WOW beers! What are yours?

[aiptasia]

Agreed. People like what they like, and they're either set in their was about what a "real beer" is supposed to taste like, or they are open to trying new flavors. Every year, I bring a PET bottle filled with my homebrew to a new years eve party filled with friends and family, and two or three of them may actually try it. Usually, they politely nurse a small cup of whatever I bring and then switch to something else because it doesn't taste like a BMC product. This is actually just fine with me, because it means there's more for my Wife and I to enjoy at the party.

If you want to try your hand at bridging the gap between BMC and craft, brew up something with a nice light clean flavor profile easy on the hops bitterness. A Belgian wit, a maibock/hellesbock, a cream ale or even a simple pilsner would be my choices.

 

[darrenbrews]

He loves two beers- Budweiser and Genny Cream Ale.

I know the beer drinker you are talking about. I have friends dedicated to drinking Budweiser, Genny, Rolling Rock, Schlitz for the past 30 years, and there is no convincing them there are other alternatives. They wouldn't even try a Yingling or Corona, would never even drink a decent glass of wine. There is no convincing these old school dedicated drinkers.

I did find that the Coors Light / Miller Lite camp seem to be more adventurous & open to trying new things.

 

[Krovitz]

I would say Red Ale, a Hefe, or pale ale, In that order have, the broadest appeal among my friends.

Also, I agree with the why bother crowd. I would be much more interested in all you HBTers opinions than my friends. I don't have many craft drinking friends. Keep meaning to join a club but I'm a weird hermit that spends all day lurking on HBT.

 

[twalte]

I would say Red Ale, a Hefe, or pale ale, In that order have, the broadest appeal among my friends.

Also, I agree with the why bother crowd. I would be much more interested in all you HBTers opinions than my friends. I don't have many craft drinking friends. Keep meaning to join a club but I'm a weird hermit that spends all day lurking on HBT.

That would have converted me. Don't give up on BMC drinkers...they (we) just didn't know any better. It's a journey, not a race. Once you discover that you appreciate other flavors and aromas, it's a never-ending journey. That is exactly why I am here now.

 

[hoppyhoppyhippo]

No one style for me. My wow moment for craft beer came with Victory's Hop Wallup. That was at an early beerfest after I turned 21 and it solidified for me that most beers I drank before were crap (up to that point I was mainly drinking Yuengling, Sam Adams, and stuff like that)

 

[Krovitz]

That would have converted me. Don't give up on BMC drinkers...they (we) just didn't know any better. It's a journey, not a race. Once you discover that you appreciate other flavors and aromas, it's a never-ending journey. That is exactly why I am here now.

Very true. I didn't mean to sound *******. I used to pound miller lites and thought fosters was craft beer. I've just found in general, when I try to make a crowd pleaser, no one really likes it, including me. Make beers you want to drink and you'll always find a friend or 2 that likes it.

 

[LandoLincoln]

I have a brother in law that wants to like my beers, but doesn't for the most part. The only one I've brewed so far that he really liked was Biermuncher's Cream of Three Crops.

Not a surprise, since it's very BMC'ish, but still a homebrew.

 

[Nortang]

What is a BMC drinker please ????

 

[unionrdr]

Bud Miller Coors,or what I like to call BCB's...Big Corporate Brews. The wow beer for me was left hand brewing's milk stout. Their nitro stout was even better.

 

[Nortang]

Ok I get it, learn somethin new everyday in England it would be CFS Carlesberg Foster Stella lol happy days

 

[unionrdr]

Congrats! You nailed it for your side of the pond!

 

[cheezydemon3]

My caramel Amber really turns heads. The strong caramel flavour and low hop profile make it palateable to BMC drinkers, especially caramel amaldenado sippers and fruity drink drinkers.

Have to admit that I love it too!

 

[darrenbrews]

Seems to be a few votes for kolsch and hefeweizens. I really feel like an amateur home brewer now b/c I haven't tried either of these popular beer, at least to the best of my knowledge.

 

[asidrane]

The wow beer for me was left hand brewing's milk stout. Their nitro stout was even better.

This couldn't be more true.

 

[saxman1036]

I brew a pretty mean Vanilla Imperial Stout. That's convinced a few people to come to the light.

