Whats more Awful Tofu or Belgian Beer?

[makomachine]

+1

The best things in life are acquired tastes anyways. The group of beers I used to completely avoid were the dark, roasty beers - porters and stouts.

But I knew I was missing a big part of the beer experience, not being able to enjoy some truly great beers simply because of my personal taste.

So I worked at it... first thing I did was make a nice, thick, chocolatey milk stout, and made it specifically to minimize any of the sharp or acrid roast flavors you might experience with, say, a dry stout. From there, I started drinking less sweet and more "roasty" examples of the styles. In no time at all - and I mean surprisingly quickly - I found myself able to enjoy pretty much any stout no problem... like to the point where I'll buy some examples purely because actually I'm expecting to really enjoy them, something I never would have done before.

That's pretty much what the whole concept of an acquired taste is. Funny thing is, I often find that the things I enjoy the *absolute most* - be it music, food, beer, etc - is stuff I started out actually disliking. If we always went with what automatically and strongly pleases the senses without any sense of difficulty whatsoever, we'd all be listening to pop music, and our favorite food and drink would probably consist of fast food, cheap candy, and soda. Which is exactly what you'd expect from children, and pretty much what I meant earlier when referring to people having the palate of a child.

I like almost all types of beers it's primarily the Belgians that are the ones that disagree with me. That said, I get your point and agree to a large extent - I'll try a few more, but so far my inner man child is throwing a tantrum!

 

[Piratwolf]

can you make an additional poll option: "this thread"?

I'd vote for that.

+1

 

[Celticway]

I go to Belgium at least once a year for work. To have fresh Belgian beer is heavenly. When you buy it here, most of the time it is old or handled improperly making for a very poor resembelance of the original state.

 

[Beezy]

I go to Belgium at least once a year for work. To have fresh Belgian beer is heavenly. When you buy it here, most of the time it is old or handled improperly making for a very poor resembelance of the original state.

A lot of Belgians age well they certainly can be miss handled tho.

 

[beersteiner2345]

I didn't like Belgian beers, so I brewed a Saison. Guess what I like after 5 gallons of it... I haven't tried any commercial Belgians of other styles since my conversion, but I have brewed 2 more Saisons.

Saisons are the perfect gateway Belgian beer. Next you'll find you like some dubbels and triples.. then before long you'll be into Quads, biere de garde, belgian strong dark ale, belgian strong pale ale, and the list goes on... lol

Man I want to go back. Nothing like a big fat waffle and a belgian strong dark ale in the morning for breakfast... did that almost every day in brussels.

 

[bottlebomber]

Man I want to go back. Nothing like a big fat waffle and a belgian strong dark ale in the morning for breakfast... did that almost every day in brussels.

Man, I big fat waffle breakfast knocks me out bad enough without a 10% abv beer on the side... how did you manage?

 

[tchuklobrau]

not a fair poll. I love me some belgian dubbel or tripel, however i have never had tofu so i abstain from voting as I have no fair comparison.

 

[jonmohno]

Pad thai with tofu whats not to like.Taste kinda like eggs,its also spiced well. Its like saying i hate califlower which is a pretty bland vegetable.
I had some belgians i loved some were just ok, high in complexity and usually fruit like but pretty differnt than most ales.Definatly a differnt unusually breed of beer.Try an orval.

 

[bottlebomber]

Mearedsous Tripel 10 is one of the best commercial beers ever made. ANYONE who drank one would agree, I don't care who ya are

 

[DannPM]

I love how some people trash talk Belgian beers and then go brew/drink some 1.020 FG German or English thing...Enjoy your one dimensional syrup beer fellas, enjoy, LOL

 

[madbaldman]

Man, it's regular beer snob civil war around here.

 

[Houblon]

Man I want to go back. Nothing like a big fat waffle and a belgian strong dark ale in the morning for breakfast... did that almost every day in brussels.

brunch/lunch


close-up


How about the cheese with your beers

 

[Celticway]

brunch/lunch
http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz138/UknowWho2u/beer302.jpg

close-up
http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz138/UknowWho2u/beer304.jpg

How about the cheese with your beershttp://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz138/UknowWho2u/beer283.jpg http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz138/UknowWho2u/Img_1083.jpg

Yeah I love to have some old Kass and a nice Leffe. Bruin.

 

[jonmohno]

I brewed up a french ale with a .022 fg.I would call it a good two-dimensional beer.

 

[bottlebomber]

I brewed up a french ale with a .022 fg.I would call it a good two-dimensional beer.

