Do beer enthusiasts care about anything other than level of hop flavor?

[wkabel23]

beer thread falling off the main page fail

Are there any good light beers out there? I haven't had michelob ultra but that's about all that comes to mind...and I wouldn't have too high expectations for its taste.

Perhaps beer is something that just can't be "light."

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: wkabel23
beer thread falling off the main page fail

Are there any good light beers out there? I haven't had michelob ultra but that's about all that comes to mind...and I wouldn't have too high expectations for its taste.

Perhaps beer is something that just can't be "light."

Define "light". Light as in taste/texture or light as in calories?

 

[wkabel23]

Originally posted by: vi edit

Originally posted by: wkabel23
beer thread falling off the main page fail

Are there any good light beers out there? I haven't had michelob ultra but that's about all that comes to mind...and I wouldn't have too high expectations for its taste.

Perhaps beer is something that just can't be "light."

Define "light". Light as in taste/texture or light as in calories?

I was thinking along calories/carbs...but really that doesn't matter. Light as in not as filling as a heavier, darker beer. Light as in after 3 or 4 you don't notice your belly expanding

So light in taste/texture.

Although, if there is a beer that's good and light in calories...let me know!!

 

[xeemzor]

I'll take any beer that isn't busch lite, natural light, or keystone light. They shouldn't even be called beers, more like alcoholic water than anything else.

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: wkabel23

Originally posted by: vi edit

Originally posted by: wkabel23
Derailing a beer thread? FAIL.

Anyone have any good summer seasonal recommendations? I had a fantastic seasonal at a bar a week ago; I told the bartender to surprise me, but I can't remember the label/name anymore

You simply can't go wrong with a wheat or belgian whit/white. A good, cheap, widely available is Shock Top. My favorite wheat though is Boulevard Wheat. Drop a slice of lemon in there and those things gone down like water.



Sometimes New Belgian has a "Skinny Dip Ale" that's really refreshing too.

Shock top is delicious!

I saw it in the store and had to buy it once...orange slice with a mohawk and shades on the label. What can I say, I'm a sucker But it turned out to be a great impulse buy.

ok wtf is with you guys adding fruit to your beer?

:thumbsdown:

 

[vi edit]

It's a bit of a generalization, but calories and texture are a fuction of malt content which in turn is a function of alcohol content.

Simply put, your higher malt content beers are high alcohol % and have a much more "filling" texture to them. The higher the ac% the higher the calories.

Beer is a function of grains, sugar(malts), hops and yeast.

The grains give it the color, flavor and some texture. The sugar gives it most of weight/body(and ac%), the hops help balance out the sweetness of the sugar and give aroma, and the yeast sort of ties the whole package together.

I'm only familiar with the ale style of brews. Lagers are a different beast. And in ales, wheats are some of the simplest brews to make. They simply take wheat grains, a modest amount of malt, and a modest helping of hops. This makes for a light beer in the simplest terms. It's low sugar, simple grains, and not overwhelming on the hops. Goes down easy and isn't "filling".

When you start getting into your high octane IPA's, Stouts, and various other ales you are dropping in literally gallons of malt extract that is a sludge in consistency to bring up the sugar/ac%. It's that malt heavy side of things that makes them sit heavy in the belly.

Think of drinking a non-sweetened tea vs. a sugar laden sweet tea.

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: xSauronx

Originally posted by: wkabel23

Originally posted by: vi edit

Originally posted by: wkabel23
Derailing a beer thread? FAIL.

Anyone have any good summer seasonal recommendations? I had a fantastic seasonal at a bar a week ago; I told the bartender to surprise me, but I can't remember the label/name anymore

You simply can't go wrong with a wheat or belgian whit/white. A good, cheap, widely available is Shock Top. My favorite wheat though is Boulevard Wheat. Drop a slice of lemon in there and those things gone down like water.



Sometimes New Belgian has a "Skinny Dip Ale" that's really refreshing too.

Shock top is delicious!

