ABV - Where do you draw the line?

Personally, I drink for taste and enjoyment of the beer, not for ABV%. If one beer tastes amazing at 5% and a very similar style beer is 12% but tastes inferior, I will go with the 5%.

I have never tried a beer above 12%. Do they lose their beer taste and become more of a liquor taste? I'm not sure how to phrase what I am asking, but I hope someone understands what I am asking and can respond.

 

I voted for 7% but i think my real limit is ~8%. higher than that and it usually becomes noticeable. there are exceptions though. if i want something over 10% i'll drink wine.

 

I'll try anything once. I've never had above 14% though, there's really nothing stronger available to me.

 

Bourbon County variants. Avery The Beast, Samael's, Mephistopheles', Uncle Jacob's (and other Avery limited high gravity offerings), Evil Twin Even More Jesus and Double Barrel Jesus. Hopefully that answers your question. And something "light" and high gravity try Allagash Tripel (9%). Alcohol is very nicely hidden. Drinking it atm.

 

Ahh okay I gotcha. Thanks for the reply!

 

I had BCBS, KBS, and Parabola this week and what I can say is that Parabola at 14% hid the booze very well, like I didn't taste it just noticed I was tipsy after about 6oz. BCBS seemed a little less boozie than KBS out of the bottle, even though KBS was 11.2 compared to ~16. KBS on draft was not boozie and I felt the taste actually suffered because of it.

 

I'll drink whatever I think looks good. If it is 3% or 18% I'll drink it, but I don't think I've surpassed 18% or so, but just because it is high ABV doesn't mean that I'll drink it or even like it more than a lower ABV beer. I thought the WWS was very well done, I've had lower ABV beers that have seemed boozier than it did and the flavors worked well and it was balanced, but that is one of the great things about the craft beer movement, there is such a wide variety of beers that theres something for everyone.

 

Like most of the others, no real limit here. It's all about the taste. Of course my location and factors such as driving in the near future impact my choices!

I've never had above 18%

 

No limit here, but I definitely tend to lead towards the 6-9% range on average. Long day of drinking = lower alcohol. Period. If I am sitting at home after class/work and need to take the edge off, I tend to open up one of my cellared higher-ABV beers.

I have had plenty of beers north of 12%, and have found varying differences between all of them with regards to sacrificing taste and balance for booziness. Most of the beers I've had about 12% have actually been quite delicious. Two beers that come to mind at this moment are Avery Mesistopholes and DFH 120.

I have also found that high alcohol content does not always lead to a booziness in the flavor. I have had plenty of lower alcohol beers that have been way boozier than high ABV beers. I remember a few years ago drinking a Victory Storm King after I drank Avery Mesistopholes a day or two before and found Storm King extremely boozy and almost impossible to drink. Haven't revisited it since.

 

Fear No Beer.

I don't prefer higher ABV, but there are lots of great beers that hide that alcohol well.

 

Two brothers put out their 16th anniversary beer last year, which was a 16% tripel, but it drank like 8%. Dangerous delicious stuff.

 

I voted no limit, and will try anything. However, I don't generally like DIPAs above 9% and Saisons/Sours above 7%. Personal preference I suppose.

 

I prefer my beer around 7-10% but if I can try something with a ridiculous ABV I'll go for it. Have a bottle of WWS waiting to be opened right now.

 

Have had a couple ice-distilled beers in the 30% range that I thought were great sippers, but at that point they share a lot more in common with a nice rum, whisky, or brandy than they do with 'normal' beer.

Most light beers I drink are in the 7 - 8% range while the darker beers tend to hover around 10%. I find those are the ABV's that tend to give the right balance and body for my tastes. ABV is not a factor when I purchase beer though, it's only a factor in how much I drink in one sitting

 

I used to believe there was a limit but then I had:

Black (黑) Sauternes Edition
Mikkeller ApS
American Double / Imperial Stout

The beer was so smooth and the 21% ABV so well hidden I would of have had more than one, but the bar had a limit. Not because there was a limited supply but because of the sneaky ABV.

 

I would say 15% but BCBS rules that out.

I would say 18% but Black Tuesday is pretty solid, at 8oz at a time...

I woud say 20% but Mikkeller Black was Spot On Old Rasputin on Steriods with the ABV well hidden.

Lesson here is that there's always an exception to this rule.

9 times out of 10, I'd say 15%

 

I was about to say something similar. I had their Black Fist, 26.1%. Beers that strong are fun to share small samples to a lot of people. When I get my hands on some 120 minute or World Wide Stout, I share it with 1-3 other people.

 

Love the high ABV beers. If it tastes good then I buy it. I happen to think that WW Stout is one of my favorite beers no matter what the ABV....very complex and (I may be in the minority) great fresh.

 

I would rather drink more beer at a lower ABV than less beer at higher ABV. But I prefer IPAS/DIPAs so this isnt a problem. But I do like stouts from time to time, the high ABV and bomber format makes it hard to really dive into them.