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

It would be interesting to see whether a side-by-side of two bottles, one being four months old and the other being 13 months old, would have similar results.

I would volunteer to conduct this experiment but I could only find 13 month old bottles at my local beer retailers. It has been over 2/3 years since I have seen Jever bottles that are less than 6 months old. And on a related note I have never, ever seen canned Jever at any of my local beer retailers.

Prost!

 

Nice post @Reef - I actually really like posts in this thread of "verticals" where the beer is a little less brash or challenging in the first place. Cheers!

 

Appearance: Regular Eliot is clearer, had a bigger head and better retention. FH is a bit hazy.

Aroma: Regular is more muted, FH definitely has brighter resin and citrus aromas, is more floral.

Taste: On its own, regular is a lovely beer, but beside the FH, it's almost a harsh bitterness. FH gives me a bunch of floral/honey that is just fantastic.

MF: Fairly similar -- light and clean, though the FH might be a bit dryer and lighter.

Overall: Well...I would take the Fresh Hop 10 times out of 10 times, it's just a level up over the regular. But, the regular is no slouch.

 

Wandered a little way out of town, and came across a place where I wanted to compare two beers, of different styles. I merely wanted to see my take on the difference between Sky Fox’s Macht Schnell Kölsch and the Reading Premium, which @JackHorzempa profiled somewhere recently (NBW, I believe)


The Kölsch is on the left, and I had to remember what the bar last told me because looking at them, I can’t tell which is which. The GF tasted the Kölsch and said, ”Yep, that’s a Kölsch.” She also liked it better of her two sips.

So, can I tell the difference had my mind slipped?

I’d say yes. The Reading definitely has something more classically “American beer-like” to me. The Macht Schnell is a little lighter to me and definitely more balanced to lightly bitter versus the sweeter Reading. I’d might say the Kölsch is a little more floral compared to an apple-like orchard fruit side from the Reading.

I, too, am liking the Kölsch. The mix of fruit and a light metallic twang hangs out there next to the cleaner Kölsch.

Oh, the GF’s Vulpulin IPA (which I think we’ve had before) is pretty good, too.

 

It has been a very long time since I had Sly Fox Macht Schnell Kölsch; maybe 10 years ago? Sly Fox infrequently makes this beer.

I do remember the very first time I had this beer and it was on a Friday night at the brewpub in Phoenixville and it just so happened the Sly Fox head brewer (Brian O'Reilly) happened to be there and I had a comprehensive discussion about this first time brew for Sly Fox. He informed me that he used the old Ballantine yeast strain to brew this batch since he wanted this yeast for a subsequent brew and they decided to brew a Kolsch first to have some leftover yeast slurry (a large amount) for the next batch (I can't recall which style was the second batch). I thought this first batch turned out very well. I would be surprised if they still use the old Ballantine yeast strain today for their Kolsch.

If you have further interest in learning the 'in's and out's' of the Kolsch beer style:

https://www.morebeer.com/articles/Brewing_Kolsch

In a few hours I will be meeting some friends at Workhorse Brewing for Happy Hour and my first beer there will be a Kolsch:

"Subtle fruit aromas give way to a clean, gently sweet malt flavor. Expect a clean, effervescent finish with a lasting touch of grain."

And as regards Reading Premium I agree with your assessment: "...has something more classically “American beer-like” to me."

I find Reading Premium to be a very enjoyable summer weather beer. I still have four cans of Reading Premium in the fridge which I will be drinking this weekend as I grill some hot dogs and hamburgers.

Cheers to Sly Fox!

 

Hmm.. I just threw a quick review on a new entry; wonder if there’s a retired version? Although BA jumped me right to the new version.

Not to derail this thread, but Workhorse isn’t far from where we’ll be staying. Might I assume if you’re stopping in, it would be worth us checking it the place and their beers.

 

There are plenty of beer choices at Workhorse but just to let you know their summer 'lineup' is presently biased towards fruity type beers (e.g., Cucumber Mojito, Pina Colada, Guava Gose,...). If you like these sorts of things then you will be very happy there! Having stated that there are some beer flavored beers on tap now (e.g., Kolsch, Oktoberfest, etc.) which is what I will be drinking.

