The Official Beer Appreciation Thread

[Sabel79]

Just barely. But the advantage to Guinness is it's not as carbonated so you don't feel as bloated when consuming it by the gallon...

Don't get me wrong, I love the black stuff.. but one has to have a shot of whiskey and some Bailey's dropped into it before it becomes badass...

[darksabre]

Don't get me wrong, I love the black stuff.. but one has to have a shot of whiskey and some Bailey's dropped into it before it becomes badass...

Now that's something I haven't done in many moons...

[Sabel79]

Now that's something I haven't done in many moons...

Nor have I. Did it probably thousands of times between 18-30. Can't be bothered now...

[MattPie]

Don't get me wrong, I love the black stuff.. but one has to have a shot of whiskey and some Bailey's dropped into it before it becomes badass...

 

Unless you drink 3 (or 4!) pints per hour like I used to. Even at 4.1%, taking in 200 abv-oz of alcohol per hour is a good time. I had two Dirt Wolves last night, and that's the same number; I didn't drink them in an hour though, I'm not as stupid as I used to be.

[TrueBlueGED]

Guinness is the easiest beer to drink in the world. I once drank two pitchers on the night before Thanksgiving. Then went back after Thanksgiving dinner the next night and drank three. 4% and full of B vitamins. It's basically Gatorade.

Hmm. Think my supervisors would buy this as an argument to drink on the job?

[sabills]

Word. Sometimes you just gotta have a couple crisp cold regular beers. I can't play disc golf on a hot summer day while swilling IPAs.

 

A Mr. All-Day IPA would like a word with you.

[darksabre]

A Mr. All-Day IPA would like a word with you.

Overrated

[ubkev]

C’mon.

 

Iron City. Rainier. Lionshead. Old Style. Natty Boh.

 

I love me some regional macros.

I live next to the lionshead brewery. It's absolute trash(so, naturally, I drink it). And 12 bucks for a 30 is nice.

I want to do a triple crown day. Start in Utica at FX Matt with a Utica Club for lunch, Genesee Brew Pub for dinner in Rochester, then Iroquois in Niagara Falls for dessert. :beer:

Been to FX Matt many, many times. I love introducing friends to UC for the first time and watching the headache set in after the 2nd beer. Edited January 18, 2018 by ubkev

[That Aud Smell]

I live next to the lionshead brewery. It's absolute trash(so, naturally, I drink it). And 12 bucks for a 30 is nice.

I love that stuff.

[sabills]

Overrated

 

I actually think the quality of it went down recently. A few years ago it was pretty much all I drank in the summer, the last couple summers its seemed kinda blah.

 

But then maybe I just go through phases. 3 years ago was All Day, 2 years ago was Saranac Cold Brew, Last summer I drank a lot of Flying Bison 716.

[That Aud Smell]

I actually think the quality of it went down recently. A few years ago it was pretty much all I drank in the summer, the last couple summers its seemed kinda blah.

 

But then maybe I just go through phases. 3 years ago was All Day, 2 years ago was Saranac Cold Brew, Last summer I drank a lot of Flying Bison 716.

 

I mean this with respect: If you can't get down with a good regional can of fizzy corn water (or 3 or 4) when the situation warrants, you may be guilty of sniffing your own farts, as they say.

 

I do wonder how CBW is going to introduce the cereal grain into their brewing of Iroquois. From what I understand, craft brew set-ups aren't generally equipped to process those grains.

[sabills]

I mean this with respect: If you can't get down with a good regional can of fizzy corn water (or 3 or 4) when the situation warrants, you may be guilty of sniffing your own farts, as they say.

 

I do wonder how CBW is going to introduce the cereal grain into their brewing of Iroquois. From what I understand, craft brew set-ups aren't generally equipped to process those grains.

 

Oh I have a case of Blue in my house right now. But I honestly do prefer the craft stuff in most situations. There's so much good beer out there man, and I want to try all of it. And I disagree that hot weather isn't the time for an IPA, its the perfect time for it.

 

To the second part, they say they're using flaked corn in there, but the way I read that is that it will just be an addition, not the main bulk of the grain bill. It'll just give it a bit of the adjunct flavor.

Edited January 18, 2018 by sabelvilhelm

[That Aud Smell]

Oh I have a case of Blue in my house right now. But I honestly do prefer the craft stuff in most situations. There's so much good beer out there man, and I want to try all of it. And I disagree that hot weather isn't the time for an IPA, its the perfect time for it.

