Diacetyl bad?

I find that sometimes diacetyl flavor in a scotch ale is confused or mistaken for toffee/caramel notes from kettle caramelization.

 

It’s most definitely a negative to any beer, hate it.

 

Are there any Ales that are butter themed and taste like butter on purpose? You see that in the chardonnay world all the time. I havent noticed it in Ale but I love it in Wine.

 

Chardonnay Wine is known for having a buttery feel. This is not caused by diacetyl, it is from the fruity character of the Chardonnay grape.

As far as butter themed/flavored beer...be careful what you wish for.

 

I’ve had buttery Chardonnays, but they’re rare, I like French White Burgundys too, more flinty, minerals, dry. I like either in wines, but not in my beer.

 

There are common here. I cant believe I like something and its not rare. I think for Chardonnay it has something to do woth oak in second fermation im not sure. Anyway I love it I was drinking liquid popcorn

 

I had one Cali wine, and damn if I can remember the name, it was about a $25 bottle, and it was super creamy, it was super buttery, and really a very nice wine. Perhaps the best white I’ve ever had. Out of school I went to work for a French Company and damn they had no problem ordering $100 bottles of wine by the dozen, I got paid crap, but the food and wines were spectacular. In 1981 dollars too. I’m not much of an Oak person in my wines either, I love Big Red Zins, big and fruity, dry, very little barrel influence.

Bought a bottle at TW a white called simply Butter. It wasn’t , and it was pretty average at best, I wouldn’t buy it again. Butter compared to what? Tasted like a cheap Chardonnay.

 

I take it this is perhaps the weird off flavor I get from Rolling Rock? I believe you said creamed corn, but it’s a small step to something a bit buttery. Either way if it’s not super ice cold I can’t drink it anymore.

 

Rolling Rock is DMS, creamed corn.

 

Yep that’s it. I never has a RR and went creamed corn, it’s just usually a yuck. Not a sophisticated palate no doubt. I obviously can taste when a beers off, but I don’t say butter or corn, it’s just weirdly off.

 

Yes, we have had this discussion before. What you are tasting in Rolling Rock is DMS (Dimethyl Sulfide). And yes it does taste like creamed corn for my palate.

Cheers!

 

I was just drinking some Rolling Rocks over the Labor Day weekend and definitely got the hit of DMS; I found it to be fairly mild, and easy to take, myself.

Fwiw, the other beers at the party were Bud and Stella. Stella won hands down, but I'd still grab a Rock over a Bud.

 

Yeah, I've had Ringwood beers that are better than others but in general I just don't like the overall character of it.

 

You’d love red hook ESB

 

Count me in the minority that still enjoys Ringwood yeast. Gritty McDuff’s was once a favorite of mine back in the day (especially Halloween Ale, Christmas Ale and their ESB), they aren’t distributed in NJ and I haven’t seen them in MA in quite a while.

 

good observation. In the town I live in we have several new breweries, and I definitely get butter in their pa's/ipa's. I've always known there was something off about them, but this is probably what it is.

 

My taste buds must be completely 'blind' to diacetyl because I've never picked up a flavor even remotely like buttered popcorn in ANY beer I've had, including Pilsner Urquell and several Sam Smith's beers. Hope I never do, because that beer would have to be a true diacetyl bomb.

 

I've met people that can't pick it up. Even in obvious cases where I smell it from a foot away. Seems like a good problem to have as it's a pretty common off flavor. It's usually one people full on hate, too. If a beer has it, they tend to also have an odd slickness on the palate, too. Almost like it's slightly oily and coating the roof of your mouth. I've known people that don't smell/taste it, but still perceive that character.

 

I have a higher threshold, though some are blind to it. Is it bad? Must not be because so many love Samuel Smith's beers on here, and I almost always pick it up in those. Sam Smith's was used as an example of Diacetyl in a class I took, Rolling Rock was the DMS example.

 

Acceptable/sometimes desired in english styles. Not so much in american