Are We Killing Beer?

I think when you say “drink what you don’t like,” and “challenge your palate” on a forum like this, you’re speaking to a huge number of people here that have been doing exactly that for a decade or more, yet still disagree with you when you say that NEIPAs, as a style, are inferior to other styles of beer.

 

And this in no way comes from any sort of a fanboy standpoint. If you wanna build a bridge and say that NEIPAs in general are nothing special and people have created a huge hype around a few breweries that probably is undeserved, we can certainly meet in the middle. But saying that a real BA knows better than to enjoy a tasty beer because it’s non-traditional (like people here who have been diving into every style under the sun and learning to appreciate them for a long, long time can’t tell what a good beer is) just comes off the wrong way to me.

 

It is indeed a bit rich for us all to be lectured about 'refined palates' and respect for "traditional styles" by the guy who spent half a thread complaining that cask beer is inferior, bland, and flavorless.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/commun...tish-beer-movement-brewing-in-america.577840/

 

At least he didn't psychoanalyze cask beer lovers, and blame the downfall of western civilization on them

 

I'm not a traditionalist and never have been; far from it, in fact. I appreciate many innovative and style-busting beers, and I'm perfectly willing to knock traditional beers for lack of or poor flavor, if applicable. That doesn't mean that sweet IPAs and other gimmick beers aren't, as a rule (with some exceptions) dopey and aimed primarily at people with limited palates and an inability to appreciate most other beers, even as many of those who like to drink them congratulate themselves in a mistaken belief that they're on the vanguard. There's no need to take this analysis personally; feel free to count yourself as an exception to the rule.

 

Not a chance - we love it, support it and the choice and quality is better than ever!

 

Hate to say it, but he's got you there.

There are certainly more beers these days aimed at flavor profiles that most people love. Namely fruity and dessert-oriented. Not necessarily sweet, mind you, but reminiscent of things that are. When I think sweet, I think of the abominations from Southern Tier and many of these beers are not that. What they are is a departure from challenging flavor profiles and mouthfeels, like bitterness, dryness/crispness, sour (not tart) , and phenolic. It is, very literally, beer made to suit the palate of a child.

 

The update you've all been eagerly anticipating: I've been seeking out more cask beer since that thread as part of my "drink what you don't like" campaign. It's very easy to find in my market (and long has been), and, helpfully, many breweries make force-carbonated and cask versions available side-by-side (although the cask versions often have some additions that limit apples-to-apples comparisons). The aromatics and flavors in the cask beers remain muted compared to their force-carbonated counterparts, and the mouthfeel remains aqueous, sadly but as expected. Not much we can do about that inevitability other than stop pretending to prefer cask (or admitting we prefer it because of those flavor-numbing or palate-dumbing effects or for cultural reasons). Force carbonation is one of the most underappreciated great modern innovations in beer, sine qua non of craft beer's popularity in America (a mixed bag, I suppose, given the unfortunate direction that very popularity is taking craft beer in this country). But that's literally an argument for another thread...

 

So-called (at the time), "Carbonization" or "Carbonating" of beer, according to 100 Years of Brewing (1903):

...which, I guess, is "modern" if you want to start with brewing in Mesopotamia Of course, most small US brewers buy CO2 rather than collect it from their own fermentation tanks.

In the US, the process was being used by the late 19th century by Pabst (among the largest US brewers at the time), with a system developed in-house by Pabst engineer Fritz Theurer, among others.

Many craft and other brewers don't "force carbonate" - instead employing kräusening, bunging, bulk/tank conditioning, bottle-conditioning, etc.

 

I appreciate the information. Yes, that is well within the period of modernity to which I was referring.

 

I dropped completely out of the rat race of craft beer. I either brew my own narrow range of dark beer/ale...or I drink belgian beer (orval on birthday). My reason were simple it is all IRA all the time, and frankly I think 95% of them are complete crap. Plus I think so different about beer that I just laugh about the whole craft "re discovery" of beer, that's been around for forever....

oh yea cost, yea well you get retired on a fixed income you will understand, at least us poor MF'ers do anyway.

 

Welcome back (even if you’re just stopping in for a minute).

 

Just curious if anything changed. other than the karma system, its "seems the topics" in beer talk are the same old same old, lol.
thanks!

 

Maybe you can expand on why you called it a “rat race.” Seems like that would be relevant to the thread if you don’t mind risking getting sucked back into the conversation.

 

humm, well I would be repeating myself from about 100 posts, but I always felt that the first craft wave was cool laid back, make the best in the European style of beers. It was never about one upping, it was about making beer that tasted good, because UK German etc beer sucked by the time it got here.

The rat race is see how many micro pubs/breweries we can throw up all making the same shit beer usually, here in Jacksonville. I visited them all. I will not even bother to rate the places or their beers anymore. its all about the money and get it up fast...but hey I been WRONG on the IPA crazy "FAD" I guess. I thought it would die OUT before now. It has not sadly. I can rant for days, careful what you ask for, lol

My solution was to instead of bitching about it, just brew my own...

Besides I am just too poor to spend 7-8 bucks a beer.

 

Everything is different than it it was 5 years ago. With over 6,000 craft brewers, each trying to find a place for themselves, many trying to find something unique and others chasing the latest fad and perhaps giving it their own little twist, we will see a lot of different stuff. Some that we like, some that we do not. I am having a lot easier time finding beer that I like, beer that is interesting and beer that is worth a try than I did during he 70's.

 

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on this, though I'd like to have most force carbonated beers served warmer. Maybe not cellar temperature, but not refrigerator temperature, either.

I would agree with you on this, however.

 

I agree that a lot has changed over the past 5-10 years, but often I’m finding that the “little twist” some brewers are just not for me. I hate cold coffee, so all those beers are out. I don’t (usually) find that fruit/spice adds much to a beer that I enjoy. I’d rather the hops/yeast/malt interplay provide those flavors. I enjoy sours, but not daily (or weekly). Cuts out a bunch of the current “innovation”. That said, bring on the smoked beers. :-)

I am very encouraged that some brewers are returning to offer more traditional styles (more bitters/milds please). I just have to work a little harder to find them in the sea of flavored/spiced/barrel aged beers. Adds to the joy of the hunt.

 

It kills me when I see a new lager and then I read the label and it has like pear in it or something. "Fucking pear? Really?!?"

 

I'd say that all the stores where I shop are carrying about double the amount of beer that they did 5 years ago. And even if 80% of that is uninteresting nonsense, that's still 20% more available now. Sometimes it helps to focus only on the silver lining .