Bias for US Beer?

Call 'em as you see 'em is all I expect; I only blame myself for not being so diligent.

Getting back to your earlier post about getting mistreated Spaten or Urquell samples- as somebody who bought a lot of beer in NYC bodegas in my 20s, it's definitely happened that I've gotten bottles that were 'off' (and not lightstruck or oxidized, either)- either they have been overheated, or who knows what, becoming harsher one-dimensional versions of themselves. This stuff happens to them all, I'm sure.

Anyway- thanks in advance for those beers; I'm really looking forward to them.

 

The extreme-beer fetish is a bit much, really. DIPAs, barrel aged monsters, the instant rate boost for anything that starts getting into the crazy high ABVs, etc. People kind of overdo it as a badge of honor related to who can like the most intense stuff.

I'd be totally happy drinking nothing but sours/wilds/anything tart, IPAs and pale ales, saisons, and pilseners for the rest of my life.

 

Some people think it's better. Or cheaper. Or more hoppy, etc.

 

I seem to have a bias for good beer...

 

The latter is made by my local, yay! 'British soul with an American bite' - that pretty much sums up the ethos of a lot of new-wave British brewers at the moment. Ale brewed to suit British tastes but slightly exotic tasting. Oakham are great at that. You could say I have a bias for Oakham Ales.

 

Yeah some Germans make the trip fine, in my opinion. Weihenstephaner that I get on the shelves here is still one of my favorite wheats, and Celebrator is one of my favorite beers all around (but that's a super dark doppelbock that can age a bit). If those beers are better in Germany, well, then I can't wait to visit Germany!

 

I know this is not a good way to choose beers, but the harder it is to pronounce, the less likely I am to remember whether I read good or bad reviews of it, and the less likely I am to buy it. "Blazing World by Modern Times": easier to remember. "Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier by Baterische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan": harder to remember.

 

I can't attest to the numbers, but, at least in Brussels, it's on draught at the majority of bars. It's the go-to affordable lager, though Maes definitely has a strong presence as well. It's also my understanding that Stella Artois is really only popular in Leuven, where it's brewed.

 

I like supporting the breweries in my state and also the freshness is important to me

 

'British soul with an American bite': I like that motto!

In the Germany forum, Tony (@boddhitree) frequently posts reviews of hoppy beers that are made by German breweries. Many of these beers heavily use American aroma hops but the German breweries add their ‘touch’ by using German malts (some Munich malt for example) and augment the American hops with some the ‘new’ German hops.

I had the pleasure to drink Victory Mandarina Pale ale a little over a year ago. That beer featured the ‘new’ German hop Mandarina but they also used some German Malts to make this beer as well. I personally termed that beer as a German Pale Ale. Hopefully more German breweries will make beers like Victory Mandarina Pale Ale.

Cheers!

 

Oakham are a favourite of mine too, they are quite easy to get which is handy. Always have a great pithy bitterness to them and are very moreish