Drain Pours

I had a bad Hoegaarden at a restaurant last week as it was skunky. They poured it down the drain.
I think I have had 2 beers that I would not drink so far this year due to bad taste and I am trying a lot of new beers, so I guess my "beer average" is good!

 

I bought a 4 pack of this late last year. It was my first time trying it. I had read many good reviews about it. I don’t know if it was me, but it just didn’t taste quite right. It literally left a “bad taste “ in my mouth!

 

Ever have brownies, chocolate cake, etc, made with sour cream? I do like those, but a similar taste in this beer led me to dump the last one. Still have 3, in case it was just that moment, but I'm not hopeful . I do wonder if it is infected, or something happened to this batch or shipment.

 

Haven't drain poured myself as of yet, but I had a weirdly skunky Lunar Transit IPA from Epic Brewing last spring.

Left an odd dankness in my mouth hours afterward and haven't had one since

 

I have a friend who reported something similar. Sour Cherry, i believe, is how he described it.

I think the beer has a very pronounced oak tannin....at least that's how it comes off to my palate? I noticed as much in the 2021 and 2022 versions.

I'll add...I like the beer. The tannin (?) character is quite unique, though.

 

I don't drain pour often. But if it's infected, or simply isn't good (poorly made beer, or just something I don't like) I'll dump it out. I figure, the cost is sunk whether I drink it or not. And, if I'm going to be consuming alcohol, which is objectively bad for me, why would I do so if I don't even like it?

The level of beer on the market these days has really elevated. It's rare I find a truly "bad" or poorly made beer (at least to my palate).

 

I'm careful in choosing the beers that I bring home, and it's been probably 20+ years since I dumped one that was infected.

However, it's hard to be careful when drinking beers not at home, i.e. visiting breweries, and most of the ones that I've recently visited are close to home and newly opened. (I've already been to all of the others that have been around a while.) Sometimes breweries open before they have their recipes dialed in, and they trust their family members and friends who aren't honest with them or don't know how to judge a beer to know any better. New breweries are much better nowadays when opening with good beers, but I still run into a bad beer(s) occasionally. Unfortunately I don't have access to a drain for proper treatment for these stinkers, so I give it the polite treatment and leave the beer on the table. I have occasionally been able to tell the bartender or brewer about the beer, even to the point that one bartender tasted it, agreed that there was an issue with quality (strong diacetyl in this case), and took that beer off line.

 

Reading all these comments affirms what I noticed as well when I purchased the 2021 version of this beer. The Four Roses variant seems quite divisive and carries some polarizing flavors not usually found (or desired) in beer.

 

Bottle Logic - Scatter Signal ( they add KRAFT Jet Puffed) wtf!?
Highland Park Brewing - 2021 Griffith ( with vanilla) and this years BA Griffith

Both were like eating bottom tier refined sugar "pastries" from ralphs or something so sweet it causes stomach ache.

 

I don't think I have ever done a drain pour. I've had beers I didn't care for, but I still drank it and then drank something better right afterwards. Not sure why anyone would want to take a picture of them pouring money down the drain or remembering a bad beer. If you only remember the good beers you've had and forget the bad ones then you may be happier in life.

 

You're tripping.

Bad ones make you appreciate the good ones a bit more.

Good times. Bad times.

 

Did you ever eat something that just wasn’t good, so you quit eating it? Did you ever start watching a movie or reading a book that didn’t grab you, so after a few minutes or a few pages you just decided to stop? Beer is no different. Sometimes you just get a bad one. There’s no prize for drinking it anyway. Cut your losses and move on.

 

Anyone who's had this variety pack can attest that these are all worthy drain pours. It might as well be called the Nyquil cough medicine tasting IPA variety pack.

 

I guess that makes some sense as you won't know what is bad until you've had it. If a brewery makes bad beer I don't try to remember why it was bad, I just don't buy anything from them and move on as there are so many choices.

 

Beer is different as the alcohol will affect you the same regardless of whether it is good or bad. Ever watch people take shots? Most people will wince after drinking it. Why do you think people take shots? If they wanted to enjoy it they would just sip it, but they just want the effects. A bad beer will still relax you and then you can follow up with a good beer to slowly enjoy. If the alcohol effects is not a part of the reason you have beer then you just shouldn't drink it at all. There are so many other things you could be drinking at Jamba Juice and Starbucks. Or maybe just stick to NA beers.

 

My last drain pour was Desperate Times Black Forest Schwarzbier.
I contacted the brewery and they concluded that they had an infection on the canning line and a batch got tainted.
Just FYI, a lacto fermented Schwarzbier wasn't totally horrible, but it was definitely a bit sour and way off for the style.
They comped me a fresh 4pk at my local beer store. It was much better.
So, what I'm saying is that if you get an infected beer, contact the brewery with the batch number or bottling date, place and day of purchase and most breweries will try to make it right with you. At least they should.
Beer is alive, things happen.
I've had my share of gushers in my day, not just Belgians.
I had a whole case of Weyerbacher ESB back in the '90's that all foamed over when opened. It still tasted fine so I didn't complain.

 

I may have felt that way when I was young, when the alcohol effect was the main reason. But I don't drink beer for the alcohol effects anymore. I only drink one or two beers in a day, sometimes none at all. Sorry I nitpicked your post for one line, but it just rubbed me wrong, I guess. Suggesting that a person shouldn't drink beer at all if the alcohol effect isn't one of the motives.

 

It's not like you didn't have ample warning.