Tap (Draft) vs. Bottled Beer

I always choose tap when I'm out. I can get bottles and cans for home use, but I'm not buying kegs.

Some beers are remarkably different. Weyerbacher Double Simcoe in a bottle is run of the mill, while the draft version is one of my favorites. That's a great side by side if you can find it on tap.

 

On tap. To go even further, on tap at the brewery beats out drinking the same beer on tap at a bar or restaurant almost every time.

 

Never have preferred a bottle/can over draft.

Not exactly sure what kind of chemistry makes it that way. The softer carb definitely makes a difference.

Maybe someone can enlighten us on the science behind keg v bottle?

 

The draft and bottled versions of Gueuze Tilquin are actually two completely different beers. According to their website, the draft version is 4.8% ABV and is a blend of a low alcohol lambic with 1 and 2 year old lambics, keg-conditioned for at least 3 months. Bottles are 6.4% ABV and a blend of 1, 2 and 3 year old lambics, bottle-conditioned for 6 months.

 

So I am not insane.

Thanks for the info

Enjoy

 

Because of the bottle up charge ... I'll go with taps.

 

There is a glaring omission from the choices ; cask. It's the only one which can make a real difference to the beer drinking experience.
Bottles/cans'kegs are basically the same (there are exceptions) but they are simply beer containers.What comes out is only as good as what goes in.
Another downside of bottles/cans and kegs is that they are sometimes used with the dreaded nitro , the spawn of the devil for those who care about everything other than the taste.
I read with interest an article by Ron Pattinson who was involved in brewing a Brown Ale somewhere in the US ; it was split between keg and cask.Initially the two were very similar but over time the cask version went out of sight and the keg didn't change at all.

 

It surely depends entirely on the style (assuming that the serving conditions like cleanliness, temperature etc. are good)

Strong, bottle conditioned belgian ales suffer when served from tap in my opinion. While I order a Lachouffe blonde from tap and enjoy it from time to time, from the bottle it has more complexity.
Same goes basically for Hefeweizens.

Alt,Kölsch,Helles,Kellerbier,Dunkle and so on work best gravity-served from bayerischer Anstich, by far. While I won't turn them down in their bottled form, this method of serving is way superior. I also feel it is superior to KEG.

With british ales, well...... marquis said it: cask.

 

I chose tap because I usually see what's on tap first when I go to a restaurant or bar. But, I'm not quite sure how many places actually keep their tap systems sanitary . . .

 

It's kinda a crap-shoot for me. Depends on the beer more than style. Only preference I do have, is bottled/canned IPAs vs tap. They are great either way, but I often notice IPAs on tap taste more neutral to me. This is clearly just something up with my palate, but the smoothness of draft IPAs often mutes some of the qualities of the style that I love.

 

Some are the same, some are better, and some are worse to me.

 

this is exactly why I voted cans. Lines can be highly variable between cleanliness and prior product whereas cans are pretty much going to contain exactly what the brewer intended. Cans are also far more neutral to most any environment to bottles. Sure, a pallet of cans could have been left in a shipping container in LA for 6 weeks after a 2 month journey but realistically, and especially if buying a local beer, you should consistently get a good product out of cans.

 

There's no guarentee kegged beer is fresh and in date. Are they dated so if I was curious a bartender would know the fill date if I asked ? Do they clean their lines or do they contract out? Is there a way to test the effectiveness of the line cleaning? How do they clean their glasses? Do they use proper glasses or are you stuck with shaker pints for everything? Not so clear and concise. Cans are quite simple vessels, the ones I prefer are always date stamped, they are completely sealed so they won't oxidize, they are light proof, they are lighter and more durable in general that bottles, and you can bring them most anywhere where glass is prohibited.

 

To me, draft beer always seems to have a thinner mouthfeel than either cans or bottles.

 

I think part of it is the social vs. drinking alone aspect. When I go out and drink, the beers always seem lighter and easier drinking because I am having a good time with friends, and hence I don't remember them being as flavorful. At home I can take my time and really get into a beer.