I saw it in the store and had to buy it once...orange slice with a mohawk and shades on the label. What can I say, I'm a sucker But it turned out to be a great impulse buy.

ok wtf is with you guys adding fruit to your beer?

:thumbsdown:

It's the same as putting salt & pepper on a steak.

 

[FelixDeCat]

I havent had a drop since July 2008 when I went to the casino. I miss being able to enjoy a Guiness or Sam Adams but alcohol is poisen to me now.

I have lots of good memories though. :beer:

 

[ballmode]

beersnob.com is that website

 

[wkabel23]

Originally posted by: vi edit

Originally posted by: xSauronx

Originally posted by: wkabel23

Originally posted by: vi edit

Originally posted by: wkabel23
Derailing a beer thread? FAIL.

Anyone have any good summer seasonal recommendations? I had a fantastic seasonal at a bar a week ago; I told the bartender to surprise me, but I can't remember the label/name anymore

You simply can't go wrong with a wheat or belgian whit/white. A good, cheap, widely available is Shock Top. My favorite wheat though is Boulevard Wheat. Drop a slice of lemon in there and those things gone down like water.



Sometimes New Belgian has a "Skinny Dip Ale" that's really refreshing too.

Shock top is delicious!

I saw it in the store and had to buy it once...orange slice with a mohawk and shades on the label. What can I say, I'm a sucker But it turned out to be a great impulse buy.

ok wtf is with you guys adding fruit to your beer?

:thumbsdown:

It's the same as putting salt & pepper on a steak.

Blue Moon w/ an orange...yes please.
Leinekugel Sunset Wheat...perhaps it tastes like fruity pebbles, but it's still the most refreshing beer I've ever had.

And seriously...why add garlic to a steak? Why add onion? Enhance the flavor and overall quality.

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: wkabel23

Originally posted by: vi edit

Originally posted by: xSauronx

Originally posted by: wkabel23

Originally posted by: vi edit

Originally posted by: wkabel23
Derailing a beer thread? FAIL.

Anyone have any good summer seasonal recommendations? I had a fantastic seasonal at a bar a week ago; I told the bartender to surprise me, but I can't remember the label/name anymore

You simply can't go wrong with a wheat or belgian whit/white. A good, cheap, widely available is Shock Top. My favorite wheat though is Boulevard Wheat. Drop a slice of lemon in there and those things gone down like water.



Sometimes New Belgian has a "Skinny Dip Ale" that's really refreshing too.

Shock top is delicious!

I saw it in the store and had to buy it once...orange slice with a mohawk and shades on the label. What can I say, I'm a sucker But it turned out to be a great impulse buy.

ok wtf is with you guys adding fruit to your beer?

:thumbsdown:

It's the same as putting salt & pepper on a steak.

Blue Moon w/ an orange...yes please.
Leinekugel Sunset Wheat...perhaps it tastes like fruity pebbles, but it's still the most refreshing beer I've ever had.

And seriously...why add garlic to a steak? Why add onion? Enhance the flavor and overall quality.

i dont like the sunset wheat in the slightest (id sooner eat fruity pebbles), tell me what you like about it, so i know why i dont? because all i can think is "meh" when i drink it. i dont think its good, and i think the afteraste is horrible. reminds me of a carolina pale ale that id never drink again.

leinen summer wheat also reminds me of a widmer hefe, which ive had in a bottle, and draft. draft i liked, and ive been informed that i need to pour it proper from a bottle to drink it, so i intend to try it again (out of the bottle i liked it with food, but not by itself, so, oops)

 

[wkabel23]

Originally posted by: xSauronx

Originally posted by: wkabel23

Originally posted by: vi edit

Originally posted by: xSauronx

Originally posted by: wkabel23

Originally posted by: vi edit

Originally posted by: wkabel23
Derailing a beer thread? FAIL.