 

[darrenbrews]

I brew a pretty mean Vanilla Imperial Stout

This is one of my favorites at the pub. Would it be hard to make for a rookie?


-DZ

 

[siobhan]

Clancy's Roundheeled Honey Blond. The house brew.

 

[saxman1036]

This is one of my favorites at the pub. Would it be hard to make for a rookie?

-DZ

Not at all! I've modified it over time, but the base recipe was just Northern Brewer's Imperial Stout extract kit. I sliced up a vanilla bean and added it to the secondary for 4 weeks prior to bottling. NB has the full recipe on their site, so you can mimic it if you don't want to buy the kit. Just make sure to slice the bean lengthwise first, and then cut each half into 1/2" sections, then drop them right into the carboy. Good luck!

 

[darrenbrews]

My lady is not a beer drinker in any way, but she just sampled my Red Ale with me and she loved it. Said she might have to help me drink it up. I'm pretty amazed with it too, and it has another week of bottle conditioning to go, can only get better.

This might be my WOW! beer, and I'm likely going to do this brew again.

-Darren Z

 

[dapete]

@darrenbrews - care to share your recipe?

 

[forsaken541]

Couldn't repeat it but our first brew was plagued with volume issues and turned out about 2 gallons short. It ferments hard and then turned into the thickest smoothest porter you've had. I'm gonna try and do it again but there was too much wrong

 

[darrenbrews]

My lady is not a beer drinker in any way, but she just sampled my Red Ale with me and she loved it. Said she might have to help me drink it up. I'm pretty amazed with it too

-Darren Z

I've changed my mind since my last post. My Saison is now my WOW! beer. I'm a rookie so nearly every beer I do that tastes decent I consider a Wow beer.

 

[BeastMaster]

Most of the friends I have are Coors Light / Miller Lite drinkers who always drink from the can, think hoppy beers are skunky, and can't stand black beers because they taste too much like coffee. I'd like to brew a beer one day that changes the minds of those commercial beer lovers and makes them come begging for more of my brew.

If any, what styles of beer did you brew that impressed nearly everyone who drank it and changed their mind about home brews and craft beers?

-DZ

Nothing that I have brewed, but I have converted a few people with Dale's Pale Ale. The color is what scares alot of BMC drinkers away from craft beer IMO. If my goal was to convert people I would try to view something with a light color profile and slightly more flavor than your average BMC beer.

 

[BeastMaster]

Couldn't repeat it but our first brew was plagued with volume issues and turned out about 2 gallons short. It ferments hard and then turned into the thickest smoothest porter you've had. I'm gonna try and do it again but there was too much wrong

I recently started brewing again and had the same thing happen with my Irish Dry Stout attempt. Getting lucky is awesome and crappy at the same time.

 

[whitehause]

Kolsch is great, but if your looking to convert them, I'd go with something a little "stronger" in flavor. Wheats are different than most BMC, but aren't hoppy. They also tend to be quick turn around beers that are good young.

 

[Beer-lord]

I've done quite a bit of hop bursting lately with lots of Simcoe that I've purchased and my friends and I have a 'wow' moment enjoying the aroma and grapefruit smell.

 

[strambo]

Have a new best beer, a DIPA that I just brewed. I call it "ABC" DIPA for the Amarillo, Belma, and Chinook hops in it. It is 9% ABV, 10z of hops total with 5 oz at 20 min and under plus 4 oz dry hop (used 1 oz Magnum for a FWH).

I won't say it is better than Firestone Walker's Double Jack ('cause it's not), but I feel it is pretty close quality wise. I like it better than most commercial DIPAs I've had, but not better than my favs like Double Jack and (my all-time favorite) Boneyard's Hop Venom.

 

[darrenbrews]

Just did a pumpkin porter that I will now call my WOW! beer. I had to let it sit in the primary for 10 weeks due to a surgery, but it still turned out...Wow!.

I think every brew I do gets better.

 

[BeastMaster]

As far as commercial beers go, my current favorites are

Boulevard Tank 7
Alpine Pure Hoppiness
Jester King Black Metal Imperial Stout

 

[Early8]

I am still wowing from the Hills Farmstead Abner I had about a year ago, WOW. And Edward was darn fine as well.

Ballast Point Sculpin gave a good WOW as well.