Tap (Draft) vs. Bottled Beer

^^^^^^^^

Outside of a clearly bad keg or bottle, I feel this influence is more than many are willing to consider.

Especially in the case of limited beers--hard for me to compare that Black Note on tap coming in a few weeks at a special event to one in the bottle a month ago. Different environment, likely different glassware, different expectations.

Zombie Dust is one I have actually done within a few hours both bottle and tap--both < a week old. Both outstanding and no difference to me.

 

You can easily control for this though... You can often find settings where you can have the same beer in multiple formats side by side... then the issue becomes whether the beer was necessarily from the same batch/ stored in proper conditions

 

Does anyone else think that bourbon barrel aged beers are smoother on tap than from the bottle, especially fresh?

 

Depends on the establishments cleanliness and care of the product, for one. I've also had plenty of beers I've preferred in the bottle over tap. This is a heavy topic. Too many variables.

 

Sure but is that what people are actually doing with these generalizations? What did you drink in front of it, etc.

Just saying often similar situation to the "last years was better" theme--usually some (ok not a year) separation in time.

Ok, report back with blind bottle and tap of similar ages and you have my attention.

 

After thinking about it, the difference in kegged or bottled big beers, when aged, would be more prone to develop--certainly wine of same vintages but in different formats will age differently.,

Local taproom is opening what is the last keg in existence of a 4 yo BBA imperial stout soon. Suspect this keg, kept in super cold conditions for four years will have changed a lot from release and would be superior to a bottle. Hard for me to feel that applies to fresh local IPAs but will do a blind Hop Drop test to see.

 

I think the latter is often the hardest control (similar ages), but I am fortunate enough to have done this (sometimes even blind) with FBS, several Victory beers, DFH beers, and Carton beers. Sometimes I (kinda) cheat because I can get a growler and count it as draft.

FBS has always been better on draft IMO. Victory beers, too

 

I've had several "big beers" on tap, like Black Butte XXI and Espresso Yeti and I gotta say, I prefer really big beers from the bottle. Sessions beers are preferable on tap, but high-gravity, high-alcohol beers to me are better from the bottle (or can).

 

Have you ever had a beer both on tap and in the bottle and preferred the bottled version?

Currently drinking Firestone Walker Sucaba, which I had on tap (and it was just good), and which I'm currently drinking out of a bottle and it's easily a top 5 beer in my book. I'm not sure what happened, but to me it's clearly better from the bottle.

Anyone else had a similar experience? Or the opposite?

Maybe it's just a barrel aged thing. I also prefer BCBS (at least in past years) from the bottle, though I did have this years reg + regal on tap and both were exquisite.

 

Taps have so much variability as far as cleanliness goes... hard to say. I've had beers that were better on tap and beers that were better from the bottle, so I can't say they all taste the same to me, but I also can't pick a clear preference.

 

Tap is almost always the same or better. Tilquin on tap is mind blowing, bottled its very good. 2 Hearted on tap can be great, never had a good bottle or can. Stouts dont seem to make a difference either way, IPA I choose draft if I have a choice. I am sure there are can/bottles that represent better than draft but none come to mind right now.

Enjoy

 

I honestly think most of it tastes very similar. Usually when I have a beer on tap that I've had in a bottle, I can recognize it as tasting very similar. Never actually had a side by side blind test comparison of the same beer, so everything is all subjective anyways.

 

Cans. No dirty lines, no bad capping, no light issues, no leaks. Cans are where it's at.

 

Draft for the win!!!!

 

Depends on the beer needs to be an option. Recently, I got to do a side by side of Boulevard Chocolate Ale with Raspberries and I thought the bottle was way better than the tap version.

 

When I'm out tap always gets my money, as long as there's a decent selection. When I'm at home, can beats bottle.

 

I have bottles and kegs at home. Win win. I've never bothered to spend the money on bottles of what I have on tap to do a comparison.

 

Some depend on style and type. But the best thing about draft versus bottles/cans is the my favorite barkeep, at my favorite pub, can 'spill' a bit without notice.

 

Nothing can beat the Tap!!

 

What makes you think that it is tap vs. bottle that is the key variable? There are so many other variables that are just as likely to have an impact (recent meals, recent beer drinking (even going days/weeks/months back), mood, expectations, etc.) I think it is unlikely to accurately identify one variable that is making the difference, and although bottle vs. tap might be a variable, it is doubtful it is the only one.

It is so funny to me when people experience the same beer very differently from one time to the next and are certain it is due to a particular variable (whether it be changes in palette, beer recipe, brewery ownership, infection, freshness, draft vs. bottle, can vs. bottle, draft vs. can, etc.) when it is IMPOSSIBLE to identify which of these variables is at play without a very big sample size that includes purposeful manipulation of these variables. As is typically the case, all/most of these variables are at play every single time you drink a beer.