No More Session Beers

You're just expanding your beer horizons. I think (hope) all craft beer drinkers do this at one point or another. Enjoy the ride!

 

I like to do this too, but I usually find myself buying a case of an IPA or some 6 pack of a flagship product in another style for everyday drinking - then I don't feel bad that I don't have a large amount of whales to go through.

 

This isn't even a discussion about what a session beer is. It's a discussion about somebody not knowing what he's talking about. Not a debate, but a correction.

OP: A session beer is not, according to any usage, UK, US, or otherwise, a brewery's flagship beer. Where the heck did you get that idea?

 

Yup - agreed. Those Rocheforts are getting borrrrrrrrring

 

That makes HT at 8% abv a session brew.

 

Are you referring to alcohol content?

If so, man, you're missing out on a lot of great beer and styles.

 

Are you showing off or simply stating what you consume?

 

Yeah, some forget that when we signed up for Beer Advocate, we had to agree to a disclaimer that said (to quote cute l'il Thumper in Bambi) "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."

Especially when you're almost asking for a correction by misusing a word common to the site.

 

You left off "craft beer/craft brewer"!

Granted, that one had a vague ("I know it when I taste it") definition until the Brewers Association created their controversial "official" one, complete with a sliding barrelage scale and loopholes about adjuncts and ownership.

 

So basically you're saying you have a very limited palate that can't appreciate anything more subtle than a tastebud throttling? Cool.

 

Tough crowd! Beyond the creative use of the term "session," the OP's emphasis on constantly trying something new rather than falling back on an Old Reliable is a worthwhile practice (and one obviously shared by many people here), not least because it can result in one's eventually having at least fifty Old Reliables on which to fall back.

 

your description of session beers sounds more like what I call flagship beers. Session beers, to me, mean low abv. for example I would say that Founder's All Day IPA is a session ipa vs. their centennial ipa

I think your definition of session beer is wrong.

 

Yeah, I know, but don't get me wrong - it's more of a "been there, done that" with a lot of lighter fare, and what I enjoy now is all between 6 and 8 typically. I do make an exception for wheats and lagers, but in general I'm into heavier beers at the moment.

 

I was meaning to tell you, or perhaps I already did in a BM whilst drunk, the Boat Session Ales you sent me were awesome. Absolutely loved them. I love quality session brews and this one killed it. At 4.2% it is a beer I could enjoy many of.

To the OP. I'm the exact opposite. I have found that I walk right past the one-offs and the rare beers (all of which seem to always be north of 9%) for the sessionable brews. Long Trail Ale, 'Gansett Bohemian Pils, SNPA, Mayflower Porter, etc. (not all "true sessions" I know, but sessionable to me at least). Seasonals have their place, especially Sierra Nevada Summerfest.

 

The only things I do in a session is read BA posts. and drink a beer. or watch tv.
I refuse to let time, limit my drinking.
Still I never forget being run out of the pub in the daytime in the UK, by some of them crazy laws they used to have...heck they even called time at like 10pm or before, that really sucked. lol
that was 2 sessions of time they were open......

just made us squids drink faster is all..

 

Glad you liked it. I will be picking up some more soon.
When I do, I will send you some more.

 

Don't do it man, this relationship's already way too one sided! Ha ha.

 

I know it sounds silly and doesn't make much logical sense, but I am not paying $10.99 for a six pack of 4% abv All Day when I can get a twelve pack of Torpedo for $12.99. I tend to avoid session beers because of the low abv/price ratio.

 

You are probably missing out on some great TASTING beers by buying based on cost/abv.

 

to me any beer under about 5.4% is not worth it to me at 1 to 1.50 a bottle.
of course we pay more for lambics all the time for the wife....