Rating Beers: Draught vs. Bottle

You make some good points. I think freshness is a big deal. With a draught system the keg has probably not suffered too much on its journey from the brewery to the tavern and at the tavern it probably is kept cool. A keg is likely to be consumed fresh. Bottles and cans are more subject to abuse, spending long periods on the store shelf and traveling around the country. I have found bottles of beer on store shelves that are over 5 years old. With draught systems bad beer lines can spoil a beer in a hurry and they are all too common. That said, I have had more bad beer from bottles than from kegs. I think beers meant to be bottle conditioned such as many Belgians are better from the bottle. The carbonation is not right with draught Belgians. This is also true for beers with carbonation less that the over refrigerated standard American lagers that most draught systems are set up for.

 

I agree that fresh from the keg is often almost a different beer, so I try to word my reviews in such a way that its clear which I'm reviewing. But that said, as you point out, we often have no choice but to review the bottle. So I just work with what I've got. And since most of what I'm able to drink is from the bottle these days, reviews from bottle tell me what I'm interested in knowing. When I have the option of having both fresh on tap and from bottle I'll often supplement a review with additional information.

However, I should note that freshness can also make a big difference in bottled form as well so I almost never buy undated beer in can or bottle (and certainly not at all by the case) unless I have some way of otherwise telling the beer is fresh (e.g., I spend a lot of my budget on seasonals, so....). Any exceptions typically include those bottle conditiond beers @pat61 discusses where the brewer's assumption is that the beer will be consumed from the bottle. (e.g., Bottle conditioned Duvel from is almost a different beer when fresh from the keg.) But even then I want the date.

But on the whole I don't worry about the problem that I think may have motivated your thinking and ideas. The focus in this site is consumer oriented, so what I want to know is not what the beer is like under the best possible circumstances (fresh on tap at the brewery without even any other handling or distance traveled and reviewed by a pro taster) but what might that beer be like when I buy a case or a bottle.

 

I have a bigger problem because it's the choice between bottle/can/keg on the one hand and cask on the other.
There are slight differences between bottles, cans and kegs but the same beer on cask is quite different.It changes from day to day , getting better all the time until it reaches a peak then declines until , if left long enough , it becomes more and more unpleasant to drink and is a drain pour.
Fortunately finding well kept cask is no problem for me so bottles are for emergencies only

 

The same beer goes into kegs and bottles. The differences you describe are due to age and handling. The truth is kegs don't age as much as shelf beer because they get consumed, plus they are typically stored properly (cold). Bottles filter light exposure, kegs block it (that's another reason I prefer cans).

 

I agree. If I have it from a draught, I'll usually mention that in the review at the end.

I also have refrained posting a few reviews from the bottles, just because I didn't get a good sample from them, had a bad pour, or they weren't stored properly. I don't want my incompetence or sitting on a brew for too long to be held against the brewery/beer.

 

I do not agree. But I also do not disagree. I'm stuck on speculation.
A bottle once opened has only a few inches to travel before it reaches the vessel you're quaffing from. A keg has a long line with different connectors to travel through before it reaches that end vessel causing more c02 to come out of solution. That may cause for a smoother taste that enhances certain characteristics.
I would however venture to guess that a larger container like a keg will handle the distance better than a lot of small ones. But. These are things that a few breweries are just starting to explore the realities of, and I would venture to guess, as well, that where the bottle is on the pallet that travels is also a big deal.

 

Too many variables to generalize.
Unless you KNOW the dates on the kegs--who is to say that it is actually fresher than the 2 week old IPA in the bottle? Local bottle shop regularly gets 1-2 week old of my favorites from Asheville (WW Pernicious) in both formats and honestly cannot tell the difference.

For things like KBS that you mentioned--local place has lots of kegs going back several years and breaks them out. Trying to compare a one year old or even three/four year old keg of Backwoods Bastard, KBS, Sexual Chocolate --kept in cold storage--to a bottle version nearly impossible.

Agree to review with format reported and if possible-some comment on age.

 

They go through a lot of Two Hearted kegs at a restaurant I go to weekly. The beer just tastes incredibly fresh, almost like it's alive!! Love it from a bottle, but, virtually every beer I've had from a keg compared to bottled, I perceive as better.

 

I do not pretend to understand the science behind it, but I have taken much notice to this subject lately. I visited a local brewer, Circle Brewing, and their draughts were remarkable compared to the same labels in the bottle that are forgettable. And it's not like the bottles are traveling far, sitting on the shelf, changing temps, collecting too much light/O2, etc.--this should be fresh, bottled beer. I'm sure that all breweries don't suffer this sort of contrast, but it now makes me wonder with just about every bottle (or can) that I try.

 

Simple. Beer is food.

1. Domestic Draft beer is unpasteurized. With a few exceptions.
2. Bottle beer is pasteurized, or filtered, or both. But it is certainly not the same beer as the stuff in the keg.
3. Draft beer systems require routine cleaning.
4. Draft beer systems need to be maintained to present the beer as intended.
5. Bottles too need some TLC.


1 and 2 can have a profound result on the outcome.
3 and 4 are frequently, perhaps routinely, ignored ( I design and maintain draft systems... trust me on this one...)
5, where are your bottles stored? how were they handled before you bought them?

So yes, draft vs. bottle, anyone's guess which will win. In an ideal world draft wins hands down every time. In our world it can be a toss up. Combine the fact that there are thousands of newly minted beer experts writing reports on a daily basis and yes, you'll get all sorts of opinions.

Incidentally, this stuff drives brewers nuts.

Cheers.

 

Aye! Stone's Enjoy By is such a great beer on Tap. Bottle is good, yet not as it is on Tap.

 

Always variables dealing with draft vs bottle..ideally draft would be best but with draft lines needing routine cleaning and maintenance..bottles are much needed..also price wise for people who can't get out due to family,financial,personl reasons..bottle is better option for them..most beer is better on draft..not all...but most.

 

I've found that most of my beers that I've had on both tap and bottled, I prefer that draught over bottle most of the time.

 

Draft beer all day, but I think an actual beer review should be the average of 3-5 tastings of that specific beer, unless you have that beer fresh from the brewery. Also, I sometimes review beers that have been sitting for a few months to a year or so. Anyways, everyone giving an average of 3-5 tastings of a beer would be impossible to do. However, the more times a beer has been reviewed, the more comfortable I feel about the accuracy of the actual score.

You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.