Lagers: Funny how tastes change over time

The beer "circle of life."

Welcome back! And just in time for festbier season.

I actually enjoy my less frequent foray back to those bigger beers even more now. The transition has also been better for the waistline!!

 

Get some Hamm's.

 

I've been drinking a lot of lagers this Summer, more than usual, and really loving them. As for recommendations, Jack's Abby makes some great lagers. I always have their House Lager in the fridge. This year's Copper Legend was very good and I thought Shipping Out Of Boston was great.

I see you're a Von Trapp fan, I'm right there with ya. If you haven't tried their Dunkel give it a go it's pretty fantastic. Schilling's Alexandr 10 was also very good.

Now I'm just waiting for Ayinger's Octoberfest to show up...

 

Lagers are always wonderful to come back to.

If you get a chance, head to Notch in Salem, MA. They do online ordering and their beer garden is open currently (don't need reservations). The Standard pilsner on draft is a thing of beauty.

There's also Schilling in Littleton, NH. They distribute around the state and into Mass. Alexandr is an outstanding Czech pilsner but any of their lagers are good.

 

I’ve been on that Pils train for almost two years now, and right now its the occasional IPA. It’s a very pleasant change from challenging the palate with every beer, and there’s so many good ones out there in a few different styles, no two are quite the same. I drift back to AALs very easily in the heat or when I’m grilling, just seems right, sometimes a cold AAL is just right.

 

I feel like discovering the wonderful world of lagers is like the red pill and blue pill in the Matrix, with the red pill showing you lagers.

“This is your last chance. After this there is no turning back. You take the blue pill, the story ends. You wake up and find yourself standing back in line waiting for the latest New England IPA. You take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes. Remember, all I'm offering is the truth. Nothing more.”

 

Your story sounds much like mine. I could’ve made an identical post about six or so years ago. If you follow in my footsteps then you’ll all but abandon big stouts and ipas some day. I’ll have those beers only a few times a year at this point. They still are great (well, the good ones are great), but I’d rather spend my money and calories on well made lagers with subtle flavor profiles. As for recommendations, anything from jacks abby, especially now as their Octoberfest is out (Copper legend). And be sure to check out lagers from some of the classic breweries, like aecht shlenkerla helles and weinstepaher original.

 

Amazing!! A better analogy has never been made

It really is like wonderland you’re right. Never ending beautiful, affordable, and drinkable beers that will never get old. Cheer to beer, lager or not!

 

For whatever reason I had always ignored these. The whole eat local thing got me into beer so I guess I had an anti import thing when I first got into beer. But man you are right there is something special about these beers. So many of them are still new to me and all the date codes figuring out how old they are annoys me but it’s also kind of fun. I have to try Weihenstephan original still. Had pils, Hefeweizen, and festbier. The festbier has been one of my favorite/most memorable beers I’ve had this summer/fall. Any other recommendations?

 

Drink local:

“Schilling Beer Co.

18 Mill St, Littleton, NH | (603) 444-4800

“Schilling specializes in European style lagers and ales. I’ve only had about four or five of their beers since they started distributing to New York, all of them lagers, but each one was flawless. I have a lot of respect for a brewery that is able to thrive in a market of beers riddled with adjuncts and gimmicky hopping techniques. Schilling Beers are clean, true to style, and leave me wanting more each time I have one. I can’t wait to visit the brewpub next time I head up North.”

https://www.hopculture.com/most-underrated-hidden-gem-breweries-2020/

Cheers!

 

If you ever find Ayinger Jahrhundert Bier get it. Nothing overly exciting, just a really good beer imo.

 

But be sure to find it fresh. Old stock can give this beer a bad rep.

 

Have had it and remember enjoying it a lot @steveh and @StoutElk_92 it was also after I knew how to decode those damn bottles too...I’m gonna see how old they are now next time I go shopping I’ll revisit if it’s not super old.

 

Welcome to the good side.

And just wait. You’ll get into nuance and discover flavor profiles you’ve never experienced. You’ll discover preferences you never thought you’d have: Czech v German, pale lagers v dark lagers.

Then you’ll get even deeper into the refinement and delicacies of other styles and you’ll be a saisonboi posting on #saisonsaturday

 

Celebrator doppelbock is a must for me during the winter. And fresh Pilsner urquell might be the greatest thing ever.

Also, and I know this a thread about lagers, but if you appreciate subtly and a classic style made very well, fresh Timothy Taylor Landlord is incredible.

 

For a simply terrific beer that’s just easy and clean drinking, nothing fussy here then Old Mecklenburg Copper Alt is absolutely unbeatable. It turns here really fast too.

 

Fresh PU here is 4 months old and that’s a rarity, and a buy. Most however are 6 plus months, the push to locals is widening the age gap on imports imo and from what I can readily date.