Why does cheap beer taste better than expensive beer?

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VashHT

Diamond Member
Feb 1, 2007
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I like a good IPA on a warm summer day after yardwork. The hoppy flavor is very refreshing. That being said, there are WAY TOO MANY IPAs on the market today thanks to the whiny hipsters who want a drink as bitter as they pretend their worthless, nihilistic lives to be. Give me a good Belgian style strong ale. Oh yeah, thos pumpkin ales need to diaf too.

Yeah I agree with you, I like IPA's but I'm not obsessed with them like some people are. I tend to like the ones that aren't super bitter and have some other flavors in there so you can actually taste something. My brother and I split a bottle of Mikkeller 1000 once, it has 1000 IBU's and it is absolutely disgusting, both of us couldn't even finish a 12oz bottle. It's basically a novelty, but some IPA's I've had and had people recommend me are along those lines, super bitter with no other flavors in there.

Besides, there are so many other beer styles out there I don't see why people obsess over one. I like a lot of the Belgian style beers and I'm a big fan of darker beers. If I'm doing day drinking outside there's lighter stuff like pale ales or ESB's that are easy to drink and lighter ABV so you don't feel like shit if you're drinking out in the sun for a while.

I don't mind if people drink cheaper domestic beer really, but I do get kind of annoyed when they try to say it tastes better when everyone drinks it ice cold so you can't even taste anything.
 
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bfun_x1

Senior member
May 29, 2015
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I like a good IPA on a warm summer day after yardwork. The hoppy flavor is very refreshing. That being said, there are WAY TOO MANY IPAs on the market today thanks to the whiny hipsters who want a drink as bitter as they pretend their worthless, nihilistic lives to be. Give me a good Belgian style strong ale. Oh yeah, thos pumpkin ales need to diaf too.

It seems like over 50% of the microbrews here are IPA which is too much. I love a good nut brown ale. I came across this one in Jackson Mississippi a few years ago and just found it again this week in Colorado. I can't wait to get home and have one.

ovhGvKX.jpg
 
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Chaotic42

Lifer
Jun 15, 2001
33,932
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It seems like over 50% of the microbrews here are IPA which is too much. I love a good nut brown ale. I came across this one in Jackson Mississippi a few years ago and just found it again this week in Colorado. I can't wait to get home and have one.

ovhGvKX.jpg

I used to live right by that brewery. That stuff is ubiquitous down there, and it's always weird to think of Mississippi as a place where beer is brewed.
 

snoopy7548

Diamond Member
Jan 1, 2005
8,126
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I also like IPAs, but the really bitter ones can be a bit much, especially when they have a higher alcohol content. To be honest, there's really nothing better than chugging a crappy low-alcohol beer on a hot day after yardwork, but give me a good craft beer any other time and I'll be happy.

One good IPA I've recently found is called Hop Knife. Good hoppy taste but no overpowering bitterness.
 

SNC

Platinum Member
Jan 14, 2001
2,166
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106
is it because those expensive beers need lots of extra stuff to mask all the extra alcohol?
I'm pretty sure you would prefer a big mac and fries over a well seasoned blue bison steak and roasted brussels sprouts and buttered asparagus too.
For you to enjoy a beverage that has flavor, you first need to appreciate how and what its made from. You dont so you won't its really that simple. Don't think too much about it.
When you're ready there is a whole world of great beers out there for you to enjoy.
 
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Scarpozzi

Lifer
Jun 13, 2000
26,389
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It seems like over 50% of the microbrews here are IPA which is too much. I love a good nut brown ale. I came across this one in Jackson Mississippi a few years ago and just found it again this week in Colorado. I can't wait to get home and have one.

ovhGvKX.jpg
These beers definitely have their place. But this isn't a session beer. I think if any beer is flavored with a fruit or nut...or excessive sweeteners, it can make the flavor just too strong. I think that's what a lot of us are saying... Drinkable beers (more than 3-4 at a time) are typically cheaper. They serve a different purpose. Other beers I compare to Southern Pecan at Southern Brew fests... RJ Rockers makes a peach brew called "Son of a Peach".