 

To the second part, they say they're using flaked corn in there, but the way I read that is that it will just be an addition, not the main bulk of the grain bill. It'll just give it a bit of the adjunct flavor.

 

I hear you. I hear you. 

 

And I agree on the hot weather/IPA mix. If I'm day drinking at the park, or the beach, or whatever, I'll often get loose with a citra'd imperial IPA of some sort, and then switch to a macro for maintenance (Miller Lite is my go-to).

 

As for the corn - that's interesting on how they're going to introduce it.

[LTS]

Word. Sometimes you just gotta have a couple crisp cold regular beers. I can't play disc golf on a hot summer day while swilling IPAs.

 

There are plenty of beer alternatives to consume.  A good Hefe should run around or under 5% abv and be refreshing.  Berliner Weisse.  The session IPAs.. some pilsners as well.  There are a few rice beers that would fit the bill as well.

 

Just barely. But the advantage to Guinness is it's not as carbonated so you don't feel as bloated when consuming it by the gallon...

 

Indeed.. the prevailing wisdom is that Guinness is carbed at about 1.5-2.0 whereas many others will be carbed up at 2.2-2.5.  Guinness is also not pure CO2 as it has the nitrogen blend to give it the creaminess.  Of course, most beer is overcarbed in the can or bottle to help it sustain shelf-life.  Ideally if you pour the beer out and you do so with enough violence you will release a decent amount of the carbonation and get it back to the 2.2 level or so you probably would prefer it at.

 

Overrated

 

I would agree, on All Day.  But the session IPA concept in and of itself is not.  There are some very good session IPAs.  Founders knew it had a good thing in the popularity of the beer and I think when they went to the canning of it and putting out 15 packs, etc. that the volumes required them to reduce the quality just enough that it doesn't really resonate with me anymore.

[LGR4GM]

Blondes in the summer are good. Belgium IPA's are also a good alternative to IPA's if you don't like their dryness. 

[sabills]

 

I would agree, on All Day.  But the session IPA concept in and of itself is not.  There are some very good session IPAs.  Founders knew it had a good thing in the popularity of the beer and I think when they went to the canning of it and putting out 15 packs, etc. that the volumes required them to reduce the quality just enough that it doesn't really resonate with me anymore.

That all sounds about right.

[darksabre]

There are plenty of beer alternatives to consume. A good Hefe should run around or under 5% abv and be refreshing. Berliner Weisse. The session IPAs.. some pilsners as well. There are a few rice beers that would fit the bill as well.

 

 

Indeed.. the prevailing wisdom is that Guinness is carbed at about 1.5-2.0 whereas many others will be carbed up at 2.2-2.5. Guinness is also not pure CO2 as it has the nitrogen blend to give it the creaminess. Of course, most beer is overcarbed in the can or bottle to help it sustain shelf-life. Ideally if you pour the beer out and you do so with enough violence you will release a decent amount of the carbonation and get it back to the 2.2 level or so you probably would prefer it at.

 

 

I would agree, on All Day. But the session IPA concept in and of itself is not. There are some very good session IPAs. Founders knew it had a good thing in the popularity of the beer and I think when they went to the canning of it and putting out 15 packs, etc. that the volumes required them to reduce the quality just enough that it doesn't really resonate with me anymore.

What, exactly, do people consider a "session"? Because I've bought session IPA's and I can't say I've found them that drinkable beyond maybe the first three.

 

The only IPA I know I could session is Heady Topper. That beer is f*cking witchcraft.

[sabills]

What, exactly, do people consider a "session"? Because I've bought session IPA's and I can't say I've found them that drinkable beyond maybe the first three.

 

The only IPA I know I could session is Heady Topper. That beer is f*cking witchcraft.

 

Generally session refers to the alcohol content; instead of being 8%+ it sits around 5%.

 

Heady isn't technically a session because it sits at 8%, but also I could drink it by the gallon.

[darksabre]

Generally session refers to the alcohol content; instead of being 8%+ it sits around 5%.

 

Heady isn't technically a session because it sits at 8%, but also I could drink it by the gallon.

Right. So how many "session" IPA's should I reasonably be consuming in a session? Is a session 12 hours long with a break for lunch? Is it only 4-5 hours? Should I be doing something with my hands during the session? What's the ideal ambient temperature for a session?

 

F*ck it, where's a 12 pack of Genny light cans?

