The BEER thread.

As the season approaches, I figure now is as good a time as any to discuss the brilliant combo of hops and malted barley (or wheat, or any grain you prefer).

Rules of the thread:

1- Dissing someone else's favorite beer is, well, a time honored tradition. But be prepared to take it if you want to dish it out.

2- The thread is meant to be informative as well as entertaining. Feel free to pass along trivia and tidbits. Just make sure they're accurate.

Just got back from the distributor and I'm stocked up for a while. A couple cases each of Guinness Extra Stout, and Sam Adams Octoberfest. 2 of my favorite beers.

Guinness is my favorite. I like the Draught too, but Extra Stout is where it's at. Sadly, I can never find Extra Stout in places to buy six-packs, so by the case is the only way I can get it. Now, the Guinness people will tell you that Draught and Extra Stout is the same. That "Draught" is just formulated to be drank straight from the can or bottle without the need for "the perfect pour." It's close, I suppose, but they're not the same, IMO. And isn't that "perfect pour" part of the romance with Guinness? It is for me anyway. A good head - waiting for the head to settle into a nice creamy froth - is part of the ritual and gets the taste buds in a state of anticipation.

Recently, I was in Ocean City, MD. There's a Steeler bar there called "The Salty Dog." Great bar, great atmosphere, great food. If you're near the area, check it out. But the best part is they have Guinness Extra Stout on tap! That's 10000 bonus points in my book. Guinness on tap is perfection. It's enough to make even an atheist believe there is a god... and he loves us.

And contrary to popular perception, Guinness isn't really any heavier than other beers. Calorie content is the same, or even lower (!) than most beers. Guinness is also not black. It's actually red. It's just so deep, that it drinks the light and appears black. Hold one up to the light, you'll see for yourself.

I still haven't tried their Black Lager. I'm sure it's good. But if I'm going to buy a Guinness, it will be a Stout.



Sam Adams Octoberfest is a great seasonal beer. I love it. I wish they brewed it year round. As much as I love Guinness, I like variety now and then. I also like trying various beers. Sometimes, I find beers that are outstanding, sometimes, meh, or bleh!

So what's everyone's favorite beers? Go to beers? Things people should try before they die?

 

I call Yuenging my "fall back" beer. If all else fails, they'll usually have Yuengling and it's acceptable. Yuengling makes their own "Oktoberfest" now. It's pretty good. Not as good as Sam Adams, IMO, but pretty good nonetheless. The big "domestics:" Bud, Miller, Coors, etc, I find... lacking (to be polite). Of course, almost none of them are truly domestic now as foreign companies bought them out. AFAIK, the 2 top 100% American breweries now are Yuengling and Sam Adams. The rest may still brew here, but the money goes elsewhere...

 

Guinness Extra Stout is almost always in my fridge. I used to like the draught on occasion, but I haven't had it in years. I can't remember the last time I had a regular domestic beer like Bud, Coors, etc. My wife will drink any cheap light (or extra light or whatever) beer that's on sale at the grocery store if she can pour lemon juice in it though. I used to enjoy Michelob Amber Bock years ago, but haven't had it in a long time, and probably wouldn't care for it now. I usually drink stouts, Porters, or a Dark variety of some kind. I also enjoy Sam Adams and Saranac if they have the brew I want in stock. Every couple months I'll stop at the specialty beer shop and pick up a few craft brews that are new to me. I'm not a big fan of hoppy beers or Ales in general.

I used to visit an Irish Pub in a neighboring town years ago, and the owner was very passionate about Guinness. He would say that a perfect pint of Guinness was something you had to wait for. When the pint was finished 'steeping' he'd make a shamrock in the head, which is a little corny, but kind of cool nonetheless. I always thought he was messing with me about the pouring process, but I later found out that he was serious. A 'proper' pint of Guinness should take time to pour.

[youtube:1h4di9us]HMNBPZ6wVfY[/youtube:1h4di9us]

Yum!

 

Great vid, TTF. I'm drooling. That's the perfect pour I'm talking about.

Sam Adams makes a chocolate stout that's pretty good... but I always feel like I'm cheating on Guinness if I drink it.

Interestingly enough, if you buy the Draught, the pour technique is different. You want to pour it at a 90 degree angle (don't tip the glass) moderately slowly. You may pause, and then top off, but it won't take 2 minutes. The effect is almost the same in the end.

I agree that I don't like overly hoppy beers. Which is why I usually avoid most ales, especially IPAs. To each their own. I prefer the balance to be more on the malty side. So color me surprised when I learned that Guinness is technically an ale. My ale aversion also does not extend to brown ales. There are a few I quite like. Sam Adams makes one. Newcastle's is quite good. And one I tried (finally) called Fat Squirrel which is a win for name alone.

Still trying to find Arrogant Bastard anywhere near me. Great name, and I hear good things about it.

 

My parents travel a lot and almost always pick me up a local brew from where they visit. Strangely enough, they just stopped by an hour ago after getting back from a week long trip to Rhode Island. Once in a while they'll bring back something weird and really awful, but tonight it was a pretty decent Porter. A little thin, but not bad.

 

True. But for the name alone, I need a bottle.

 

Ahhhhhh... but you WANT it to foam. A good head isn't just for looks. It releases the scent better. Your taste buds aren't the only factor in how things taste. A lot of it is also in your nose. A good aroma greatly enhances the flavor. This is true for any beer. Not just Guinness.

Now temperature - that's another issue. I don't drink warm or even room temperature beers like our friends in the U.K might. But I will say this: If you need your beer to be ice cold, it's a bad beer. 45 degrees (F) or thereabouts is perfect for me. The reason some beers taste better ice cold? They suck. And ice cold masks the bad flavors.

 

Nah. It has nothing to do with beer snobbery or swirling or anything like that. Just makes the beer taste better. After all, that's why we're drinking it, eh? Ok, there's the other thing too, but if it doesn't taste good, I'd just as soon stay sober.

It also helps that the head makes the beer "creamier" to the pallet.

And everyone has different tastes. That's why there's so many different types of beer out there. But try the head. Especially with a better crafted beer. It really does work.

It used to be that most men appreciated a good head on a glass of beer. I'm not sure when the tendency to try to have as little head as possible started. But it probably started because of the misconception that having an inch or three of foam in your glass meant you had less beer. Of course, if you're drinking straight from a can or bottle, that can't be helped. Many beers still taste great that way. But I'll always prefer my beer in a glass - or even a red plastic cup if need be (draft if at all possible). Allows for that foam, and makes gulping easier.

 

I've had the Edmund Fitzgerald Porter- good brew right there. I'll have to look for that next time I'm out and see if I can get it locally. I've only had it in Illinois.

 

Damn! I was just in MD 2 weeks ago. Never saw it. Now the 2 you mention sound very intriguing. I'll have to keep an eye out for them.

Anyway, I know what happiness looks like. It looks a lot like this:

 

Thanks for the link, Scott. Nice site.

 

Cool site indeed. That Vanilla Smoked Porter is making me salivate.