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

It is not an "off" taste as far as Anheuser-Busch is concerned. When AB bought the Rolling Rock brand they actually had to dump a couple/few batches until they 'nailed' the DMS aspect.

For my palate it comes off as creamed corn and FWIW I do not consider this to be an unpleasant flavor. But needless to say it is not for everybody except those aforementioned fans you discussed.

Cheers!

 

If it is intentional, it is definitionally not a flaw.

A person may not like it, however.

 

Not sure he even thought of "Vitamin R" -- he's from Chicago and only moved out here a couple years ago, so it might not be on his radar.

I did suggest it as an alternative for him.

I think he's on board with my suggestion of Hamm's, except we can't find any effing Hamm's anymore. Same with Founder's Solid Gold.

 

Ok, sure it’s a little early, but I’m on vacation and felt like enjoying these fine beverages together in a morning matchup. We got to try Little Sip as a part of BA’s IPA Fest, and we’d had regular Sip of Sunshine sometime in the past, but this is the last of a recent 4pk we bought.


I really enjoyed Little Sip during the fest, and going in, I think I might like it a little more than the regular Sip I had a couple days ago. Little Sip is a month old, regular is 2.5 weeks old. Lawson’s descriptions:


So the brewer specifically throws “grapefruit and pineapple” into the Little Sip description, where Sip of Sunshine is a more vague “delectable layers of hop flavor”.

First thing noted is the difference in color - Little Sip being a paler, more straw color versus an amber hue to Sunshine. Both started pouring fairly clear, but gained equivalent haziness as the glass filled out. Little Sip had a stronger head overall.
Advantage: Little Sip

Aromas in Sip of Sunshine carried a little more punch initially - with a little more ripe fruit, while Little Sip carried a more beer-like APA vibe. Let’s drink down a little…

Unsurprisingly, Little Sip is lighter, with Sunshine being a tad stickier. Not sure if it’s just riper fruits or the alcohol poking through, but there’s more of a bite to Sip of Sunshine. Carbonation seems stronger in Little Sip, providing a different sharp feel.
Advantage: Little Sip

With some room to let the aromas bloom, I am getting a fair amount of similarities in the beers’ smells. Sip of Sunshine is a tad more tropical, with extra “ripeness.” Little Sip is a little more floral, with a melon lean drawing from the familiar, but lighter tropical notes. (Complete sidebar: why do Tröegenator and Trösten come up as auto-complete options when I type ‘t-r-o’?)

The overripe vibe is not one I, personally, am a huge fan of. This one is a close call, however, as the floral aspects of Little Sip are, at times, perfumy. In overthinking it, I’m going to say…
Advantage: barely Sip of Sunshine

Sip of Sunshine is a little sweeter, and the notes from the nose come through accurately. It stays tropical through most of the sip, then allows a classic IPA bitterness to settle things down in back. Little Sip starts more balanced, with the malt getting into the game more purely, I’d say. Not nearly as tropical, and again melon comes to mind. The ending is more pith than pine, though the latter builds up a little when I’m not alternating tastes. Or maybe there’s just less transition from sweet to bitter, I can’t decide. Either way:
Advantage: Sip of Sunshine


Okay, so the GF has stated, “the darker one has a little more flavor.” Apparently I agree with her to a degree. Does the extra 2 weeks of age in Little Sip (near twice as old) affect things in such a critical (or as much of one as I can muster) comparison? Eh, I’m not trying to be perfect here…

I just flat out enjoy Little Sip a bit more. They’re both great beers, and my BA rating for Sip of Sunshine will likely be a little higher. I actually do think “drinkability” is the key for me here, as discussed in the Overall less than Individual Scores thread.

Maybe you’d think differently; if you have access, it’d be fun to be keyed into what I missed

Edit: of course the GF had to remind me to cuvée these… actually pretty damn nice. Little dulled up front, but a lovely bitter back end. A relatively rare case of synergy in mixing beers!

 

Yeah, Rainier sold out (to Heileman) in 1977, before either Blitz-Weinhard or Latrobe sold to other macro breweries. But Heileman usually tried to maintain the regional brands' market when they took over a brewery. Certainly neither Rolling Rock or Rainier were anything like the original Henry Weinhard's Private Reserve but folks' beer choices are seldom so simple.

