The Beer Thread

[Freed Roger]

from that list -a local place has Founders Kentucky Bourbon Stout on tap, and I indulged in the small glass. good, but not $12 good. Not even close.

[33anda3rd]

A 4-pack of 12oz bottles goes $29.99, at $7.50/ea it's a lot easier on the wallet than doing it on tap, if you're lucky enough to find it.

[Swirls]

A 4-pack of 12oz bottles goes $29.99, at $7.50/ea it's a lot easier on the wallet than doing it on tap, if you're lucky enough to find it.

Jim: "THIRTY BUCKS FOR A [expletive] 4-PACK?!"

[Freed Roger]

Maybe those brand ambassadors do work.

[33anda3rd]

The more I think about it the more I think those are not the most sought-after beers. They're just the most hyped beers with special releases. Several of them--BCS, Hopslam, 120 Minute, KBS, for sure--someone can go get today just about anywhere. They have national distribution. But you can't go out and get Hill Farmstead (bottles sold only at their little brewery in Vermont four days a week from noon-5pm), New Glarus (only WI), Side Project (only at special bottle sales and the taproom) and a bunch of other highly sought-after beers (many of them made much better than those on this list*) without doing a lot of work or a lot of travel to get them.

*There is nothing on earth easier than a DIPA. Tons of malt and tons of hops means a brewer can cover up any flaws, mistakes, or lack of technical savvy by just adding more more more more. Making a good lager or a good sour, both of which require a lot more time in the fermenter than an ale, is a hell of a lot tougher than making an imperial beer.

[Freed Roger]

*There is nothing on earth easier than a DIPA. Tons of malt and tons of hops means a brewer can cover up any flaws, mistakes, or lack of technical savvy by just adding more more more more. Making a good lager or a good sour, both of which require a lot more time in the fermenter than an ale, is a hell of a lot tougher than making an imperial beer.

just because something requires more time and skill, does not always make it better.

[33anda3rd]

True, but the ease with which brewers can imperialize a so-so ale recipe, covering up most of it's flaws with more hops and malt, creates two things: too many IPAs on the market, and too many "Head Brewers" who aren't ready for that distinction at a pro level.

I think of each new brewery that opens up as being almost always in one of two categories.
1. Brewer is a pro. Studied at Siebel, maybe in Germany. Has been brewing professionally prior to opening his brewery. Phil at Perennial. Laffler and Dave at Off Color. Doug at Metropolitan. Guys like that. They're pumping out very good, very well-made beers and very few of them are IPAs.
2. Good home brewers who Kickstarted or otherwise generated the funds to get going. So many of these. So many. These are the guys giving us the so-so IPAs.

The #1s are going to be fine when this bubble of expansion bursts. The #2s are the ones who are going to fall by the wayside. And it will be perfectly fine because if 10 breweries making IPAs are gone there will still be plenty of IPA for people to drink.

[cardinalkarp]

True, but the ease with which brewers can imperialize a so-so ale recipe, covering up most of it's flaws with more hops and malt, creates two things: too many IPAs on the market, and too many "Head Brewers" who aren't ready for that distinction at a pro level.

I think of each new brewery that opens up as being almost always in one of two categories.
1. Brewer is a pro. Studied at Siebel, maybe in Germany. Has been brewing professionally prior to opening his brewery. Phil at Perennial. Laffler and Dave at Off Color. Doug at Metropolitan. Guys like that. They're pumping out very good, very well-made beers and very few of them are IPAs.
2. Good home brewers who Kickstarted or otherwise generated the funds to get going. So many of these. So many. These are the guys giving us the so-so IPAs.

The #1s are going to be fine when this bubble of expansion bursts. The #2s are the ones who are going to fall by the wayside. And it will be perfectly fine because if 10 breweries making IPAs are gone there will still be plenty of IPA for people to drink.

Imperial IPA be damned....Hopslam is a delicious beer.

[cardsfantx]

if the beers you're talking about don't come in a 30 pack; i'm not interested.

[Freed Roger]

It's getting rarer to not find a beer I like when out. Can't drink them all anyway, try as I might.

I thought the backlash against IPAs had been going on for some time- and bad ones aren't as prevalent/more of the good ones remain. I really like Deschutes Fresh Squeezed. A matter of perspective, I guess.

Part of the new trend is to have more beers brewed to taste like something else and typically with higher ABV. If some genius figures a way to painstakingly brew beer to taste more like black licorice, or hibiscus or lemons - then good for them. I'll gladly salute them with a free shot sampler and then move along to something else.

Anyhow, heading up to Wisconsin tomorrow - beer on the horizon. Finally recovering from last weekend.