Michael Jackson's World-Class Beers

That's why I pick up 4 packs of Guinness FES. I want flavour, dammit, and it delivers.

 

Never had bottle conditioned Guinness (obviously) but completely agree on "nitro travesty" part. Having had Young's Double Chocolate Stout in both (carbonated and nitro) formats, and many other beers in nitro format, I really really don't see any damn reason why would someone want to ruin a perfectly fine beer :-/

Edit: bitterbill is right. FES >>> Nitro Guinness!

 

I'd make the distinction between Rodenbach and Rodenbach Grand Cru....night and day, IMO.

Secondly, I can think of at least 4 other BSDAs better than Chimay Blue, even though it is very good for the style.

 

The Ontario Beer Store still lists a Guinness Extra Stout brewed in Canada by Labatt.
http://www.thebeerstore.ca/beers/guinness-extra-stout

And in the US, all the Guinness Extra Stout now comes from Canada- sometimes from Labatt, sometimes from Moosehead. (We were still getting some Irish GES up until around 2000 or so).

IIRC, the US-sold GES is supposed to be a different version than Canada's domestic version- it used to be said to be 5.5% vs. 5% but US labels don't list the ABV last time I looked.

 

I couldn't agree more with Rainier and Ballantine IPA. The Prior Double Dark was unobtainable for me; I had no trading partners back then.

 

I agree that Pilsner Urquell was once a top brew. But just forgetting the green bottle for a moment, 1993 was the year of rekoning when the fermentation began to use the single H-strain of yeast, the open steel fermentors were replaced and so were the oak and beechwood conditioning barrels in favour of stainless steel tanks.

What we have now is brewing vandalism of the hghest order.

 

Thanks for explaining the reason in detail. /me loves it when that happens.

 

Considering how truly awful Canadian Guinness is, this is one of those rare occasions when I wish I had remained blissfully ignorant about the staus of Canadian Guinnness,. No offense jesskidden.

 

Agreed on the PU, and it was quite the beer before then. I also believe that Guinness Extra, Salvator and Chimay Blue have lost quite a bit of character through the years. Other than that the list in the OP is pretty damn solid by me

I have the 1996 edition handy, but only perused the American section to see what a difference two years made. This time there are 7:
Geary's Hampshire Special Ale
Celis White
Anchor Steam
Anchor Liberty Ale
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot
Alaskan Smoked Porter

(maybe I shouldn't have done it, because now I'm pining for the original Celis White...)

 

Excellent Thread. I miss Michael Jackson. I think he would be proud and happy about the beer scene in the U.S. these days. Love watching him on you tube to this day. If we only had a $1 for everytime we all uttered... "No, NOT that Michael Jackson!"

Mean to add... Sorry, I've never understoof the Geary's Ale listed.

 

I guess Thomas Hardy's Ale need not be included anymore either (since sadly it's not made anymore).

 

Here is his list of best American beers from 2002
http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-001726.html

 

I think it speaks volumes about these brewers by just how representative the list still is, including the U.S. beers. Brewing is an art form and I hope the current breweries do not take that for granted. Experimentation is great, as long as the intent is well placed.

 

What is interesting to me is that in the currnet time where so many breweries are releasing new and limited beers that generate so much hype, Jackson held many of the same beers in high regard for 10+ years.

 

I probably still rotate thru the majority of the German beers on that list.

I recently revisited the Sam Smith OS and rated it for my collection, one of my 2 5s.

 

By whom? BA members who don't understand the style? Part time drinks writers who enjoy MGD more than any other beer they write about? Hop heads who think all beers should be hop forward? Dunno, I have it now and again and enjoy it to style, as I do Urquell. I guess that the old originals are just subject to disdain and ridicule from the young upstarts who all know beer better than those who have been brewing it (and enjoying it) for centuries.

Funny, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale seems to have less bitterness to my palate than it did in '86, but the recipe hasn't changed... think maybe it's my (our) palates? With all the IBU monsters out there, the playing field is definitely different from the mid-80s.

 

There are few beers that I dislike, but I despised Anchor Steam. It tasted like a worse version of natty light or natty ice. Maybe I had a bad batch.

 

Easily one of the worst beers you can remember? I know this is presumption, but maybe you never tried Coors Light, Busch, Old Milwaukee, Olympia... because I know that I'd certainly take a Canadian-brewed Guinness Extra over any of those and be pretty happy.

In fact, I'm sure I did back then -- and I was!

 

I think you were getting some very old Anchor Steam.