Anyone have any good summer seasonal recommendations? I had a fantastic seasonal at a bar a week ago; I told the bartender to surprise me, but I can't remember the label/name anymore

You simply can't go wrong with a wheat or belgian whit/white. A good, cheap, widely available is Shock Top. My favorite wheat though is Boulevard Wheat. Drop a slice of lemon in there and those things gone down like water.



Sometimes New Belgian has a "Skinny Dip Ale" that's really refreshing too.

Shock top is delicious!

I saw it in the store and had to buy it once...orange slice with a mohawk and shades on the label. What can I say, I'm a sucker But it turned out to be a great impulse buy.

ok wtf is with you guys adding fruit to your beer?

:thumbsdown:

It's the same as putting salt & pepper on a steak.

Blue Moon w/ an orange...yes please.
Leinekugel Sunset Wheat...perhaps it tastes like fruity pebbles, but it's still the most refreshing beer I've ever had.

And seriously...why add garlic to a steak? Why add onion? Enhance the flavor and overall quality.

i dont like the sunset wheat in the slightest (id sooner eat fruity pebbles), tell me what you like about it, so i know why i dont? because all i can think is "meh" when i drink it. i dont think its good, and i think the afteraste is horrible. reminds me of a carolina pale ale that id never drink again.

leinen summer wheat also reminds me of a widmer hefe, which ive had in a bottle, and draft. draft i liked, and ive been informed that i need to pour it proper from a bottle to drink it, so i intend to try it again (out of the bottle i liked it with food, but not by itself, so, oops)

Well, perhaps part of my attachment I have towards stems from the first time I tried it...a friends bachelor party. Now that was a notorious night, but I distinctly remember the taste of that Leinenkugel.

Sunset wheat is very crisp. The fruity pebble taste isn't overwhelming, it just serves as the perfect after taste. It's also quite refreshing. My brain is having trouble accessing most of my adjectives, so that will have to do.

Beyond that...people like different things =\

 

[vi edit]

It is possible to just have preferences. Some people like chocolate. Others prefer fruit. Some like both but it depends on the season. Some like both in the same dish.

 

[mortong]

Depends on the person. Good micros aren't just about lots of hops, though, and there are lots of styles that are very well balanced and very very good.

My neighborhood pub has 36 constantly rotating beers on tap, but the owner is a major hop head - to the point of losing site of what his customers want. I went in today in the mood for a stout. They had 20 IPAs (!), 8 pale ales, PBR, and a mix of 7 belgian beers. Now I love IPAs and Pale Ales, but not every time I drink beer. I love good beer, and a variety of styles is what makes it interesting.

No hefe, no stout, no porter, nothing else. For 36 beers on tap, he'd chosen a whole lot of no variety. It's disappointing, but fairly common.

 

[TheVrolok]

Originally posted by: xSauronx
i dont like the sunset wheat in the slightest (id sooner eat fruity pebbles), tell me what you like about it, so i know why i dont? because all i can think is "meh" when i drink it. i dont think its good, and i think the afteraste is horrible. reminds me of a carolina pale ale that id never drink again.

leinen summer wheat also reminds me of a widmer hefe, which ive had in a bottle, and draft. draft i liked, and ive been informed that i need to pour it proper from a bottle to drink it, so i intend to try it again (out of the bottle i liked it with food, but not by itself, so, oops)

I think it's more along the lines of those beers having their place, rather than being "good." I'm a fairly big beer snob, but if it's a warm summer night and I'm drinking with non-beer snob friends then Leinenkugel's Sunset Wheat is a fair compromise. I won't ever sit there and savor each drop, but it's a fine "light" beer with a high amount of drinkability .. and, unfortunately, it's one of those beers that can get the "I hate the smell of beer" girls to sit up and say "Hey, all beer isn't bad." (Sort of like the fruit lambics - see Lindemans Framboise) It's the kind of beer I'd never drink for myself, but in certain settings it fits in.

