Session Beers: USA vs. UK

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by deleted_user_1007501, May 28, 2019.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
Page 4 of 7
  1. oldbean

    oldbean Initiate (0) Jun 30, 2005 Massachusetts

    You get into some weird questions about how exactly flavor should be quantified. Nerds (the candy) are intensely flavored but I wouldn't necessarily say that makes them more flavorful than a good piece of tiramisu. So yeah, maybe a 4% saison doesn't have any one flavor that's as powerful as a 7% IPA, but overall has a lot more going on and is a lot more interesting and engaging. So are you really getting more flavor from the IPA?

    And, on top of that, you can make beers that are low alcohol with both a complexity AND an intensity of flavor.
     
    #61 oldbean, May 29, 2019
    OffTrail, meefmoff, Ranbot and 4 others like this.
  2. Warwick7

    Warwick7 Zealot (505) May 25, 2019 Maryland

    I feel like if more people knew this they wouldnt drink AALs.
     
    #62 Warwick7, May 29, 2019
  3. MNAle

    MNAle Initiate (0) Sep 6, 2011 Minnesota

    I disagree. Most beer drinkers (i.e. the AAL, ALL, and EPL drinkers) are not seeking complex or intense flavors. In fact, the opposite.
     
    #63 MNAle, May 29, 2019
    officerbill, AlcahueteJ, Bitterbill and 3 others like this.
  4. oldbean

    oldbean Initiate (0) Jun 30, 2005 Massachusetts

    The complicating factor here is none of these attributes I'm talking about are necessarily good or desirable. To go back to the Hill Farmstead well, a fruit aged version of Flora will be low alcohol, intensely flavored, richly complex... and even I, a huge HF nerd and appreciator of that kind of beer, would rather just drink a fairly basic lager most nights. So while I'll defend session beer as not necessarily giving anything up in terms of flavor to bigger beers, a lot of times that is actually kind of the point.
     
    #64 oldbean, May 29, 2019
    OffTrail, meefmoff, Ranbot and 1 other person like this.
  5. Warwick7

    Warwick7 Zealot (505) May 25, 2019 Maryland

    I wasnt being specifc when i said more, more could mean 10 people.
     
    #65 Warwick7, May 29, 2019
    MNAle likes this.
  6. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    What I can report from my brewing experience is that a 6-7% Saison will be more flavorful (i.e., more flavors and more intensity of flavors) than a 4% Saison. Same exact ingredients just a difference of amounts (i.e., more malt vs. lesser malt).

    Cheers!

    P.S. Not that there is anything wrong with a 4% Saison. I have an English Bitter Ale fermenting right now that I purposefully brewed to be of 'lesser' strength (i.e., less than 5% ABV).
     
    #66 JackHorzempa, May 29, 2019
    Bitterbill likes this.
  7. MNAle

    MNAle Initiate (0) Sep 6, 2011 Minnesota

    OK, that deserves an :rolling_eyes:... :wink::grin:
     
    #67 MNAle, May 29, 2019
    meefmoff and Warwick7 like this.
  8. Snowcrash000

    Snowcrash000 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,041) Oct 4, 2017 Germany
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Yeah, it's incredibly rare to see Berliner Weiße on offer anywhere and even if you can find it, it's almost certain to be the horrible stuff with syrup added, not a proper, traditional Berliner Weiße. Dedicated craft beer bars might have one on tap, but even at those it's not that common.
     
    #68 Snowcrash000, May 29, 2019
    tolar111 likes this.
  9. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Have you had the chance to drink a 'traditional' Berliner Weisse that was fermented with some Brett? If so, what are your thoughts about this beer(s)?

    Cheers!
     
    #69 JackHorzempa, May 29, 2019
  10. Snowcrash000

    Snowcrash000 Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,041) Oct 4, 2017 Germany
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Schneeeule and Brewbaker both specialize in the style and make excellent, often triple-fermented, examples of it. Freigeist Bierkultur also makes some very nice Berliner Weiße. My favorite is probably the Berliner Jahrgangsweiße by Brewbaker, which just has an excellent balance of tartness, acidity and funk going on, with some nice fruity and estery notes as well.

    The best Berliner Weiße I've ever had was by the UK's Wild Beer Co. though, which was aged in oak barrels and had some incredibly nice earthy, woody and slightly vinous notes to it that just complemented the funky tartness of that beer very well.

