Beer "Whats your Taste"

[Martina]

You asked HB, but bitter ale is British ale that is slightly hoppier than pale ale, but nothing like the double and triple IPAs now popular in America.

How do you all like sour beers? I tried them first at Russian River some years ago. I like them.

Re Guinness, I agree that it lacks complexity and has no finish at all. But you can drink more of it than those chocolatey stouts.

[Martina]

I have to add that I am not too fussy about style, meaning I will drink pretty much anything as long as it's well made. I also like a flavored beer at times. There's a cherry porter made by Short's in Northern Michigan that is beautiful. The cherries are local. So good. I only had it once. Mmm. Also a good Weiss beer is fine by me. Basically, as long as it's well made, I am for it. And it doesn't have to be complex or surprising. You can tell a good clean beer that is carefully made.

I agree re Belgian whites. The soda pop of beer. There are good ones, but Blue Moon, Shock Top, and Fat Tire . . . ah no.

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by Martina

I have to add that I am not too fussy about style, meaning I will drink pretty much anything as long as it's well made. I also like a flavored beer at times. There's a cherry porter made by Short's in Northern Michigan that is beautiful. The cherries are local. So good. I only had it once. Mmm. Also a good Weiss beer is fine by me. Basically, as long as it's well made, I am for it. And it doesn't have to be complex or surprising. You can tell a good clean beer that is carefully made.

I agree re Belgian whites. The soda pop of beer. There are good ones, but Blue Moon, Shock Top, and Fat Tire . . . ah no.

Since it is a porter, I would try it. I can see that combination not tasting like a "flavored" beer. It would just seems it would be different than a raspberry or a pumpkin. It sounds like this would be a natural flavor, too.

Agree that you can tell a quality beer, clean and well made. That does make a huge difference.

[Bèsame*]

I would rather experiment with beer than wine! I'm really game to trying new tastes. I'm no way an expert, it helps to have a drinking partner ��who knows a little something.

I do like strong, and dark and a good ice cold Shanty on a hot day. Oh, and I prefer bottle over can!

I'm a fan of dark Japanese beer ������

[Martina]

IPAs are hoppier than bitter for sure. Re sours, they aren't sweet so no hard lemonadey taste. Sour and kind of carbonated. I liked the Russian River Temptation I tried a few times.

I've never had any Japanese dark beer. I will have to try it. I like bottles too, but cans are much better at preserving the taste of the beer.

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by Martina

IPAs are hoppier than bitter for sure. Re sours, they aren't sweet so no hard lemonadey taste. Sour and kind of carbonated. I liked the Russian River Temptation I tried a few times.

I've never had any Japanese dark beer. I will have to try it. I like bottles too, but cans are much better at preserving the taste of the beer.

Right about cans preserving the taste. I remember back in my Coors Light Days, like all good lesbians around these parts (actually I was a Coors Light drinker pre dating), I always went for the can when it was "cooler" to have the bottle. As I remember it, the bottles of Coors Light tasted more "watery" to me.

I really like 21st Amendment beers and they come in cans. I can't help but think this is part of the reason why the beer has such a quality taste. I've never had any of their beers on draft, but I am quite happy with the taste in a can. I like their Brew free or Die IPA and their Back in Black IPA

http://21st-amendment.com/

[DapperButch]

Ok, THAT'S IT! I am opening up my growler that has a local black IPA in it. All this talk of beer! Plus, it is National Beer Day!

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by Martina

You asked HB, but bitter ale is British ale that is slightly hoppier than pale ale, but nothing like the double and triple IPAs now popular in America.

How do you all like sour beers? I tried them first at Russian River some years ago. I like them.

Re Guinness, I agree that it lacks complexity and has no finish at all. But you can drink more of it than those chocolatey stouts.

Thanks for responding since our beloved HB pops in and out off the site. You said the British Ale is not as hoppy as the double and tripels, but what about the regular IPA?

You know, I don't think I have had a sour yet, but I have been meaning to. I wouldn't want to buy a six pack and my regular bar hasn't had any on tap yet (even though they have 37 taps and switch them out frequently). I suppose since they are called "sours", I picture them to taste like Mike's Hard lemonade or something...which I am sure is not the case!

And true that with Guiness being lighter one could drink more of them. But, I feel just a lacking when I drink them. I might even choose a Coors Light over it if I had no other choice. Which sounds crazy, I know! It just tastes like I'm drinking 2/3 water and 1/3 beer. Tasteless. The aftertaste is water. It might just be my palate.

[imperfect_cupcake]

HB, what do you mean when you say "bitters"? I see that you don't like "hoppy" beers (which translates that you wouldn't like IPAs), but hoppier the beer, the more bitter it is. So, I am confused.

They are called "bitters" because compared to ales there, they are bitter.

Not compared to IPA. I don't find them anywhere close to as bitter as IPA. They are ales, not pale beers, so it's called so in comparison to that. but a clear tawny brown you can see through, very nutty, malty, warm. The "bitter" in it is a compliment to the ale, not a lead, like an IPA.

They are called "old men's beer" or "traditional ale" they aren't stout-y pitch black which are coffee, chocolate, molasses.

They are more a clear, light-to-dark amber brown beer, and the oness I went for were "dark fruit" (like when you make overly ripe fruit into something else), pepper and caramel. They were more "spice edge bitter" than "hop edge bitter."

That said - I also always chose the *lower* of the bitter end of the traditional ales - the double malts. Ones made with pale malt and crystal malt, for example, if I could. There were further end bitter ones but to me it tasted like someone was trying to leech the moisture out of my pallet. Traditional ale bitters are *DRY* and bitter if you go for that far end.

That said, I can't drink dry wine, or dry vermouth either. Nor can I even eat a brussel sprout because of the type of bitterness.

I can do lemon! but to me that's a different bitter - that's a sweet-sharp-bitter. Not a dry acrid bitter that tastes like something is seriously wrong with what I'm eating.

Apparently this is a genetic thing.

All the more dry wine, dry martinis, and IPA for everyone else.

[Chained Daisy]

I rarely drink beer/ale but I do like a stout on occasion

[Martina]

I live in Bumfuck Nowhere, a census designated place on the Gulf Coast of Florida, yet the last time I got beer at my local chain grocery store, it was Funky Buddha Hop Gun IPA, a beer HB would hate. Still, it's awesome how much decent beer is available now.

What was your last decent grocery store find?

[imperfect_cupcake]

Me personally, zippity, since we don't get beer in grocery stores lol

we gotta go to booze shops.

[DapperButch]

I gotcha HB, thanks for the information and education!

Martina, my state doesn't sell alcohol in grocery stores either. You have to go to liquor stores.