Styles that can *#@$ off!

I get your point, but just because something has historical longevity doesn’t mean it’s the best option for the current market, or even any market. Homes without a/c have been the trend for longer than sour beers have been, but almost no one would agree with you that we should stop having air conditioning in our homes or automobiles. And to bring up the automobile - would you say that stick shifts are always superior to automatics? Because if your argument rings true, you would have to say that automatic transmission cars are a poor iteration of what the automobile was meant to be.

If sour beers are clearly better and truer beer than non-sour beers, then why did they virtually disappear when Pasteur figured out what yeast was? Could it be that people realized they liked non-sour beer better? That’s certainly a strong argument to be made, if not infallible.

No, I think sour beers are coming back because brewers and consumers are getting bored with beer, and need some new trend (dare I say rabbit hole) to follow.

 

Totally get where you’re coming from, and you have a point. My angst of the current state of the craft beer world is not simply that there are options, but that the culture is so bent on “new” that hardly any time is spent on perfection. While granted, I am somewhat of a traditionalist, I would joyfully drink an Augustiner Edelstoff or a Lost Coast Old Rasputin or a Fremont Brother DIPA or a St. Bernardus Abt 12. I don’t think there should only be certain styles - I just came back from Munich and was somewhat disappointed by the fact that most breweries there only have three beers on tap.

However, when I go to most breweries, there’s only a couple beers on the menu that I’d like to drink anyway, and most of them don’t stick around for long. They spend more time on figuring out what new fruit to put in a beer than they do perfecting that beer. A local brewery, Funky Buddha, had a freaking DELICIOUS Marzen on tap after Octoberfest, but they didn’t keep it afterwards. Instead the consistently have a PB&J beer. Like what the heck?? I’ve been to a brewery that had a delicious seasonal raspberry habanero ale one year, but the same beer next year was crap. There’s just too much turnover and sensationalism and not enough craftsmanship. That’s why I’m disappointed about it.

 

Going nowhere, it’s really the foundation of the beer world imo.

 

Absolutely! Lagers are the top selling beers across the world by a LARGE margin.

Cheers!

 

Sours, pumpkin & spiced holiday beers would get my vote but then the more fads & their sycophants come along the more they leave other styles behind for the rest of us to enjoy. Just because a style doesn't ring my bell doesn't mean it shouldn't be available.
It's all the over hyped fads that come along & all the hysteria that goes with it that is tiring.

 

Although smoked alaskan porter for me was good.

 

I drink those too, when I am in the mood for those. I enjoy those styles a lot (A favorite Dunkel is the Yee-Haw brewed 120 miles from me). I love Baltic Porter and the German key styles.

 

I love Islay whiskies, never had a smoked beer. How’s that?

 

I was just giving you a hard time in jest since many people associate all lagers with macro lagers.

 

That Alaskan Smoked Porter is excellent, best beer the brewery makes, IMHO. Great fresh, ages well. It's probably not on every shelf right now, but when it comes around again in the fall, I'll let ya know.

 

True. I get that gentle ribbing. But your points about different sophisticated lager styles is also spot on. Lagers are no one trick pony. And I enjoy a very wide range of beer styles, I am open minded, and willing to try new styles, new beers.

 

Actually the word traditional is the sticking point, and longevity, i.e. ubiquity over a long period of time. is exactly the feature that defines it

 

Adds a nice touch to that roasty flavor.

 

The Bruts have their place, I think. But yeah, f**k these milkshake anything.

 

It seems like a personal thing but I don't care for Pumpkin Beers or most Fruity beer.

 

Just go over to Bestway and buy a regular Aecht Schlenkerla and take your time. It is a great beer. And I do love those whiskeys from places closing in on The North Sea.

 

I expected to be overwhelmed, honestly, but have had "regular" stouts that were more "extreme". Everything meshes nicely, and its somehow seductive?

 

Same here. Sometimes I will try one as part of a flight but as a rule I can live without them.

 

I had one in my hands of Fri deciding if I should try it, with being 90 and hot I decided this might be a better cooler weather beer. But I might grab one to try next weekend, I’m feeing a beer rut coming on. Might be time to switch out for AALs with beach week coming up in a month, nothing worse than being on vacation and drinking Miller Lite because your burned on ipas and Pils.

 

I think it's a great summer beer. If I can still find some around me I will be taking it to a bbq for sure. The flavor is unique but it isn't heavy or anything