    I also had a great Berliner Weiße from American brewery The Referend once, which was aged in oak barrels as well and quite funky and woody, almost drifting off into Lambic territory.
     
    #70 Snowcrash000, May 29, 2019
    anfield86, FatBoyGotSwagger, meefmoff and 5 others like this.
  11. tolar111

    tolar111 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,094) Aug 17, 2008 New York
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Depends on your definition of proper session beer. Looking at the top selling beers in America 6 out of the top ten are light beers. All but one beer in the top ten are less than 5% and the average abv of the top ten is 4.3%. Now to most people (excluding those pedantic BAs) that would be pretty close to 4%. Wouldn't it be fair to say that while there isn't much variety in the segment, US beer drinkers, drink a lot of session beer?

    https://www.usatoday.com/story/mone...in-america-budweiser-coors-heineken/36440871/
     
    #71 tolar111, May 29, 2019
    BJC, officerbill, JackHorzempa and 1 other person like this.
  12. AlcahueteJ

    AlcahueteJ Grand Pooh-Bah (3,242) Dec 4, 2004 Massachusetts
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Yes and no.

    They like to drink low alcohol beers, but I wouldn't equate these to British session ales.

    British session ales are low in alcohol (often lower than AALs) but they're beers that can be complex and become more complex from pint to pint.

    Beers like Bud Light were specifically brewed to be light in body and flavor for the sole purpose of drinking more than one.
     
    #72 AlcahueteJ, May 30, 2019
    meefmoff, Warwick7, Bitterbill and 1 other person like this.
  13. Bitterbill

    Bitterbill Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,036) Sep 14, 2002 Wyoming
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    I reckon that Blonde Ales could possibly be a style that American Session Ales can sprout from. Like Deschutes River Ale. Unfortunately, that tasty 4.0%abv brew was retired. :slight_frown:
     
    #73 Bitterbill, May 30, 2019
    Warwick7 likes this.
  14. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Whoa!:astonished:

    Now we have another new definition/expression? The word "British" is now required as an adjective prior to the other two words of "session ale"?:confused:

    Cheers!
     
    #74 JackHorzempa, May 30, 2019
    tolar111 likes this.
  15. rgordon

    rgordon Pooh-Bah (2,701) Apr 26, 2012 North Carolina
    Pooh-Bah

    Americans sort of hijacked the term "session" to pertain to lower alcohol beers, often attempts at IPAs. It is a shame. Many really good English ales are fairly low in alcohol and are utterly delicious .And this is their domain.
     
    #75 rgordon, May 30, 2019
    meefmoff, champ103, AlcahueteJ and 2 others like this.
  16. Bitterbill

    Bitterbill Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,036) Sep 14, 2002 Wyoming
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    Amen.
    The only time I use the word pertaining to beer is if I have 2 or more of the same beer at a sitting.(well, I still stand by what I said above aboot Blonde Ales)
     
    #76 Bitterbill, May 30, 2019
    Last edited: May 30, 2019
  17. AlcahueteJ

    AlcahueteJ Grand Pooh-Bah (3,242) Dec 4, 2004 Massachusetts
    Society Pooh-Bah

    UK session beers...does that work?

    Is English ale yet another term now? :wink:
     
    #77 AlcahueteJ, May 30, 2019
  18. MNAle

    MNAle Initiate (0) Sep 6, 2011 Minnesota

    Hmmmm...
    https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/styles/13/
    https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/styles/66/
    https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/styles/74/
    https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/styles/75/
    https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/styles/76/
    https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/styles/79/
    https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/styles/82/
    https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/styles/98/
    https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/styles/101/
    https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/styles/150/
    https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/styles/154/
    https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/styles/165/

    And, of course, the unique to Beeradvocate,
    https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/styles/152/

    :grin:
     
    #78 MNAle, May 30, 2019
  19. AlcahueteJ

    AlcahueteJ Grand Pooh-Bah (3,242) Dec 4, 2004 Massachusetts
    Society Pooh-Bah

    "Light" and "Lite" are our terms right?
     
    #79 AlcahueteJ, May 30, 2019
  20. MNAle

    MNAle Initiate (0) Sep 6, 2011 Minnesota

    Don't forget malt liquor! :wink:
     
    #80 MNAle, May 30, 2019
    AlcahueteJ likes this.
Page 4 of 7
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.