There are a variety of Blueberry Ales...the best from Maine (Bar Harbor Brewing or Shipyard out of Portand, ME). I like those because they aren't sweet at all...the tannin in the blueberries almost gives the flavor of the beer a black pepper flavor...and you can drink more than one if the beer is cold enough.

These are mostly smaller breweries making these beers...around here, they all seem to sell for $10-12/6 pack. That's crazy because the only beers in that price range used to be Bass Ale (well worth it) and some of the other imports. Now, the smaller beers are sometimes paying more for distribution and it reflects in the price. I remember when most 6 packs were $4-5 because you were buying them in a grocery store...not a bar. Most of them now are upwards of $7 for mass-produced domestics. That's why I'm always looking on the bottom end of the beer section for these nostalgic brews that the mass-producers are bringing back. Most-recently, Shlitz, Hamm's...I'm sure others.
https://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=5503950&page=1

There's definitely a place for those beers as long as they don't change the recipe and keep the prices low.

I always like Miller Lite over Bud Light... If you've never had Coors (not light), go find a 6 pack of it....in the can. It's better out of the can for some reason. Skip lunch and drink it in the sun listening to 80s music or Merle. You'll feel like a real man and/or want to hit someone.....it'll be great.
 
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dank69

Lifer
Oct 6, 2009
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These beers definitely have their place. But this isn't a session beer. I think if any beer is flavored with a fruit or nut...or excessive sweeteners, it can make the flavor just too strong. I think that's what a lot of us are saying... Drinkable beers (more than 3-4 at a time) are typically cheaper. They serve a different purpose. Other beers I compare to Southern Pecan at Southern Brew fests... RJ Rockers makes a peach brew called "Son of a Peach".

There are a variety of Blueberry Ales...the best from Maine (Bar Harbor Brewing or Shipyard out of Portand, ME). I like those because they aren't sweet at all...the tannin in the blueberries almost gives the flavor of the beer a black pepper flavor...and you can drink more than one if the beer is cold enough.

These are mostly smaller breweries making these beers...around here, they all seem to sell for $10-12/6 pack. That's crazy because the only beers in that price range used to be Bass Ale (well worth it) and some of the other imports. Now, the smaller beers are sometimes paying more for distribution and it reflects in the price. I remember when most 6 packs were $4-5 because you were buying them in a grocery store...not a bar. Most of them now are upwards of $7 for mass-produced domestics. That's why I'm always looking on the bottom end of the beer section for these nostalgic brews that the mass-producers are bringing back. Most-recently, Shlitz, Hamm's...I'm sure others.
https://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=5503950&page=1

There's definitely a place for those beers as long as they don't change the recipe and keep the prices low.

I always like Miller Lite over Bud Light... If you've never had Coors (not light), go find a 6 pack of it....in the can. It's better out of the can for some reason. Skip lunch and drink it in the sun listening to 80s music or Merle. You'll feel like a real man and/or want to hit someone.....it'll be great.
Coddington in Rhode Island has a blueberry blonde that I remember being very good. Then we discovered their watermelon ale and damn that stuff was fantastic. I once drove an hour and a half each way to pick up some growlers. Not sure if they carry it anymore.
 

DigDog

Lifer
Jun 3, 2011
13,764
2,279
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Carling Ice used to be great.

funny story. i'll try to keep it short.

for *reasons*, i was running a restaurant up'north, it was an emergency kind-of-thing, anyway, i was the manager in charge. i picked a large barrel of carling. now, the restaurant was in the process of being resold, so i ended up drinking most of those 80 liters by myself. in about a week.

carling is a beer that only tastes fresh when it's really fresh. and most beer generally doesn't travel well.

also, http://www.thedrum.com/news/2017/08...nsumers-it-admits-beer-alcohol-content-weaker
 
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Denly

Golden Member
May 14, 2011
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when 50% of the cost of a beer in Ontario goes to taxes..I have no choice but to drink budget beers.