A friend organized this get together so I will be happily attending and drinking the aforementioned beer flavored beers. FWIW I much prefer the non-summer months at Workhorse because of my biases.

There are many good choices for craft beer drinking in the Philly area. If you are 'based' out of the western 'burbs I recommend this recent thread to you:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/whats-hot-in-se-pa.661032/

Cheers!

 

Can-O-Bliss Resinous IPA vs. Voodoo Ranger Juicy Hazy IPA. Bliss is juicy, tart and piney while Voodoo is creamlier, smoother with a slightly bitter finish. Both good ones at a good price for a hazy IPA....

 

Jon, a couple of points:

I had many draft 1/2 liter glasses of Budweiser Budvar (Czechvar in the US) during my two week vacation to the Czech Republic in 2019. I have a very sensitive palate to diacetyl and I never perceived diacetyl in any of those beers. I never had a Budweiser Budvar in a side by side with PU but I would have described those beers as having a less rich malt flavor and lower hops (bittering and flavor) in comparison.

I recently picked up a four-pack of PU cans and I drank one a couple of days ago (they were canned July 21, 2021 - best by March 21, 2022). I too picked up some diacetyl in that beer but at what I would categorize as a modest level. Typically diacetyl comes off as very buttery for my palate and in that can there was definitely perceptible diacetyl but I personally would not state that it was "very buttery".

My drinking experiences with PU over the years is that for the beers I have purchased in the US the diacetyl level has been mostly unperceptable but on occassion (like this last purchase) a lower level but noticeable. While in the Czech Republic every glass of Pilsner Urquell that I had at a Tankovna (Tank) Pub had a very noticeable (i.e., buttery) level of diacetyl; I was not a fan of these beers.

Cheers!

 

That is one of the 'benefits' of conducting a side-by-side: sometimes it 'enhances' your abilities to perceive things you would not otherwise.

In the thread I discussed a side-by-side tasting of bottled vs. canned Weihenstephaner Hefeweizen. In the bottled version I picked up a very subtle smell/flavor that I described as reminding me of a stagnant pond. I am convinced I would not have noted that other than it was a difference that was 'magnified' by the control beer of the canned version.

In subsequent drinking experiences of the bottled beer I never perceived that very subtle off-flavor since there was no second beer to function as the 'control beer'.

Cheers!

P.S. But since I am very sensitive to diacetyl I was able to pick it up in the one can of PU I have consumed. It is at a low level so not exactly 'troublesome' but I would have preferred that I didn't pick it up at all. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

I KNEW IT WAS SCIENCE

 

These two big dogs are more similar than different in that they both carry a mineral kind of flavor that seeps into every corner of the flavor profile and they contain a good amount of chocolate. Inescapable and excellent!
<>Compared to GFES the Sam is sweeter, wetter, thinner taste and lighter overall in body. It's taste is savory with a short hop note at the start then dark choco, figs, sea salt, overripe dark berries, plum, raisins and toasted malts. <>Compared to SSIS, the Guinness is more creamy, soft and bitter. It's taste is jam-packed with a langer load of bakers choco, figs and raisins. They're both just dynamite stouts. Reviews/ratings to be posted soon. Cheers!

 

Henry's is being discontinued, so FIL is looking for a new fridge beer. Rolling Rock is the candidate. MIL's conclusion is it's not good enough.

They're very different. RR is lighter tasting and surprisingly more hop forward. Has a moderate unpleasant vegetal flavor. Henry is grainier and way richer.

I'd pick Henry's every time. Too bad that's the last one between us.

 

Ha! I can’t imagine RR being a replacement (for anything) even though I haven’t had either in many, many years. As I recall, RR infamously had an “off” taste (want to say skunk) that fans actually enjoy - not sure if that holds today. Hope you find a replacement eventually!

 

It's DMS, and definitely shows itself in a side by side. That was the unpleasant vegetal flavor picked up by @snaotheus .