Esquire: Why the "Session" Beer Trend Makes Zero Sense

It seems to me that what the BMC drinker dislikes the most about craft is the hops.

 

Of course there is a different flavor. No doubt. But I don't understand the concept of "more flavor" in general. Something may have more intense, pronounced, pointed flavor, but how can something have simply more flavor? And why does more flavor automatically correlate with better flavor?

A session IPA has a different taste than a regular IPA, as the malt character, in my opinion, is just not there. Personally, I don't think IPA's are a good style to turn into a session beer, as there just isn't the malt to hold up against the hops. Nevertheless, a 4% Helles and a 11% stout, in my world, both have lots of flavor. One has more intense flavor, but not simply "more flavor." And the stronger beer, in this case and in my view, is absolutely not tastier than the lower abv one. Does that make sense? I fear I am not explaining myself well here.

 

You don't choose a beer so that you can drink multiples of it. That's fine. But making the connection that people who choose a beer because they can drink multiples of it doesn't mean they aren't still choosing the beer for taste. It's not just about the tossing self-control into the wind (a bit), though that is certainly an element of the choice. It's also about what you don't want to drink. A huge stout is tasty, in the same way that cured and smoked pork belly is tasty. I enjoy it, but after a little of it, there's only so much my taste buds can handle. The element of wanting more of a beer doesn't, in my view, cheapen the importance of its taste.

 

I agree wholeheartedly. All I am saying is that there is a difference between seeking out the best tasting thing regardless of ABV and targeting an ABV and trying to make the best tasting thing inside that threshold. As in any experiment when you add new requirements you achieve new restrictions. I think that many of the best sessionable beers were not made in this way but just happen to taste best in their lower ABV form, but we are seeing some horrid examples of session beers come out now because producers are desiring that session label and making ABV level the initial goal and other things like flavor secondary.

 

One more time: Cheers to @Nick_Bousquet for his thoughtful and well written posts!!

 

I completely agree that brewers are trying to cash in on the "session beer thing" and that there's a lot of crappy examples (ie the session IPAs I mentioned above to @JackHorzempa ). Nevertheless, that Weinstephaner Pils was great long before this craze took off. I like the taste of that beer plain and simple. THe fact that I can have multiple is a bonus.

 

You could also make the (abstract) case that beers with more flavor are constraining because you can't have as many of them as you can a more subtlely flavored beer.

 

Absolutely, and I've tried to express that there are many low ABV offerings I also love the taste of. I have just been trying to explore the realities of the definition and the variance in outcome once new variables are added. I truly do believe that many beers take their best possible form in a lower ABV, but I really think that semantics and the term session are getting in the way here and causing much of this dissent.

 

Very true and I've not tried to argue for more flavor, only better flavor which is of course a subjective offering and so I attempt to measure via intent.

 

Thanks again for your compliments. I've wanted to "like" your posts as a show of thanks and to return the favor, however liking something that praises me seems weirdly self-serving and ego driven so I could not bring myself to do it. Anyhow, cheers comrade and thanks again for your kind words!

 

I think that beers with higher ABV can have as many flavors as a lower ABV beer. As an example, below is something I posted in a past thread for Freigeist Bierkultur Hoppeditz which has an ABV of 7.5%.

Beer No. 3: Freigeist Bierkultur Hoppeditz

This beer is a Sticke Alt that was brewed in Koln (Cologne). This is only the second time that I have had an Alt that was brewed in Koln. I asked the bartender about this and he educated me that Freigeist means Free Spirit in German. This beer was OUTSTANDING! In the parlance of Tony (@@boddhitree) this beer was WOW-WOW-WOW. There was so much complexity in this beer. There were some subtle smoke flavors but tons of dark malt flavors going on simultaneously: toasty, woody, licorice, toffee … plus some spice & a tiny bit of fruitiness. There is so much going on here (in a good way) that I can’t really do justice to this beer in describing it. This beer has more layers than Shrek! This beer is worthy of a review by Tony. I am sure that Tony would appreciate the complexity of this beer.

Cheers!

 

People, we have all been trolled. The joke has been on us THE WHOLE TIME.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Goldfarb

 

10 pages in, and Czech beer has been mentioned 2 or 3 times. Nothing going on there in terms of low gravity flavorful beer.

 

Yo - don't be talking shit about Maine Beer Co

 

We're too busy trying to quantify overall beer quality based on the completely unmeasurable variable of "best flavor" to worry about actual delicious session beers

 

Um... yeah. Maine Beer Co isn't really craft, is it?

 

So what do you mean by "full strength"? That's a very relative term. Is an excellent British cask bitter at 4.3% less than full strength? Are you implying full strength = high abv, and anything less than that doesn't taste as good?

 

Lower ABV does not imply weaker flavor.

The word 'Session' does, though.

 

Agreed, flavor is all that matters to me with beer. The alcohol is a side effect that can be enjoyable. Quality over quantity.

 

And the label Russian Imperial Stout is derived from a style of beer sent to and enjoyed by Russians. Does that mean brewers are constrained because they are attempting to brew a beer best enjoyed in Russia? Just because a term sticks because of typical use in a historical context does not make it a requirement.

Most beers end up within the category due simply to being balanced and complex without overwhelming the palate, as well as being lower in alcohol. This allows the easy consumption of multiple beers, if one so chooses. This in no way implies the beer is less enjoyable if only one is consumed. Most session beers and the culture are European by tradition. Just because a few American brewers are trying to force the so called session IPA into the category does not mean these few brewers represent the primary focus of most.