I just did a belgian that finished around 1.020... of course it started at 1.110 wont be drinking that anytime soon...

 

[Beezy]

brunch/lunch
http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz138/UknowWho2u/beer302.jpg

close-up
http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz138/UknowWho2u/beer304.jpg

How about the cheese with your beershttp://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz138/UknowWho2u/beer283.jpg http://i821.photobucket.com/albums/zz138/UknowWho2u/Img_1083.jpg

I am with it.

 

[Aschecte]

My God I almost want to cry after reading this. The next time this happens, PM me. I will come rescue the precious. :cross:

+ 1 he should stop getting cold medicine from the belgian dollar store. also he has a very lucky and well financially feed drain.

 

[n2fooz]

Seriously? How could you not like these???

 

[makomachine]

Hoegaarden was tried as well - better than the cold medicine (Tremens) and the drain didn't get any! Would I pay for it? Nope!

 

[bottlebomber]

Seriously? How could you not like these???

Same reason you wouldn't like these. Because you have a simple palate that only interprets what it can't understand as "bad"

 

[emjay]

Same reason you wouldn't like these. Because you have a simple palate that only interprets what it can't understand as "bad"

We actually agree on something! Haha

 

[makomachine]

Love me some Brie! They don't make a cheese that I won't try and havent had one I don't like. I like all kinds of ethnic food as well - with Indian food on my weekly menu on a regular basis. Belgians thus far...not so much!

 

[jonmohno]

Try a sour ale, now your talking.

 

[bottlebomber]

Try a sour ale, now your talking.

That's one thing I haven't tried... NB has a kit for one that has an OG of 1.035, and isn't supposed to be imbibed for 3 years. I can't even imagine what a beer like that would taste like.

 

[MultumInParvo]

Seriously-- why do people hate belgians? They're delicious!

I am with you... Who has had Duvel and not liked it..? What don't people like? I don't get it...

 

[emjay]

That's one thing I haven't tried... NB has a kit for one that has an OG of 1.035, and isn't supposed to be imbibed for 3 years. I can't even imagine what a beer like that would taste like.

I have a lambic currently fermenting that'll be ready in 3 years total as well.

Closest thing you can usually find in the US is gueuze, which is often a blend of 1-year old and 3-year old lambic. In fact, just bought out the remaining local supply (nearly a dozen bottles of the only kind available here) earlier today, and as a seasonal release it'll probably be at least a year before we get more.

Should be easier to find in the US though. Look for Cantillon gueuze. Lindeman's makes a decent gueuze too, but you gotta be careful - only the one labelled "Cuvée René" is any good. All the other Lindeman's stuff is pasteurized and backsweetened to a disgusting degree (like soda syrup or something), and isn't a good representative of sours or even beer in general.

So... if you want to find out, most gueuze will give you some idea, but it'll be easiest to find Cantillon Gueuze or Lindeman's Gueuze Cuvée René.

 

[Beezy]

People don't like tasting the yeast it's pretty simple. I am not that way I can appreciate just about anything except for bland, light brews.

 

[bottlebomber]

I am with you... Who has had Duvel and not liked it..? What don't people like? I don't get it...

I almost think Duvel is somewhat advanced for some reason.... I mean is just pilsner, a very small amount of hops, and then that delicious peppery funk of the belgian yeast, with not too much between you and it.

So... if you want to find out, most gueuze will give you some idea, but it'll be easiest to find Cantillon Gueuze or Lindeman's Gueuze Cuvée René.

Im definitely going to keep an eye out for those, I go down to SF every few months and they have some pretty good beer stores down that way.

 

[n2fooz]

Amazing... I've actually never met anyone that likes beer and hasn't liked Hoegaarden when they tried it.

 

[emjay]

Amazing... I've actually never met anyone that likes beer and hasn't liked Hoegaarden when they tried it.

It's okay. I certainly don't mind it. But it's a bit watery to me and overall is somewhat reminiscent of BMC, actually. I still tend to order it at restaurants and bars, but that's only because it's often the only beer that many places have which isn't a macroswill lager, and thus the only one I'll even consider drinking.

But even though Hoegaarden isn't totally my cup of tea, I DO like the Belgian Wit style, despite full awareness that it is the exemplar that the entire style is now based on. But after Pieter Celis sold it off to Interbrew, even Michael Jackson remarked (at least as far back as 1990) that he felt the beer had lost some if its complexity... so perhaps I would have liked the original one better!