[LGR4GM]

Pressure Drop Brewing: Space Monkey, Double IPA 8.4% 

[LTS]

Right. So how many "session" IPA's should I reasonably be consuming in a session? Is a session 12 hours long with a break for lunch? Is it only 4-5 hours? Should I be doing something with my hands during the session? What's the ideal ambient temperature for a session?

 

F*ck it, where's a 12 pack of Genny light cans?

 

There are no rules about it.  You drink it like you would drink Genny Light.  Clearly you're throwing some kind of shade at some concept of beer snobbery but I'm not sure why.  Beer is beer.  Drink whatever you want.  An IPA will be a heavier beer and have a higher alcohol content.  If the intent, as you indicated, is to have beer on a hot day then the Session IPA is an alternative and nothing more.  Session IPA is a style, just like your macro beer is an American Adjunct Lager.  They have style names and that doesn't mean anything regarding being pretentious etc.

 

If you want a stronger beer that's designed for hotter weather then check out the Foreign Extra Stout style.  They have a higher alcohol volume but reduce their overall body by using turbinado sugar (usually) to help drive up the alcohol content.

 

If you aren't interested in alternatives then have a nice day.

[darksabre]

There are no rules about it.  You drink it like you would drink Genny Light.  Clearly you're throwing some kind of shade at some concept of beer snobbery but I'm not sure why.  Beer is beer.  Drink whatever you want.  An IPA will be a heavier beer and have a higher alcohol content.  If the intent, as you indicated, is to have beer on a hot day then the Session IPA is an alternative and nothing more.  Session IPA is a style, just like your macro beer is an American Adjunct Lager.  They have style names and that doesn't mean anything regarding being pretentious etc.

 

If you want a stronger beer that's designed for hotter weather then check out the Foreign Extra Stout style.  They have a higher alcohol volume but reduce their overall body by using turbinado sugar (usually) to help drive up the alcohol content.

 

If you aren't interested in alternatives then have a nice day.

Honestly, I just don't "get" IPA's and all of their variants. There's too many of them and they're all kinda boring, , over priced and overrated. I don't know what I'm supposed to do with IPA's. They don't go that good with food, they don't go that good with sports, and they tend to be too boozy to "have a couple with the boys" after work or while doing yard work or hiking or whatever. The IPA just doesn't seem to have a place in my beer drinking lifestyle. I can't find a reason to have one other than "well I haven't had it". 

 

Extra Stout you say? Intriguing.

[LTS]

Honestly, I just don't "get" IPA's and all of their variants. There's too many of them and they're all kinda boring, ######, over priced and overrated. I don't know what I'm supposed to do with IPA's. They don't go that good with food, they don't go that good with sports, and they tend to be too boozy to "have a couple with the boys" after work or while doing yard work or hiking or whatever. The IPA just doesn't seem to have a place in my beer drinking lifestyle. I can't find a reason to have one other than "well I haven't had it". 

 

Extra Stout you say? Intriguing.

 

So it's not your thing.  But that doesn't mean it's not a thing right? 

 

For a lot of people drinking a Genny Light brings the same level of excitement as IPAs do to you.   

 

I'll have water before Genny Light because I like the flavor better.  I'll drink a regular Genny, but it won't take much competition before I switch elsewhere.  It's my preference.

 

There aren't a lot of good foreign extra stouts.  Guinness makes one.. I'm not a huge fan but I like it better than the regular than the flagship.  Best one I ever had was a limited release from Otter Creek called OtterMon.  I made one once and I thought it was excellent.  7% alcohol but dry and light bodied.  Technically Big Head Todd from Three Heads is a foreign extra stout but I don't think the body is light enough on it to really qualify it into that style as opposed to a regular stout. 

[The Dominator]

I don't think IPA's are boring, I just don't like the flavor. When cutting the grass, I don't like to taste grass clippings in my beer.

 

Stouts, porters, and ales are my go-to. I like the imperial versions of them, I like when rye is used, and if it's the summer I can go to an amber ale to cut out the body but keep the flavor.

 

And Genny cream is always acceptable 

[That Aud Smell]

What, exactly, do people consider a "session"? Because I've bought session IPA's and I can't say I've found them that drinkable beyond maybe the first three.

 

The only IPA I know I could session is Heady Topper. That beer is f*cking witchcraft.

 

Holy sh1t - you session the Heady Topper, and you will be effing bombed.

 

The concept of "session", as others have noted, just refers to a drinkable beer that's probably in/around the 4% ABV range. Guinness is one of the great sessions. Those amber lagers (?) I had in those huge ass mugs in Austria were sessionable af.