A slightly different problem

Beer and Spirits
21

If only I could get some tree house brewing or Trillium around here…

22

I just tried a 10 barrel pub beer…give him one of those as a starter. Oops light with a bit more body and hops.

23

Saranac Pale Ale was too bitter and you suggest this? That seems crazy to me. I can almost guarantee that this friend would hate these beers. As someone who is ultra-sensitive to bitterness, I find that a lot of people have a hard time understanding what that’s like. It sounds like this person might be in the same boat. I wouldn’t bring any IPA at all (well, I wouldn’t personally do that anyway because I don’t enjoy them, but you know what I mean).

Considering that he liked the Allagash White, though, I think there could be a lot of other options. You could also consider good pilsner, such as Kulmbacher or Rothaus Tannenzapfle.

24

I would explore the world of German Hefes or US wheat ales more. Go to your local beer shop and ask someone to help put together a couple of 6-packs of these 2 styles.

25

I’d rather drink Coors Light or Stella than drink most of the dick-measuring-contest, lumber yard shavings tasting, “not double but triple hops!!” 9% alcohol craft beer these days.

It’s funny to me how diametrically opposite the board zeitgeist is about beer versus wine. Wine needs to be as low alcohol, delicate, unobtrusive and unmanipulated as possible, but beer should be a bitter, overpowering, woody tasting beast that makes you feel bloated and drunk before you finish the first one. “Grapefruit triple hops IPA aged in bourbon barrels, $12 a bottle!!” Not for me.

26

Victory Prima Pils or North Coast Scrimshaw are always good options. Dogfish 60 is a great introductory IPA. Or…a few local pilsners, lagers or even wit beers.

27

I agree to a certain extent. It’s similar to what I like in, wine; there should be a balance regardless of how many flavors there are.

Even Dogfish 60 would be too bitter if Saranac was too bitter for him.

28

respectfully. you don’t know what you’re talking about in whats popular in the craft beer world.

The most popular IPAs right now are all really balanced, soft, complex textured beers. They are not aggressively hoppy and hide their alcohol well. They are basically the opposite of what you said.

29

Now now Charlie…as Jay Hack would say “more for us!”. Although he would say it in a way that makes it sound obnoxious.

Chris, can you tell me more about this Grapefruit IPA aged in barrels??? Any versions made with Mexican chilis? Howsabout a sour version? Sounds yummy!!! And at $12, a veritable steal!! neener

30

Isn’t that basically half of Ballast Point’s lineup?

31

Pretty much.

32

Ballast point might as well be Budweiser for craft beer lovers

33

Chris, there’s your craft beer snob! [bow.gif] [drinks.gif]

34

Bringing over a bunch of different styles this weekend (some summer ales, hefeweizen, lagers)maybe I’ll bring along one of my Rodenbach Alexanders for a real twist. Should be interesting to see his reactions.

35

I guess posting a comment like this is cool to you in a forum dedicated to beer?

36

THIS.

80% of all beer purchased in this country is macro beer. Bud/Miller/Coors. They are popular because they have no taste, no smell, and go down like water. This is WHY the people like them. They DON’T want anything too heavy, that might have flavors they don’t understand or god forbid, has an aftertaste.

You aren’t going to change his habits, but it is more than normal to bring a 6pk over everytime you visit - nothing wrong with that.

37

He just doesn’t know. It’d be the same as a beer lover posting on wine talk about how all wine is giant globs of oak and 17% alcohol.

38

If you look at it another way Charlie - what percentage of craft beer out there being produced today is acceptable to you? A couple hundred craft breweries in California today, how many of them do you consider very good to exceptional? I am running into one hell of a lot of “cookie cutter”, very ordinary beers here in the Midwest, with 90% of it never to be touched by me ever again. I follow the industry very closely (because I work in it), and 75% of the new beers I tasted on a weekly basis leave a lot to be desired.

39

I think it’d be similar to the % of wine that is acceptable to me. Most craft beer isn’t good, just like most wine isn’t good. But like wine, there are great producers and even very good producers that are popular and not difficult to get if you’re in the scene.

40

Jerome,

You’re on the right track; just keep introducing your friend to different beers and he’ll find many he likes. His preference for lousy beer isn’t hard-wired into his DNA, it’s just what he knows now; people change their taste preferences all the time.

If you (generic you) think you like beer and you don’t like Dogfish Head’s 60 Minute, then you don’t like beer. IMO.