 

[andylawcc]

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: evident

Originally posted by: EvilYoda
I think that a properly made STRONG hoppy beer is very difficult to achieve, so it gets rewarded with high praise...that said, I only drink IPAs occasionally, since I favor Belgian-style beers. BA loves those too...I'm headed to Papago Brewing tonight for dinner and they have Stone Brewing Imperial Russian Stout on tap, so I'm going to be a happy man.

note: yes, I'm aware that the Stone IRS isn't a Belgian-style beer.

i have yet to have a bad beer from stone brewery!!

I recently had a Stone "west coast style abbey ale" forget the name, but it is based on a Belgian. It is quite tasty. They claimed it a fusion of west-coast brewing (whatever that means), and traditional Belgian.

Likewise, I don't remember trying anything from Stone that wasn't great.

that should be Cali-Belique IPA, it is a limited release, I already stocked up all bottles when possible cuz I absolutely loved it. (I HATE Belgium Ale, but mixed with IPA it is a wonderful thing).

in the mean time, I personally think the last few Vertical Epic weren't as... good.

 

[Baked]

I pretend like I know beer by buying Sam Adams seasonal case at Costco. They also have Corona Extra. I think I actually like CE more than SA beers, they go better with Mexican food and burgers, IMO.

 

[wkabel23]

Originally posted by: vi edit
It's a bit of a generalization, but calories and texture are a fuction of malt content which in turn is a function of alcohol content.

Simply put, your higher malt content beers are high alcohol % and have a much more "filling" texture to them. The higher the ac% the higher the calories.

Beer is a function of grains, sugar(malts), hops and yeast.

The grains give it the color, flavor and some texture. The sugar gives it most of weight/body(and ac%), the hops help balance out the sweetness of the sugar and give aroma, and the yeast sort of ties the whole package together.

I'm only familiar with the ale style of brews. Lagers are a different beast. And in ales, wheats are some of the simplest brews to make. They simply take wheat grains, a modest amount of malt, and a modest helping of hops. This makes for a light beer in the simplest terms. It's low sugar, simple grains, and not overwhelming on the hops. Goes down easy and isn't "filling".

When you start getting into your high octane IPA's, Stouts, and various other ales you are dropping in literally gallons of malt extract that is a sludge in consistency to bring up the sugar/ac%. It's that malt heavy side of things that makes them sit heavy in the belly.

Think of drinking a non-sweetened tea vs. a sugar laden sweet tea.

btw, thank you for this post...just the right amount of info.

I didn't see that Boulevard Wheat at Kroger but I'd like to try it. Perhaps I'll have to go to a bar.

 

[Squisher]

I'll give an example of differing tastes. I bought a six pack of Magic Hat No. 9 last night after hearing so much good about it. WTF is that flavor they added? It tasted like some sort of medicinal fruit flavor like cheap cherry cough syrup. I'll be giving away the other 5.

 

[biggestmuff]

Originally posted by: Squisher
I'll give an example of differing tastes. I bought a six pack of Magic Hat No. 9 last night after hearing so much good about it. WTF is that flavor they added? It tasted like some sort of medicinal fruit flavor like cheap cherry cough syrup. I'll be giving away the other 5.

You're crazy. It's a decent ale. It's apricot, by the way.

 

[Farang]

There is a certain style of beer on there that will get highly rated but doesn't really deserve it, just because it checks all of the appropriate flavor boxes. Arrogant Bastard is one of these. It is a syrupy concoction of what a beer snob wants, while not really being that great of a beer.

Overall though I tend to agree with beer advocate

 

[Squisher]

Originally posted by: biggestmuff

Originally posted by: Squisher
I'll give an example of differing tastes. I bought a six pack of Magic Hat No. 9 last night after hearing so much good about it. WTF is that flavor they added? It tasted like some sort of medicinal fruit flavor like cheap cherry cough syrup. I'll be giving away the other 5.

You're crazy. It's a decent ale. It's apricot, by the way.

I like apricots. I like beer. I don't like apricots in my beer.

 

[alkemyst]

shit feels like I never left...round #2, one down....