I recall that Pabst dropped one of their 2 former PNW flagship brands, but can never remember which one. (It was Olympia - ). Went to the Rainier Beer website to check out the latest. Sad to see Rainier Ale - once the greatest US ale west of the Mississippi (hell, west of the Alleghenies) - is still defunct. Interestingly, tho', Pabst is actually noting the Molson Coors breweries where their beers are being contract-brewed.

Of course, that likely will change once Pabst & City get the Irwindale brewery running at full capacity? (< Question mark necessary because one can never logically figure out Pabst's corporate decisions).

 

Thanks for the great write up. I thought Little Sip seemed a bit thin for its ABV when I picked up a 4 pack a few weeks back. Obviously it shouldn't be surprising for it to be thinner than Sip but it felt almost a bit session IPA-like to me, which was surprising given that it's still a solid 6%. I didn't do a head to head though so you have me very curious to revisit.

And I picked up their new (? I think ?) DIPA Kiwi this week and found it to have a bit too much of that overripe fruit vibe you mentioned. I'm not a fan of that either so I'd be curious to know what you thought if you come across it.

 

I’ve seen the Kiwi around but haven’t purchased any. I’ve also seen it posted on here a bit, so maybe I’ll grab on if I can find a single.

I’m at a stage where I do not enjoy the heavier makeup of double IPAs (or many NEIPAs) as much as I used to. I also am not a fan of watery beers. I didn’t find Little Sip too thin or watery, personally. But we all have different palates and I’d like to hear your assessment if you try them together at some point. It’d be a bit surprising, I guess, if somehow having it against a bigger beer would change your opinion, but you never know.

 

St. Bernardus Abt 12 vs. St. Feuillien Quadrupel

Backstory - St. Bernardus Abt 12 has long been the Gold Standard for me when it comes to Quads. Easily one of my top 5 beers. But recently I had the St. Feuillien Quad, and I was surprised by how much I liked it. I'm not surprised to like the St. Feuillien; I love their Saison. I just didn't expect their Quad to be at quite that level. So in order to find out whether it was really at the World Class level, I decided to do a blind taste-off with the Champ.

Process - I grabbed two identical glasses, and labeled the bottoms with tape and the name of the beer. I then poured each beer and let it rest. My wife then made me close my eyes and handed me each beer in succession. I tasted each several times before I looked at the tags.

Outcome - I've had the St. B probably 100 times at this point in my life, and it was fairly easy to tell which one was which. The St. B is much more complex: notes of cherry, raisins, caramel, and roasted nuts. The St. F is more caramel and slight chocolate notes with a hint of vanilla. But what it lacks in complexity, it makes up for in smooth drinkability. And mouthfeel, which is quite a bit fuller and more luxurious. They were noticeably different, but equally good.

In the end, the St. B is the more challenging and interesting beer. It makes you think and pay attention. But the St. F is more accessible. It's the sort of quad I would give to a German friend who has never had the style. It goes down so easily that it is almost dangerous. And as much as I have always considered the St. B as my favorite Quad, I might have to reconsider that...

 

There’s no set reason needed for doing a comparison in this thread, but I’m a bit of a sucker for the reason you had, @JHDStein - and I enjoyed the write up. Cheers!

 

Ok, so we have returned from our beercation to the great northeastern part of the US. I have a few known comparisons set up with the beer we brought back, but also might throw in some random ones as I feel it. This is one of those cases.

So upon return, I have shared one can of Hopzilla from Lawson's Finest Liquids with the GF. We both really enjoyed it and Double Sunshine at Lawson's, but we also shared a half pour there as we were heading out of town afterwards. That first Hopzilla back in the mid-Atlantic was good, but was a bit lesser than the on tap, at the place experience.

So, we had some IPAs that we liked that were bought before our trip. Purely as a check of which do I like more, I decided to compare Dankster's Paradise (7.1% with 7 hops) by Alpine Beer, a west coast IPA, against Hopzilla (8.7% undisclosed "high alpha hops" and dry-hopping). I gave these to the GF blind , I know what I am drinking...


So, the Alpine beer looked better to me the color and head. I will state the color is purely personal preference, with Dankster's Paradise being a lighter color to Hopzilla's more amber look. Both are actually fairly clear.

