will be shut down eventually.

 

[RedCoffee]

Sorry if this was discussed already but what the **** is this October website? As if goodbeerhunting wasn't bad enough?

"We think of GBH as sort of the Grantland to October’s ESPN" well hopefully that means GBH will be shut down eventually.

I think of my reaction to the beer scene after reading that article the analogue to this gif:

 

[austinbridges]

Sorry if this was discussed already but what the **** is this October website? As if goodbeerhunting wasn't bad enough?

"We think of GBH as sort of the Grantland to October’s ESPN" well hopefully that means GBH will be shut down eventually.

For those as confused as i was: http://goodbeerhunting.com/blog/2017/1/31/introducing-october-falling-for-beer

October is a massive collaboration for us, bringing together friends at Condé Nast, Pitchfork, Beer Graphs, Stink Digital, and ZX Ventures.

Essentially, they're going to write a **** ton of stories about new breweries that will be open 1-2 years so that the GBH guys can write an article about how 2017 Prop is going to change the game.

 

[arren]

For those as confused as i was: http://goodbeerhunting.com/blog/2017/1/31/introducing-october-falling-for-beer



Essentially, they're going to write a **** ton of stories about new breweries that will be open 1-2 years so that the GBH guys can write an article about how 2017 Prop is going to change the game.

For the curious, the most recent article is titled "Tequila Barrel Aging is the New Bourbon Barrel Aging" and they have a "Drink This Now" feature on Hopslam. Additionally, their reviews include Cascade Blueberry and Stone Ripper.

Basically it adds absolutely nothing new to the beer conversation whatsoever.

 

[JCastle1]

Ain't tryin to be that guy, buuuuut the voters on this list are very interesting, eh?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Joshua Bernstein, Author, Complete IPA, The Complete Beer Course and Brewed Awakening
Sam Calagione, Founder, Dogfish Head Brewery
Jimmy Carbone, Owner, Jimmy’s No. 43 (New York City); Founder, Beer Sessions Radio
Geoff Deman, Head Brewer, Free State Brewing Company
Greg Engert, Beer Director & Partner, Neighborhood Restaurant Group (Washington, DC)
Ethan Fixell, Freelance Beer, Wine & Spirits Writer; Beverage Educator
Aaron Goldfarb, Novelist & Beer Writer
Ken Grossman, Founder/Owner, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Stephen Hale, Ambassador Brewer, Schlafly Beer
Gregory Hall, Founder, Virtue Cider; Former Brewmaster, Goose Island Beer Co.
Brendan Hartranft, Co-owner, Local 44, Strangelove’s and Clarkville (Philadelphia)
Julia Herz, Craft Beer Program Director & Publisher, CraftBeer.com
Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø, Founder, Evil Twin Brewing; Owner, Tørst (Brooklyn)
Noah Kaufman, Digital Editor, Food & Wine
Justin Kennedy, Freelance Beer Writer; Producer Steal This Beer podcast and Beer Sessions Radio
Jim Koch, Founder, Samuel Adams
Jason Perkins, Brewmaster, Allagash Brewing Company
Michael Roper, Owner, The Hopleaf Bar (Chicago)
Patrick Rue, Founder/CEO, The Bruery
Scott Ungermann, Brewmaster, Anchor Brewers and Distillers
John Verive, Contributor, L.A. Times Food; Founder, Beer of Tomorrow

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's not a conspiracy or anything because the list is right there at the bottom of the article. Still, big shocker that so many of these folks' beers landed on this list. I believe the list is good, sure. Still funny.

"A valid criticism, however, one I am happy to address.

When I set out to find my voters, I had one thing in mind: Who are the biggest names in the industry who've been around long enough to have the perspective to truly know what beers have been most important over the past five decades? I was lucky enough to land many of the people I reached out to: important figures at seminal brewers like Anchor, Sierra Nevada, Sam Adams, etc.

What I failed to think about, however, was that since these brewers are so important to craft beer history, many of their own beers would be on the list! I admit, it could appear as a conflict, but that said, no beer got on the list with a single vote. For instance, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale would have easily been #1 whether Ken Grossman had voted or not. In the end, I think having 21 voters was enough to help prevent any possible bias.

So though I understand your "coincidence" joke, it's actually not a coincidence at all -- more of an unintended side effect of my process... and one I may have addressed differently if I did it again."

 

[Saind]

It's one of the few beers that you can risk getting an old one and it won't matter too much. Holds up very well

It has arrived here as well, but by the time it hits the shelves it's at least 6 months old. Still worth it? Haven't given it a shot yet

 

[JCastle1]

It has arrived here as well, but by the time it hits the shelves it's at least 6 months old. Still worth it? Haven't given it a shot yet

I've seen it around 4-5 months old here. I'd say it's worth trying once though I didn't see what the prices were like.

 

[steimie]

For the curious, the most recent article is titled "Tequila Barrel Aging is the New Bourbon Barrel Aging" and they have a "Drink This Now" feature on Hopslam. Additionally, their reviews include Cascade Blueberry and Stone Ripper.

Basically it adds absolutely nothing new to the beer conversation whatsoever.

Pray tell, what is the "beer conversation?"

