Controversial Beer Opinions Thread

American sour beers are almost never as good as Rodenbach Grand Cru for 2-4 times the price per oz.

I may never buy another american sour beer.

 

From a soon to be released rap song, I think the rapper puts it well. I don't think it's particularly controversial, but some of you might. Visualize Eminem doing it. With mad love and no disrespect.

"So, all you young folks who talkin' shit, listen up for a bit, we were brewin' and drinkin' fine beer while you were suckin' mama's tit. We were here when things changed, we're the folks who did the rearrange. Now we have to listen to crap from hipster dipsticks who wear their noob like charms, as obvious as tattoos that say "I'm full of shit" on their arms. And we mean no harm to point out we were here for years, and you just showed up to the joint, with your smug self-satisfaction, trying to get a reaction, to hide your envy in lame affectation, putting on airs of your own creation, to escape detection as posers with chips on shoulders for those better and older who were here from the start, and who don't need to pretend, like you do, to be so smart, like you invented this art. Here's to the late-to-the-party fools, all edgy like they made the rules, who showed up ten minutes ago thinkin' no one notices they trend followin' tools."

 

In general...yeah, unless you consider 'hoppy wild/sours' their own 'American' thing (which I tend to do).

However it's still a type of beer I like exploring because I'm pleasantly surprised every now and then, and still get enjoyment from actually drinking the beer in the end .

ETA: I may as well give a shout out to the folks at Catskill Brewing in Livingston Manor, NY, for their Eye of Newt Flanders Red Ale. It's on a level that's comparable with Rodenbach Vintage and priced competitively ($20 a 750ml). Won Gold at TAP NY last year and Silver this year in a very competitive field.

Also their Grand Cru, available only on draught at the brewery, is a blend of wood aged sour and brett beers, and a fantastic value at $8 a glass. This casual rural brewery turned my head from the get-go with stuff like that.

 

Cavedave is currently wearing sunglasses and a backward hat with his arms crossed, mic laying on the ground. He killed it.

 

Team Cavedave! My reptile regiment (No frogs need apply) will take point but after Cavedave's homeboy hymn, mopping up is all that should remain to be done!

 

...arms crossed, leaning on his zimmer, mic laying on....

 

The best times for beer are ahead of us. In not too many years many parts of the world will have a volume of locally made craft beer similar to many parts of the US and that will usher in an era of unprecedented expansion of flavor options (at least since the initial experimentation with beer some thousands of years ago that led to the formation of the traditional european styles).

 

What is that, a beer prediction made in 2008?

 

wouldve been a good one to make then. By other parts of the world though I mean places like mexico and south, south and east asia, and africa. I know the scene is catching up quick in western europe and don't think it's controversial to suppose that will continue apace, but I think we will see more of it outside of beer's historical footprint.

 

Nicaragua, Botswana, and Thailand the next stops for the craft beer revolution, and leading the world into a new era of fine beer flavors? Yup, that's pretty controversial.

 

I still thinks it's where we're going. I expect a lot of it will be expats from the US and western europe, but that's where I see it going

 

You are just not drinking the right American sours.

 

Scene is catching up in Europe? Our "craft revolution" has been going on here for several decades. The UK has twice as many craft breweries per capita as the US

 

Italy is a real success story. We had lots of Italians looking at our "craft" (we called them micro then) breweries some time ago but never expected the scale with which they took things up.Unfortunately they did not have the infrastructure to introduce cask ale on a large scale.

 

Italy and Botswana have so much in common, you have changed my mind.

 

Why single out Botswana? Is it because they're one of the last countries people think of when you say "beer"? Or they're perceived as being unstable, poor, etc.? They're actually one of the "better" ones, and apparently have two macro lagers... not sure every country has one. If the craft movement has international success, I don't see why any African country shouldn't be a part of it (if some already haven't).

 

Could be. I've tried a lot in the course of forming my opinion. Maybe I'll miss something great but the odds of that aren't high.

Breweries that have invested a lot in producing sours like Russian River, Jolly Pumpkin, or Lost Abbey all make quality beer but not worth 2x the price of Rodenbach.

 

No because the person who I replied to said Southern Africa, I also said Thailand because he/she said East Asia. Italy is surrounded by countries with long and rich craft beer traditions. Botswana and Thailand are not

I think it extremely unlikely the craft movement will move into those areas. I thought my posts were pretty clear that was my opinion. If not hopefully this clears it up for you.

 

Thank you US craft movement for giving us Europeans good beer! Huzzah!

 

Well, they're right next to South Africa, which seems to be thriving... searched online and "Ghana", "Nigeria", "Mozambique" show up.

If Mexico, why not Nicarague? If India, why not Thailand? I know beer has a long tradition in northern Europe, but most people probably wouldn't think of countries as Denmark or Norway as being "hot spots" in the future.