Lost Tastes

Very true. Speaking mostly about that which is available from small, local breweries, as to the "few and far between" comment.

Simply that it's difficult to make it it's own thing instead of just a slightly less alcoholic quad/BSDA

 

6.2% ABV? Um. OK America, I'm considering taking back my "like" for @TongoRad 's post because I don't think you're really up to the task.

 

I thought I told you to quit buying those DDH Dubbels.

Maybe it's actually just difficult for brewers to make a quad it's own thing rather than just a slightly more alcoholic dubbel.

 

Some people would actually argue that there's no such thing as a Quad, and those are only high gravity Dubbels, anyway.

 

Whether or not you're fully on board, I think using the term Grisette to signify a low gravity 'farmhouse' style beer isn't such a bad thing; at least it's usually going to be what I'm looking for in my glass.

 

For me, I think it was IPAs. Around college or sometime near after, I really enjoyed IPAs. I then went on a streak of enjoying fruity wheat ales and not really liking IPAs. I have been back on the IPA train since probably 2014-2015? It's definitely a great time to be enjoying IPAs, that's for sure!

 

Truly?
I've absolutely no clue. I've never seen one from Belgium.
I think I've seen one or two American made versions but I'm certain the authenticity of those is entirely lacking.

It's a beer style that I really want. I probably should explore making my own low ABV Belgian style beers though.

 

You're right. They're not that terrible popular or available. Don't know how your distro in Texas works, but if you get St. Bernardus, their Extra 4 is probably your best bet, as most patersbiers/enkels/singles are brewery only.



https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/259/112126/

 

well at 10 years it was domestic lagers. not that I really drank them that much, but 10 years did go by.

my next 20 was in navy so I never ever got tried of ANY good beer. I was just happy to get it. back then the sad part was coming back to the states, pre craft era.

1990's I NEVER got bitter beer, still do not.

I always loved the malt forward types, strong types.

I guess its gueuze I stayed away from as that sour thing is not something I can drink constantly. Even IF I could afford it and I cannot.

the only thing that drives me away from anything I love is prices, that been an issue since 2001 or so. I still love all brown beers, always have going on 50 years, good beer is just that.

cheers!

 

The only St. Bernardus I've seen is the Abt 12 and Tripel. I don't think other ones come here. I can't find any on TotalWines website either for Texas.

 

You're just trying to push my buttons now. When it comes to my dislike for using that term, I know I stand alone. Kinda like how my class had an ice cream party when I was in elementary school. Every girl ordered vanilla and every boy ordered chocolate... except for me. (When did this memo go out?) After that they called me "vanilla boy." I'll live with it.

As far as using "grisettes" as a substitute itch scratcher for a Belgian "single," The only one that would have worked for me in that regard was Smuttynose Hayseed... which is gone. When it comes to the fancier-schmancier American versions, I'd rather just have Saison Dupont or their Avril instead. Avril might be gone too. Frankly: For me, the only advantage of American beers in these categories (saisons, "grisettes" (), "singles," patersbiers, enkels, Belgian table beers, etc.) is one of cost per packaging vessel and availability. If an American beer doesn't have either of those in their favor vs an import, they have a steep hill to climb.

Speaking of Hayseed, US brewers, and Belgian singles - Bell's Mercury is a retired beer that I would REALLY want to come back.

Regarding the Trappist (and similar) imports: Chimay Doree and St Bernardus Extra 4 don't click with me at all, and they are available here (or at least they were... gotta wonder how old some of those lingering bottles are now). Westmalle Extra and Westvleteren Blond click with me really nicely, but neither are available here at the moment. The Westvleteren actually REALLY clicks with me, but of course drinking one is a big challenge - I'm beginning to see a pattern here.

I never had the Achel 5%s... and they've been replaced by 7%s while the standards are 8%. What was that all about? Even if it's a bit of a stretch to include it in the discussion, Petite Orval is maybe one of the closest things I have to a bucket list Belgian beer tick... but I feel like that'll never happen. I'll live with that too.

 

"Hey, ************. That's Vanilla MAN, to you."

 

I have never been big on BBA beers. I have a deep sensory memory of the taste of Bourbon from putting up with fraternity culture for two years one year shy of fifty years ago. One day later Bourbon is a scourge to taste and smell....It is unforgettable. That's why I like single malt Scotch, especially Talisker.

 

Come to think of it, maybe I've only been having these grisettes on draught and it created a false impression in my head, because I can't think of a packaged one at the moment (Sly Fox doesn't really fall into what I'm thinking of, either); breweries that ring a bell for draught are Kent Falls, Catskill, and maybe the usual suspects like Rare Barrel, Trinity, etc...

That St. Bernardus Extra 4 is really austere and almost flinty, but I found that I was able to get on board with that after a bottle or two. And now, that kind of personality is just what I'm looking for when I do buy it.

 

I wouldn’t say I’ve lost my taste in the, because I still love them, but IPAs. I went through a faze where they were most of what I drank, in the last few years my tastes have expanded to the point where they’re a small part of what I seek out.

 

That's kind of how I am in general- even with that very high gravity stuff I mentioned earlier- not so much as lost a taste, but it's just no longer on the radar. If the mood strikes, great, it's just that it happens rarely with that stuff for the last year or so for me.

 

I get that, The high gravity stuff is really only good as an occasional beer, I love big BA stouts, but I’m not drinking a 12+% beer on a random day. I pull them out for special occasions and that’s mostly the only times I drink them. When winter comes I’ll probably drink them a bit more, but I’ve been drinking a lot more lower abv stouts and porters and enjoying them just as much as a lot of higher gravity ones.

 

I've lost my taste for wit/white.

 

Stouts and porters were my gateway beers, but now I rarely drink them and have to be in specific mood to seek them out. It's heartbreaking, but I now generally just gravitate towards German style lagers.