Most Underrated Styles?

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by unlikelyspiderperson, May 21, 2020.

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  1. TongoRad

    TongoRad Grand Pooh-Bah (3,848) Jun 3, 2004 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    But thick = good; how else are they supposed to know? :wink:
     
  2. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,181) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    The two beer styles I wish were more readily available from commercial breweries:
    • Grodziskie
    • English Bitter Ale
    I am personally not holding my breath here.

    On the bright side for me - I have a Bitter Ale in my primary right now happily fermenting.

    Cheers!
     
  3. ATL6245

    ATL6245 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,160) Aug 16, 2018 Georgia
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Yes, major flaw with the overall rating system. Almost like there needs to be a handicap factored in.
     
  4. zid

    zid Grand Pooh-Bah (3,058) Feb 15, 2010 New York
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    If they can taste the... "adjuncts." (shiver)
     
  5. Insomniac

    Insomniac Initiate (0) Nov 5, 2019 Canada (ON)
    Deactivated

    Schwarzbier
    Baltic Porter
    Altbier
     
  6. MNAle

    MNAle Initiate (0) Sep 6, 2011 Minnesota

    The American craft beer drinker underappreciates the subtle (and complex) flavors of traditional English pub ales. (By "traditional" I don't mean by English history standards; I mean by 1980's or so standards, so maybe traditional is not the right word.. anyway...)

    CAMRA was asserting itself in defense of "traditional" English ales, and I was in England on business enjoying Marston's traditionally-brewed Pedigree Bitter (Burton upon Trent brewery, mineral-content of the water, Burton Union Sets brewing method, hand-pump drawn from cask). A fabluous, delicious beer. Hopefully, as Marston's has grown into a bit of a brewing and hotel conglomerate, they still continue to brew Pedigree in the traditional way at the traditional brewery.

    Locally, Summit EPA scratches some of that itch, but it still Americanized, and so I jumped at the chance to try an ESB brewed by Giesenbräu Bier Co. (reviewed in last Sunday's NBS). I understand the difficulty of bottling/canning these styles that are in their natural element on cask, but I'd still like to have a bit more selection than the imports from Fullers (as good as they are).

    However, moving a bit beyond nostalgia, the entirely of traditional English pub pale ales, from milds to bitters, is vastly underappreciated in this country.

    I don't expect that to change.
     
  7. anfield86

    anfield86 Pooh-Bah (2,594) Nov 21, 2006 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

  8. ATL6245

    ATL6245 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,160) Aug 16, 2018 Georgia
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Lol - maybe, but it still would probably be at least a 3.5 in that case. I've seen someone give it a 2.25 and their comment was and I quote "yuck!". I looked at Steve's other beer ratings. Trust me, he doesn't know jack snit about good beer. :joy:
     
  9. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,181) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I was traveling to Great Britain for business a lot in the early 1990's. That was my first exposure to Cask (Bitter) Ales. I absolutely loved Bass Ale on cask. The bottled stuff we got in the US was a totally different beer. I finally came to the conclusion that in order to get my 'fix' of English Bitter Ale I had to homebrew my own and bottle condition those beers. I have been homebrewing a Bitter Ale once a year ever since. The batch I brewed a couple of days ago is my 26th batch of Bitter Ale.

    Cheers!
     
  10. hoptualBrew

    hoptualBrew Initiate (0) May 29, 2011 Florida

    Belgian Saison

    Most Saison in America is mixed culture and acid forward these days. Those light struck green glass funk bubbles (DuPont, Blaugies, Thiriez, Fantome, etc) are hard to beat.
     
  11. REVZEB

    REVZEB Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,092) Mar 28, 2013 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Biere De Garde and Maibock!
     
  12. bluejacket74

    bluejacket74 Grand Pooh-Bah (4,721) Jul 4, 2005 Ohio
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Personally I'd go with:

    Weizenbock
    Dunkelweizen
    English Pale Ale
    Cascadian Dark Ale/Black IPA
    Baltic Porter
    Roggenbier

    If I was at a brewery and they were serving any lesser known or not as popular style of beer I'd make sure to try it and get a pint if it was good. Cheers!
     
  13. Roadkizzle

    Roadkizzle Initiate (0) Nov 6, 2007 Texas

    Altbiers for me. I get really excited when I see one available.

    I scheduled to go to a brewery with my wife because I found out they had an altbier. Sadly they stopped making it but they have a very good Dortmunder so I still go for that.
     
  14. Domingo

    Domingo Grand Pooh-Bah (4,206) Apr 23, 2005 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Dubbel and authentic dunkels and altbiers. I like dubbels of all sorts and am even willing to deal with mediocre versions since they're still pretty tasty for my palate.
    Dunkels and alts are both rare and rarely good.

    While things might be different in the UK, English Pale Ale and Bitter Style are almost non-existent in the American craft scene. Imports are typically old, too. I love 'em to death but almost never get to drink them.
     
  15. Snowcrash000

    Snowcrash000 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,017) Oct 4, 2017 Germany
    Super Mod Pooh-Bah Society Trader


    100% agreed on traditional Gose, as I believe I have expressed my distaste for those fruited Kettle Sours that brewers are calling Gose these days multiple times already. The same goes for Berliner Weiße, by the way. These are hard to find even in Germany, unfortunately, but I can occasionally get my hands on Ritterguts Gose and Schneeeule Berliner Weiße, who are making the best examples of these styles in Germany.

    Although I have to say that I had an excellent barrel-aged Gose with wormwood and pine needles and a Black Gose recently, so some experimentation is still valid, although these also stayed kinda true to Gose' roots by containing coriander and salt as well.

    Also agreed on Rye beers. Love myself a nice Rye Amber Ale or Rye Whiskey barrel-aged stout, but I can only find that sort of stuff once in a blue moon around here.

    And Black IPAs, of course, which I absolutely love but can rarely find as well.

    Gruit as well, or any herb/spice beers for that matter, really, as these were actually the first brews that got me into craft and I will buy anything with chili in it.

    Smoke Beer also comes to mind.

    And last, but not least, being from Cologne, I cannot help but feel that Alt is vastly underrated and much superior to that Kölsch swill :stuck_out_tongue:.
     
  16. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,181) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Saison Dupont is now packaged in brown bottles; been that way for a few years.

    [​IMG]
     
  17. keithmurray

    keithmurray Pooh-Bah (2,943) Oct 7, 2009 Connecticut
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Munich Dunkels
    Belgian Dubbels

    I gotta come look you up next time I come thru PA, I wanna sample all of your homebrews!
     
  18. keithmurray

    keithmurray Pooh-Bah (2,943) Oct 7, 2009 Connecticut
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I am not sure what is going on with the style, but a few years ago, Korbinian used to be readily available and now I hardly ever see it and if I do, it's far too old for me to want to take a chance on it. I do still see Celebrator on shelves and for some reason, I'm one of the few who doesn't care for Salvator (given it may chances and I just find that it doesn't agree with me)
     
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  19. OffTrail

    OffTrail Devotee (387) Aug 12, 2012 Washington

    Faugh to bitter, alt, doppelbock, scotch ale.
    For a style that's REALLY underrated, look to Brown Ale.
     
  20. CarolinaCardinals

    CarolinaCardinals Grand Pooh-Bah (4,765) Jun 11, 2003 North Carolina
    Pooh-Bah Society

    A buddy of mine that visited maybe around Y2K enjoyed the cask version and maintains your take exactly!
     
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