Revisiting "Drink From the Can!"

Kind of the way I see it to. What argument?

If you don't like to, then don't do it, nobody is holding a gun to your head and nobody is going to care if you do

It's a good beer just enjoy it.

 

But I think both you and I would agree that there might be some value in hypotheticals that don't come to pass.

 

My only 'answer' here is for you to visit The Alchemist brewery and have a conversation with John Kimmich. If you are like some BAs even this 'answer' would be insufficient since they would not believe anything coming out of John's mouth.

Cheers!

 

I don't believe the sole purpose of the "drink from the can" is to hide the appearance.

 

One can be honest and incorrect at the same time.

This is one case where we really don't have enough information to determine what is actually accurate and a blind tasting would probably be very hard to set up given that the sense of touch would have to be controlled for as well.

 

Huh? That's the best part!

 

How often do you see people drinking high end wine straight from the bottle?

 

If you drink from the can you cannot smell the beer at all. That is a good reason to use a glass. I poured heady topper into a glass after a took a sip or two from the can. It did not look terrible if I remember right. At some point you have to admit that something does not look good. keeping the beer int he can is not the answer and some of the extra hazy IPA's I have had were not ugly or peppered with white snow globe stuff.

Morning.

 

Me either, but I do believe that "it tastes better that way" isn't one of the real reasons he did it.

 

Take a read of this:

https://mindhacks.com/2006/11/16/two-smell-systems-in-the-human-brain/

I'd say there is a very real possibility he's being quite honest but also basing his recommendation on the way his own sense of smell operates.

 

I find this your most compelling point. The list of reasons I have that make it least likely this idea that John Kimmich had a eureka moment when he first tasted Heady from a can, especially after spouting the gospel of JK that Heady must never enter a growler, but be consumed from glass only to get the true enjoyment, and maybe even shouted out, "At last I have found how Heady is supposed to taste!", is so long I won't waste the space in this thread to put them down.

 

For me personally there is something appealing about drinking these big hop bombs straight from the can. Could well be totally in my head - there is nothing factual (other than it being my preference) to back this - but something about the way it goes directly into my mouth just really works. Though - disclaimer - I've never been a big swirler/sniffer for any beer. But I'd say about 50/50 is my ratio of can vs decant for canned (A)(D)(I)PA. Every other type of beer gets poured.

But having Heady with its instructions as the beer has no bearing. That whole drink from the can has always bugged me.

 

I agree - although I don't know the kinetics, I can't believe the beer lasts long enough in the glass for oxidation to have a noticeable effect. And for me, appearance in the glass is all part of the enjoyment.

 

There's one thing more I left out of the above (probably just as well :-)).

The sense of smell in most folks works through two sources, the aromatics that come in through the nose (i.e., the ortho nasal) and the aromatics that come up the back part of the palate/throat when we put the stuff into our mouths (i.e., the retro nasal). I came across some stuff a few years back that indicated that the effects of each of the two sources of aromatics can be sensed somewhat differently (i.e., the strength and effects of some stimuli are different, depending on their source) even when they are the same aromatics.

 

If John was so serious about the "drink from the can" motto, then why does the Alchemist sell a plethora of Teku and Spiegelau glasses at the brewery?

 

The first time I had a Bourbon Barrel Stout, I drank it cold from the bottle (OK, not a can - but a container). I found the bourbon so overpowering that I vowed never to have another. Folks on the BA forums urged me to try it slightly warm and from a glass - which mutes the bourbon somewhat and brings out the other flavors. Now BB stouts are my favorites. While I suppose there may be beers that are better from the container, I expect most aren't.

 

I don't know what to tell people when they think this? If this was on any product owned by AB-Inbev, everyone here would say how much of a gimmick this is. It would be just as much BS if Steve Jobs said that you get the best audio experience by listening to the really bad speakers on the MacBook, instead of connecting it to what ever high quality speaker system you have.

Using a glass will always enhance the sensory experience, and give a you a picture of the actual quality, good or bad. If breweries want to hide a flaw, or don't want to show that "hazy" nature of their beer, thats on them.

 

As one who gets my hand on about 12-16 cans a year, I cannot fathom choosing to sip my HT out of the can. Did it a few years back and immediately had to ask why.

I am curious why no others I know of (and likely there are a few of the >4000 craft breweries that do ) suggest the same with theirs?

And oxidation?--give me a break.

Just save some ink and take it off.