Controversial Beer Opinions Thread

Hmm...
*leaves to go google faceless argument *****

 

A good example is a local that will aged their BA Stout for 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, and has varied the ABV range from 11-14.1% with each release. It's not the same beer. Others, like say Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, of course are more consistent.

Then there's those like Goose Island, Green Flash, even Deschutes Abyss who are susceptible to the odd infected batch. When you are collecting 10 years of a beer, odds are one year is infected, maybe 2!!!

 

Hence why verts are stupid, if a food you ate or a mood you have can kill the whole thing that took 5 years to build, why bother.

 

Your examples don’t really generalize but represent risks not general things. One local here has brewed and barrel aged a particular beer for more than 10 years without that variation you describe and without releasing an infected bottling.

Sure infection can happen and slip past the quality control and you miss out on one year. That doesn’t mean the other 9 years are wasted or meaningless.

 

I agree with pastry stouts being like a starbucks frappaccino. I disagree that starbucks coffee is strong or dark. Their lattes come across like hot chocolate, no coffee flavors come across to me.

 

I've often used the coffee analogy here on Beer Advocate over the years, it's a good one. People who first get into coffee often gravitate towards Starbucks, because of the big, bold, roasted flavors, thinking that is what "gourmet" coffee is. They also think it has more caffeine in it, because it tastes stronger, when in fact it's the opposite.

Over time as you learn more about coffee, you'll find the best ones are the lighter roasts, that are carefully brewed through various methods (pour over, Aeropress...etc.).

Same with people who first get into craft, they gravitate towards super hoppy and strong barrel-aged stouts...then slowly migrate towards more subtle styles.

All that being said, Starbucks' Blonde Roast is more than decent for a chain cafe, and stuff that comes off of their Clover system isn't bad either (much of it probably has to do with the controlled brewing process and the beans being fresher than their normal batches).

That doesn't mean the bottles/cans CAN'T be stored cold end-to-end, and some of the bottles/cans arrive here fresh enough (< 3 months). I've definitely had some bottles and cans that were very tasty.

 

I would also agree that most beers suffer from aging. Adjuncts fade, roast turns to soy sauce, infections set in, hops disappear. The only heat that can fade are fusel alcohols, and a good brewer should be able to avoid fusels with temperature controlled fermentations.

 

Well, their straight up bold drip coffee is strong and dark.

Fun story. George Howell is considered one of the pioneers of "craft" coffee. He sold his coffee chain in the Northeast to Starbucks, before moving out west to start another line of cafes (his cafes have since returned to the Boston area). He's kind of like the Jim Koch of the coffee world.

That being said, he was the person who actually invented the frappaccino. He also, to this day, still keeps a dark roast in his line-up (most gourmet cafes won't carry dark roasts), because so many people love dark roasts. I believe he may have invented the frappaccino for similar reasons, to appeal to the general public and keep the doors open.

Does this sound familiar at all...New England style IPAs anyone?

 

I'd counter that with how some oxidation can be beneficial. Also, brett can develop in more pleasing ways.

But by and large, yes, cellaring beers isn't usually for the best.

 

Why do you hate beer SO much?

 

That was masterful.

 

While likely not what you were speaking to, cask ales are an acute example of this.

 

In this same vein (and I think it has been said before in this thread), barrel aging makes imperial stouts worse. So does adding all the spices in the pantry.

 

Agreed that anyone who is serious about beer should learn about how it is made. Being a student of the game isn't that difficult and first-hand experience helps to cement that knowledge.

Although I completely understand your point here, I disagree. If you're not planning on brewing beer yourself, reading about it will accomplish your end. Especially if you are a visual learner. If the goal is simply to enhance your understanding of the beverage that you love, that's one thing. If your goal, however, is to gather as much knowledge as you can, including practical knowledge, then that's another.

 

We give you persimmon to implore him, but what do I know, I'm just a hickory out in these woods. I think I have a head oak.....plum out of bad jokes. I don't spell as well as I once did (just diagnosed with glaucoma).

 

This is why the vertical tastings I've been involved with have no more than about 6 beers per night with unsalted crackers and water in between to help reset the palate. It is also why those tastings are also social events with some like minded people who share their thoughts about each beer after having taken some notes on each beer. Then, before the pot-luck food and using up the remaining beers begins there is a discussion of each beer and the whole set. That way my mood is good and any carry over effect from food earlier in the day is going to be the same for the evening.

So I've found it useful to bother, especially when there is a game plan for the vertical that helps to reduce "contaminating" effects.

 

Any fermented or distilled beverage that seems to change and/or improve with age is noteworthy. It is this type of observation that makes people make better and better products. Tasting previous versions is always edifying.

 

That's any tasting really, even better if blind.

 

Glassware selection is entirely overrated

 

There is almost nothing less entertaining than watching somebody taste a beer on a podcast. Wait! Let me amend that. There is nothing less entertaining than watching somebody taste a beer on a podcast.