Favorite session beers?

Agree. Just this evening, I tried for the first time Bitter American (21st Amendment), and found it to be thin, watery, with unpleasant hops, mostly citrus. It wasn't so much the citrus I found disagreeable, it was the lack of malts to balance it and the generally unpleasant aftertaste. Surly's Bitter Brewer, although also overly hopped for a bitter, is much better for a session. I can't imagine drinking more than 1, maybe 2, of the Bitter Americans at a session.

 

Drinking a Session Ale is like putting Premium gas into your sports car to drive 25 MPH.

 

Not to get too mathematical (but I'm going to), a dozen 16 oz. 3% abv beers is equivalent to 9.6 standard beers (standard here being a 12 oz. 5% abv beer). Over the course of 5 hours or so, that's not too bad. In addition to that, while it may be the same amount of alcohol, it's 72 oz. more of water. It's diluted more without having to ask the bartender for a glass of water with each drink.

To be fair, I feel "a dozen or two" pints in a night is a bit much, and is exaggerated for this conversation. The 4% abv cut-off is also related to a Scientific American article (one which I lost when the website changed unfortunately) that detailed the amount of alcohol in a beer in which the drink is still slightly hydrating. There's a tipping point in the ratio of alcohol to water in a drink when the beer ceases to hydrate the individual.

Finally, anyone who has sampled multiple pints of properly treated English cask will understand how these beers improve with each pint. This can apply for other styles as well. @herrburgess recently expressed his experiences with Schlenkerla's Maerzen. He said it isn't until his fourth pint that the smokiness begins to take a backseat, and the more complex bready characteristics of a Maerzen pull through.

 

Prairie Bomb. only around 14%abv and $5.99 for a 12 oz bottle.

 

No, No PawPaw's Citra Melon 4 sure it's great. A good session beer can drink all day.

 

How is 14% a session beer?

 

Session beers are like.... many percents lower than that

 

you have 1 per session....

 

Kane Ripple. So much flavor, and the taste reminds me of Hill Farmstead-like freshness.

 

Its at its most amazing fresh from the cask. No doubt in my mind.

 

Cool

 

+1

Still waiting on a brewer around here to produce such a beer. With all the "Imperial this" and "Imperial that" being all the rage, I suspect it will be a long wait. Quite sad, actually.

 

I think he got you.

 

The umbrella group of "session beers" seems to be growing in popularity. Breweries like Firestone Walker, 21st Amendment, Odell, have all made them. Are you a fan of sessionable versions of styles like IPAs? What are your favorites?

A few of my favorites include Bitter American, Bitter Brewer, All-Day IPA, and Levitation Ale.

 

Adnams Bitter.

 

I tend towards low gravity beers. English Mild Ales, English Pale Ales, Blonde Ales, and Helles Lagers are some of my faves.

 

I always have my eye out and mouth open for a good session brew. Most of the time, I go without.

 

Founders All day or Daytime by Lagunitas

 

Well those were the 2 I was going to say. With Cycle Fixie as my #1 beer, session or not.

 

I prefer Stone Go to IPA and SN Nooner