Dankster's Paradise is a little more "funky" in the nose - some of which could be hops, and some of which could be age (it is almost 2 months older). Hopzilla has a little more malt coming through in the form of light toast as well as a little sweetness.

<slams on brakes>

Ok, the GF is trying to convince me "the lighter one" smells like raisin bread to her. I don't think it's purely power of suggestion, but in looking for it, I think I see what she's talking about. It definitely doesn't remind me of raisin bread, but there is a little something I noticed that alludes to it.

She also said (unknowingly) that Hopzilla was more "beer-like" and that said description wasn't useful. She liked Hopzilla, the "non-cinnamon-y one" better.

<car back in drive...>

Hopzilla is a little less challenging aroma-wise, but also pleasing in its straightforward nature. Taste-wise, Dankster's Paradise is, in my opinion, showing a bit of its two months and a week of age, especially relatively. But it's also offering some interesting notes, again in the funky, beyond ripe fruit (citrus, mainly) with some dead flower notes. These sound bad, and aren't as much so as the words might indicate.

Hopzilla is much more staightforward (more beer-like??), toasted malt and a light pine and pith bitterness. It's not fruity or juicy; it's not bold or weak; it's not sweet or bitter; it's (you should see this coming), fairly balanced. Ok, it definitely works itself to the bitter side, but that come late and stealthily.

<re-enter side-story plot>

I gave the cans to the GF with a couple ounces each left in them and told her to non-blind figure out which she liked more. Her first thoughts were that Hopzilla was the "cinnamon raisin bread" beer. That piqued my interest highly.

Then she tried the last of Dankster's Paradise... and the look on her face was priceless. "Wait, now I'm thinking this is the raisin bread one. Maybe it's just in my head now?"

I tried to be a good proctor of the test, and told her to work through it. She ended up in a state that fit with what I originally described - she liked Hopzilla and Dankster's Paradise has a raisin bread taste to her. Could I have given unconscious clues?? I can't say no, but I was aware these exist and tried to not, so......

<cut back to reality>

Wait, I thought I said this was purely an enjoyment post.

Well, shit, that realization didn't make things easier. In their current states, Hopzilla is a better beer, IMO - easily. It's fresher.

I like Hopzilla more in this sitting, but it takes the slow roll bitterness to turn the tides. But if I had a fresher Dankster's Paradise?? I'm not very sure I'd have the same answer, at all.


Ok, @jonphisher - hopefully the length of this tome wasn't so diaappointing to you

 

Ok, such a nice day has me feeling happy and a bit adventurous. Decided to try an ad hoc side-by-side of Heady Topper, from the can and from a "perfect pint" glass. Just having a little fun with this one.


Well, comparing looks ain't gonna work, so moving on...

Right out of the can, or I should say while still pretty damn cold:
The aromas from the glass are more prevalent, and obviously it takes a little more effort to get into scents coming from the can. The open-aired container is a little more rounded and floral. The fruit notes stand out versus any other notes coming from the can. The can aromas actually seem a little more bitter in nature. This also seems to hold true in the taste - the can is a little sharper and bitter, the glass a little more floral and well-rounded.

At this point, I think I like the beer from the glass ever so slightly.

However, I believe one of Kimmich's arguments is that the end of the can is where his preferred technique works, so I'll have to take some pauses (including one here, not that you will be able to tell) and see what, if anything changes (and if I like it more).


After pausing for 15 minutes, the outside of each vessel is at ~57°
The aroma from the glass is less fruity, and a little more herbal/grassy and starting to lean bitter. It is lighter in strength, but so is what is coming from the can. The taste from the can has gained a little fruitiness and has moved towards the initial sips from the glass (though with less of what I am calling floral). The glass has gained a hint of lemon (replacing some vague tropical notes from before), and gained some bitterness.

The glass has a softer feel, and a slower transition to bitterness. The flavors are more similar than when I started this, but the stronger bitterness still presents itself to me from the can. It's much more of a toss-up now, but I think I am still ever so slightly digging the glass more.