 

[MooseLang]

The thing I don't get with Hopslam, is what happened to the aroma? I used to get a case of Hopslam every year before I moved to MD in 2011. I used to smell grapefruit, citrus, and pine from a foot away from the glass.

I went a few years without having it, until Bell’s finally started distro here last year. I understand palates change, so maybe it was always cloyingly sweet and my preferences changed over the years….but where did the aroma go? It smells and tastes like the extract IPAs I used to brew when I started homebrewing. It’s a really bad beer now.

 

[RedCoffee]

"A valid criticism, however, one I am happy to address.

When I set out to find my voters, I had one thing in mind: Who are the biggest names in the industry who've been around long enough to have the perspective to truly know what beers have been most important over the past five decades? I was lucky enough to land many of the people I reached out to: important figures at seminal brewers like Anchor, Sierra Nevada, Sam Adams, etc.

What I failed to think about, however, was that since these brewers are so important to craft beer history, many of their own beers would be on the list! I admit, it could appear as a conflict, but that said, no beer got on the list with a single vote. For instance, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale would have easily been #1 whether Ken Grossman had voted or not. In the end, I think having 21 voters was enough to help prevent any possible bias.

So though I understand your "coincidence" joke, it's actually not a coincidence at all -- more of an unintended side effect of my process... and one I may have addressed differently if I did it again."

A completely fair answer and like I said, wasn't really all that serious of a criticism. It was more like
"4 beers from Anchor?"
"Well yeah I mean a guy from Anchor was one of the voters so.... hey wait a second.... HA! Nice."

 

[JulianB1]

Any obvious omissions from that list?

Given the current popularity of saisons and similar beers in the craft beer world, maybe something like Ommegang Hennepin, which for a long time was one of the only widely-available US-brewed examples? I'm not sure what (if any) beer is viewed as the actual first commercial US example.

 

[drgarage1]

********.

OK. Yes. And oxygen exposure at packaging doesn't stimulate diacetyl production in bottle-conditioned beers, either. Good call.

 

[Snarf1]

OK. Yes. And oxygen exposure at packaging doesn't stimulate diacetyl production in bottle-conditioned beers, either. Good call.

 

[Ziggy]

The thing I don't get wh Hopslam, is what happened to the aroma? I used to get a case of Hopslam every year before I moved to MD in 2011. I used to smell grapefruit, citrus, and pine from a foot away from the glass.

I went a few years without having it, until Bell’s finally started distro here last year. I understand palates change, so maybe it was always cloyingly sweet and my preferences changed over the years….but where did the aroma go? It smells and tastes like the extract IPAs I used to brew when I started homebrewing. It’s a really bad beer now.

I'd honestly take a fresh pint of two hearted any day.

 

[danbanana]

Any obvious omissions from that list?

Bigfoot. A 9%+ ABV beer in the US in 1983 was 15 years ahead of the "extreme beer" curve. You could also argue that it was one of- if not the- first US-produced beers that people started aging for extended periods of time. And maybe the first commercially available US-made barleywine. SNPA is undoubtedly #1 on that list but Bigfoot should be in the Top 10.

 

[MooseLang]

I'd honestly take a fresh pint of two hearted any day.

I totally agree. Still love Two Hearted. And I actually liked Oatsmobile more than most people.

Hopslam is garbage though.

 

[user 311355]

Oatsmobile

Always thought this was a brown ale based on the packaging.

 

[MooseLang]

Always thought this was a brown ale based on the packaging.

Ha, the packaging is horrendous.

I really like it for what it is. Kind of middle of the road between a pale ale and session IPA. Easy drinker. It won't get high ratings, since it it doesn't taste like you're licking a bag of dry hops with each sip.

Also, I might like it more than most since it was my Good Luck Beer of Choice during the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs. That ended well, and may influence my love of Oatsmobile.

 

[drgarage1]

IT'S A ******* CURSE.

 

[beerandraiderfan]

I had a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale at Disneyland for the first time in like 6 years, and I was blown away at how incredibly it holds up compared to the new haze craze. Shows that it's good to periodically get your head out of your ass, stop chasing the new ****, and go back to appreciating some of the established classics.

I've been saying forever, that old school hop stuff has more staying power than proprietary hops.

$21.99/24 pack =

 

[andrewdrinks]

Along similar but different lines, the cans coming out of Stone Berlin are on another level - the Go To and standard IPA are a cut above the other everyday hoppy beers over here. Stone might be a bit passé in the US but they're killing it over here.

 

[JCastle1]

Along similar but different lines, the cans coming out of Stone Berlin are on another level - the Go To and standard IPA are a cut above the other everyday hoppy beers over here. Stone might be a bit passé in the US but they're killing it over here.

I haven't seen much around here. Two of the big craft bars I went to in Berlin didn't have any, neither did the big craft bar in Cologne. Lots of UK and Scandinavian IPAs though which I'm completely fine with, some of them are on par with the best of the US stuff IMO. I had better luck finding Stone in Austria, Switzerland, and Bamberg of all places.

 

[lb304854]

If I were a brewer and someone asked me to brew a beer for their Facebook group, I would dump my drink on his head and give him a wedgie.