What’s the Difference? Share your Side-by-Side (2021)

Here's one I did of Radeberger Pilsner and the unfiltered version - Radeberger Pilsner Zwickelbier for anybody interested.

 

Ok, so I had these sitting in the fridge, two Irish stouts - one widely known, the other local. The reason for this side-by-side? I thought the local beer was a good representation of the style, so why not compare it to a standard-bearer?


6 Bears & a Goat's O'Dark Thirty pours with a similar, if just a shade darker head than Guinnes Extra Stout. The Guinness has a little better structure, though, and holds a mountain in the center while the local beer's head craters. All in all, though, damn near the same.

Nose shows a little more difference - O'Dark Thirty has a more roasty and more bitter dark chocolate nose where the Extra Stout has a slightly sweeter profile with more of a berry-evoking coffee note. That said, both have a solid backbone of decently roasted malt. Overall, the local is slightly more straightforward, little less complex.

Taste brings them back together; the local follows its nose while Guinness shows a bit more bitterness than the nose foretold. It opens to expectations, but turns left into a charred roasty profile that O'Dark Thirty brings up front. Overall, I think both beers have about the same dryness, with 6 Bears being a tad more bitter in the end.

So for a change, I was actually correct in my thinking that two beers I had separately were similar. Or, to reword, this is easily the closest two beers have been after such a claim.

 

I discussed two Bohemian Pilsners earlier today in the NBW thread:



Read all about it:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/new-beer-weekend-38.657313/

Cheers!

 

Do you have a preference for when Orval is best?

I have read that the brewer states that Orval is 'best' at 6 months after bottling. Perhaps this is the 'sweet spot' where there is some perceptible funk from the Brett but not all of the hop aroma/flavor has faded?

Cheers!

 

That is indeed the case.

In a week (or two) I will be homebrewing a clone of Orval which will afford me the opportunity to drink two cases (48 bottles) of beer over an extended period of time. I am looking forward to the continuity of 'experimentation' this will afford me. Will there be a time where I personally think this batch will reach a 'peak' of flavor/quality? I suspect that there will indeed be an 'answer' here but I would not want to presuppose what that 'answer' will be at the moment.

Cheers!

 

Why not more lagers for this thread? Just some road trip plunder from two excellent New England breweries. Both are German inspired but clearly went in different directions.



Aroma

Danny: Very expressive. Lemongrass, lime leaf, fresh barley, all the green and cheery aromas, but none too sharp. There is a little undercurrent of pale malt (endeavor barley?), but this one is bright, cheery, and hop driven.

Gather: Lower toned with all the things we love about keller pils. Way more herbal and doughy with a wildflower honey and associates malt profile. Has an "richer quality" about it, where you want to take a sip, and just know it will be balanced.

Palate

Danny: Liveliness continues. Very distinct moments, but a cohesive palate. The attack is more of the green, more floral at this point. Mid palate is soft and mineral, a little cooling. The exhale remains bright, but is decidedly bitter and snappy.

Gather: Well the balance continues. A much fuller malt bready mouthfeel, softer minerality, not as prickly, but just enough hops peek out. Exhale is a little rosemary and stemy, but overall not as assertive as Danny. I'm having a hard time not drinking this quickly.

Conclusion: The presentation honestly primes you for the drinking experience. I want to drink Danny Boy all day after waking up early to drive to the lake, it's just sunshine. Gather is the beer I want in a liter mug at 1am with my double flat party.

 

And here's a link to a post I made regarding side by sides with the canned Weihenstephaner Weissbier and Helles and some of their bottled offerings.

@AlcahueteJ @steveh

 

Can Dates: Bierstadt 2/22/21; Von Trapp BB: 4/21/21


Appearance:
Bierstadt: Clear straw with a tight fizzy head.

Von Trapp: Cloudy pale gold with a looser head.


Aroma:
Bierstadt: grains, flowers, minerals

Von Trapp: wonder bread/ white bread


Taste:
Bierstadt: sweet malt, lightly bitter, husky/harsh

Von Trapp: bready, sweet, a bit more bitter with a cleaner hop expression


Mouthfeel:
Bierstadt:Thin and fizzy

Von Trapp: Round and soft, faint carbonation


Preference: Von Trapp by a wide margin.

While the Bierstadt is solid, compared to the Von Trapp, it is too thin, fizzy and the finish is a little rough. Another consideration is that the Bierstadt is much fresher and had first class transportation to my house in comparison. For the record, I think Bierstadt is significantly better on draft than it is in cans.

Off the top of my head, Overall ratings:

Von Trapp 4.25

Bierstadt 3.5

 

It's remarkable how clear the Bierstadt beer is. It has the appearance of a quality magnifying glass in your pic.

 

It is a damn good looking beer in that way.

 

I would recommend the Von Trapp Kolsch to you. Granted it is not a Helles but IMO I think it is 'better' than the Von Trapp Helles.

Cheers!

 

Wow, I'll have to try and get ahold of their Kolsch. I had a friend send me a twelve can mixed pack. The only previous experience I had with Von Trapp was their helles on draft in NYC, I think at The Ginger Man. I liked it so much I ordered a couple of more; mind you, they had a world class list to choose from - that's how good it was.

That was a few years ago, so I was excited to get my hands on some more. Honestly, the beer that surprised me the most was the ViennaStyle Lager. It was the one beer in the pack that I thought I could do without, and it's not a style I know or gravitate toward. It turned out to be one of my favorites in the pack!

Von Trapp makes great lagers, that's for damn sure.

 

I would also recommend the Bavarian Pilsner to you as well:



https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/new-beer-weekend-21.651977/#post-7116379

Cheers!

 

Oh, Nice! I was originally going to do a side-by-side with Bierstadt Slow Pour Pils, but the pack came with a Bohemian Pils which was very good, but I think it was most negatively impacted by the oldness of the canning date. Great to know they do make a Bavarian Pilsner. Thanks again, Jack!

 

I know what everyone on this site wants to see... more hazy IPA’s! No? Ok me neither.
I had the unique opportunity However, to drink 2 highly rated beers side by side from breweries I find very similar.

monkish - foggier window
Can courtesy of Hopelessly0.
About 2 weeks old.
L: pure orange juice with moderate thick white head.
S: Stonefruit, grapefruit, pine.
T: nectarines, orange juice, grapefruit, Whiff of hop burn.
F: juicy and fairly thick. DDH like crazy. But has a dry balanced bite that rounds it out
Overall: A signature monkish and/or trillium style ipa. A really good balance of citrus bitterness, crispness, bit of burn, and soft tropical flavors.

Trillium - the streets
Can courtesy of Hopelessly0.
About 1.5 months old.
L: pure mango/orange (darker/deeper orange) juice with white Fluffy head.
S: Stonefruit, cantaloupe, creamsicle.
T: stonefruit, orange juice, citrus Grapefruit resiny bitterness. Caramel malt sweetness. Orange cream hard candy.
F: juicy and fairly thick and creamy.
Overall: . This is really balanced for Trillium. My guess is a result of cranking up malt to crank up abv, and a bit of age.

Overall: They were a bit different. I enjoyed the monkish more overall. More balanced less sweet, without hop burn.

 

Had a Westmalle Tripel, which I then followed up with a Chimay White Cap. Both are fabulous beers. Westmalle is more bitter and makes a stronger statement. Chimay is softer, less hoppy, more yeasty. Thoroughly enjoyed both. Not sure which I like better. Glad I have a case of each in the wine cellar.