Another pause. The GF said she wasn't noticing really any difference. I am going to reject her reality and substitute my own


After pausing 15 more minutes, the outside of each vessel is ~67°
The glass aromas require a little swish to really bring out a decomposing citrus rind bitter note - now absent the more floral or any tropical notes. The can isn't exuding aromas, either, but they are more similar to 15 minutes ago. The flavors of the can are mellowing a tad, now, and are between the flavors of the can and glass from the last check. The glass has a tad more malt sweetness up front, still backed by pith and herbal leaning pine bitterness, but the transition is longer.

I am finally liking the can slightly more. However, despite my laser thermometer's readings, the liquid in the glass seems a little warmer to me at this point.

I am also at the ends of both vessels. In the end, the beers had slight differences I was seeking out. Was I splitting hairs to find differences? I don't think so, but I can't say in trying to describe the differences, I might have led one to believe there were larger differences than those I noted.

In conclusion - I don't think I would be "doing it wrong" in either case. I think if I am going to drink a full Heady myself over an hour of time, I might follow the instructions and drink it from the can. If I am going to share the can, as I often will, I figure I might as well dirty another glass and open up things more quickly. If I decided to do not follow my own advice in either case, I'd still be enjoying a great beer.

 

I was lucky enough to be having lunch in the Westvleteren Restaurant when the staff wheeled in a trolley loaded with cartons of Westvleteren and started to sell them off. i bought a carton which cost me about Euro 20. They had just made a slight over production which they sell off over the counter on the rare occasion that it happens. On the journey home we stopped and purchased some St Barnardus 12 ABT. My Belgium Son-in-law and his brother and Father then joined me in a blind tasting. Even though it was my first trip to Belgium I had heard the story behind these two beers and was keen to check it out. Of the four of us not one could distinguish between the two with any degree of confidence. When one of us got it right we immediately give them a further test which they got wrong. In Australia I can not get my hands on Westvleteren but I drink St Barnardus often. I would have to say it is my favourite drop.

 

Welcome to the BA site and the forums. Enjoy your time here.

I'm curious how you got those beers back to Australia. In checked baggage or did you use a shipping service?

 

Thanks for the welcome. I bought the beers in Australia. I live on West Coast and had them sent over from NSW

 

Okay, I thought you had purchased Westy 12 in Belgium to ship home.

 

I'm taking a slight break from the Oktoberfest beers to try a new to me American adjunct lager, Lone Star, which became available here recently for order by the bottle. I figured it would be interesting to try it next to PBR to see what differences there are, if any. The abv of Lone Star is listed as 4.6% on a sticker placed on the back of the bottle by the importer, whereas for PBR it's 4.5% (we get a lower abv "Export" version). Both beers appear to have been brewed at the Golden brewery in Colorado, going by the code on the neck of the bottle. The PBR used to have a code which indicated it was made in Albany Georgia ever since it was first sold here several years ago.

Anyway, on to the tasting. My previous experience with PBR is that it has a really poor head retention and this holds true also in this tasting. The two beers were poured simultaneously but the Lone Star forms and holds a denser more stable head of foam. Colorwise the two beers are identical when held up against the light, in the picture it looks like PBR is darker.

Aromawise both beers are quite similar to each other, with a mild fruity and lightly sweet aroma. The mild fruitiness of the aroma carries over into the flavor of both beers, but interestingly enough Lone Star also has a slight hoppy flavor which is different from PBR. It's slight, but it's there (with PBR likely bottled in August and Lone Star in June I can't attribute the difference to the age of PBR). Both beers are, despite the apparent sweetness in the aroma, quite dry, and both beers are devoid of any bitterness. The body of both beers is light but I think Lone Star has a slightly creamier mouthfeel because of the difference in carbonation and foam between the two beers.

My take away from this tasting is that these two beers are indeed very similar recipewise, but that they are ultimately two different beers. The hop flavor and better head of foam of Lone Star are both dead giveaways. Perhaps the two are even related? Now, whether these differences are the same in the US versions I couldn't say of course but these are my findings.

 

Yes! It's the dryness of Pabst that makes it work for me, even seems to accentuate whatever hops are present. If I ever get around to doing a finals with AALs it will have earned a slot.

I haven't had Lone Star in a long while but remember preferring it to Dixie in a Cajun style joint where I used to hang out. Maybe I'll see if I can get those two again...

 

Both beers are very refreshing thanks to that dryness. I might wish that they had more malt and hop flavor, but there's no denying their thirst quenching quality.