Drinking from the can...a good idea?

The only thing you're losing in drinking from the can is the nose, the taste should be identical. Of course, aroma influences taste, so my previous statement is already corrupted. I think the "beer from a can tastes metalic" thing is all in people's heads. I am not saying you didn't taste what you say you did, but I think it is impossible for the can to impart any of it's flavor into the beer, kind of like eating from a spoon or a fork doesn't taste metalic.

 

Remember that you're also putting your mouth up to a can that likely has not been washed and has been handled by multiple people and been in contact with who knows what else.

 

According to Sam Adams, their new $1,000,000 can-in-the-making defies all logic and makes slightly above average beer taste like the tears of angels.

But seriously, the only beer I drink from a can would be Heady (alternate between glass and can, and only because they say to use can) and BMC beers. Personally, I enjoy the process of pouring the beer, watching the head form, taking in the aromas, etc. A can just seems so... I don't know... rushed? Like you're more concerned with guzzling it down than actually enjoying what it is that makes craft beers good.

That too. I know the glasses I use at home are sanitary.

 

I love cans as a vessel for storing beer but not drinking out of since when you drink your nose is right up against the can and that's what I smell and smell is of course linked to taste so...

 

I usually pour my beer out of the can because I like to look at it and smell it. That said, I have no problem drinking straight from the can if I don't have a glass handy. I've never had a problem with it.

 

My only experience with this is Heady. I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is a COMPLETELY different beer out of the can compared to from a glass. I had to have ~5-6 friends and family sip it side by side from both a glass and the can to see if it was just me being fooled by what it says on the can, but every single person agreed that it tasted incredibly different! The thing that blew me away about it the most was the fact that it actually tasted BETTER from the can as advertised! I really don't understand the science behind it, and if it wasn't for so many others saying the same thing without knowing all the hype/lore surrounding this I would have just chalked it up as my brain being fooled by what I had read/heard.

 

not entirely true. the act of pouring a beer has a small impact on how it tastes. the agitation that occurs when you pour a beer gets the beer to "open up" for lack of a better term, which is why heady topper tastes better in the can--pouring it gets it to open too much.

 

All depends on your location/intention for said beer. If you're going to give a critical analysis of the beer you should probably pour it out. If you're tailgating, BBQing, playing bocce I most likely will be drinking from the can or gasp red plastic cup.

 

“Next time, Ill do a side by side.”

I only had one can of Heady Topper so the only way I could a side by side was to pour half into a glass and drink half from the can. I was shocked that I preferred drinking this beer from a can. Prior to conducting this ‘experiment’ I would have advocated: you have to drink hoppy beers from a glass to obtain all of the wonderful hop aroma.

I never could get my head around the fact that I preferred Heady Topper from the can. The explanation mentioned of “heady topper tastes better in the can--pouring it gets it to open too much” is plausible but why would it be opened too much via the pour? I enjoy drinking other hoppy beers (e.g., Ithaca Flower Power, Bell’s Two Hearted, Firestone Walker Union Jack, etc.) from a glass but in all fairness I have never had those beers from a can. I suppose I could conduct an ‘experiment’ of Dale’s Pale Ale doing a side by side tasting. Has anybody conducted a Dale’s Pale Ale side by side tasting (can vs. glass)?

Cheers!

 

I'll echo SadMachine's feelings in terms of Heady. I've always drank from the can as indicated but I drank it from a glass for the first time this past weekend and it tasted very different, and not as good to me. But I'm going to do a head to head this weekend for further research.

In regards to other canned beers:
BMC = can
Craft = glass

 

Good call. Actually, SN Pale and Dale's Oskar are fine in can, 90% of time pour everything in a glass.

 

not exactly sure but heady has a comparatively high level of volatile compounds that are more easily lost when pouring? dale's is a great beer but i dont think there's as much for that beer to lose by pouring.

 

I generally prefer to pour into a glass, but there's a time and place for everything. If I'm out in a canoe, I'm drinking my Pikeland Pils straight from the can.

However, in terms of Heady, let's be honest: it's just an ugly-ass beer. It's of course a world-class beer, but who wants to see all that particulate matter floating around in their glass? Some maybe, but I wonder if one of the reasons it's supposed to be consumed from the can is simply its appearance.

 

I still get a good amount of aroma out of the heady can. And I drank a Dales the other day out of the 19.2 oz and it tasted great. Haven't done a side by side with either.

 

“ …heady has a comparatively high level of volatile compounds that are more easily lost when pouring?” Hmmm, I suppose that is a good theory. I would think that beers like Ithaca Flower Power, Bell’s Two Hearted, Firestone Walker Union Jack would have high levels of volatile compounds as well; unfortunately those beers are not available in cans so you can’t really replicate the exact same side by side test as for Heady Topper.

I think this is an interesting beer appreciation video with Jim Koch which discusses the importance of pouring a beer (granted a bottled beer) into a glass to fully appreciate aspects like aroma (which greatly relates to taste). There is no doubt that Boston Lager is not as complex as Heady Topper but Boston Lager is generously hopped with Hallertau Mittelfrueh and Tettnang Tettnanger Noble hops.

Cheers!

 

I can't say whether or not it's a good idea, but my dad scolds the dog whenever she drinks from the can. I'll let you all consider that...

 

Perhaps all the floaties that are disrupted when you pour impacts the flavor as well? And you don't taste the "floaties" when you simply crack open the can and consume. But you said you poured it half and half, so anything on the bottom would be mixed in the can and the glass correct?

Maybe pouring it into the glass and allowing it to settle for a bit would change the flavor profile?

This could also be that everyone has it in their head that it tastes "better" directly from the can. Your mind is a powerful thing. I always counter with, does that mean it's not the number one beer on Beeradvocate when it's on tap?​