So… I sell these beers, but since I have a very small niche and don’t really influence my sales I figure I’m pretty unbiased (my disclaimer). I just got done reading the reviews on beer advocate which are fairly consistent, mediocre.
I’m a long time beer fan and was interested in craft beer when adding a chili pepper to beer was inventive, and I’m not that old. I find myself lost with this new wave of beer, some of these beers make Orange wines seem legit for the mainstream as they can just be so flavor bending, I can respect them, but they are just not that enjoyable to me.
But onto the beer… Golden, with aromatics of flowers and orange peel, really lifted and bright. The palate is smooth with hay, wheat, oranges with a bit of sour acid at the end. intense and bright and really delicious with an elegance that holds as it opens. Long finish with a ton of personality that finishes with an interesting salty edge.
The plethora of beer styles has actually decreased my interest in the category. There’s just too much out there to keep up with. There was a time, not too long ago, that I knew (tasted) every major beer in Oregon. I once even hit all the breweries in Portland in a single day–only 7 years ago!
Given there are so many one offs and experiments, I feel I can’t develop a mastery or techne of the subject and that’s soured me (pun intended). Maybe I’m getting old, but I just can’t keep up. It feels like March 2000 and trying to sift through dot-com stocks. So instead I’m focused on sake and wine where I feel I can more easily develop the expertise and consistency I can translate into enjoyable guest experience.
I’d be curious how others feel about the “plethora of beers.” Is it exciting or a mild turn off or?
I’m not hugely into any of these styles. However, it is interesting to see how quickly Denmark is learning from the U.S. and then occasionally going step further. Had a very interesting Birch beer there last time made with an entire birch tree
Btw does anyone know if Hornbeer is distributed in CA? They make great IPAs.