Next time go to LCBO and pickup some lezajsk pilsner, cost about the same as Carling and taste way better. Best budget beer in Ontario and always available.
 

VashHT

Diamond Member
Feb 1, 2007
3,117
962
136
You should brew your own beer actually, it's cheaper...

It's also a ton of work, I think a lot of people try it thinking it'll be a fun hobby but give it up after realizing how much work it is. Plus if you have a bad batch suddenly you have a bunch of shitty beer laying around. Some styles are pretty easy to make though, I've made a good pale ale and mild that weren't much work and turned out really well. Tried making an imperial porter once and it was a lot more work and didn't turn out very well.
 

DigDog

Lifer
Jun 3, 2011
13,764
2,279
126
i've had a few brew-your-own, and also i'm gonna put in the same lot most microbreweries, they think you f* fill the beer with as much taste as you can and you go to market. Instead beer needs to be a crisp, refreshing drink - taste yes, but with moderation. I don't want to drink a barley soup.

Try that Cesar Augustus if you can, it's just amazing. The perfect combination of bitterness, taste, and refreshing AF.
 

SNC

Platinum Member
Jan 14, 2001
2,166
202
106
i've had a few brew-your-own, and also i'm gonna put in the same lot most microbreweries, they think you f* fill the beer with as much taste as you can and you go to market. Instead beer needs to be a crisp, refreshing drink - taste yes, but with moderation. I don't want to drink a barley soup.

Try that Cesar Augustus if you can, it's just amazing. The perfect combination of bitterness, taste, and refreshing AF.
When did crisp and refreshing become a requirement for beer? Beer was a nutritious meal most people drank, there was no crips and refreshing beer before the 40s. I don't get where people think they can change the definition of something just because they don't like it. Perhaps you would be better drinking a lemonade if you need to be refreshed.
 

VashHT

Diamond Member
Feb 1, 2007
3,117
962
136
I agree^, I like a light crisp beer at times, but other times I want a big heavy beer with tons of flavor. Saying one or the other is better is subjective but I think they both have their place.
 

crashtech

Lifer
Jan 4, 2013
10,580
2,150
146
Post-snobbery, I've switched to Full Sail Session Lager for the most part. 5% ABV but only 5 carbs, tastes like a light lager should.
 
Feb 25, 2011
16,907
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1) You're used to cheap beer. Or at least light, mild-tasting beer, which is what most inexpensive beers are because:
2) Mild flavor goes down easier, encourages you to buy/drink more.
3) Quantity has a quality all it's own.
 

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
57,981
8,219
126
Yeah I agree with you, I like IPA's but I'm not obsessed with them like some people are. I tend to like the ones that aren't super bitter and have some other flavors in there so you can actually taste something. My brother and I split a bottle of Mikkeller 1000 once, it has 1000 IBU's and it is absolutely disgusting, both of us couldn't even finish a 12oz bottle. It's basically a novelty, but some IPA's I've had and had people recommend me are along those lines, super bitter with no other flavors in there.

Besides, there are so many other beer styles out there I don't see why people obsess over one. I like a lot of the Belgian style beers and I'm a big fan of darker beers. If I'm doing day drinking outside there's lighter stuff like pale ales or ESB's that are easy to drink and lighter ABV so you don't feel like shit if you're drinking out in the sun for a while.

I don't mind if people drink cheaper domestic beer really, but I do get kind of annoyed when they try to say it tastes better when everyone drinks it ice cold so you can't even taste anything.
I like heavily hopped beer. Sometimes... What irritates me, is that seems to be the default anymore. Even "regular" beers are hopped like an old school IPA. "Modern" IPAs are like hop extract. Which is fine. Sometimes... But craft beer is getting kind of one dimensional.
 

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
111,136
30,085
146
I like heavily hopped beer. Sometimes... What irritates me, is that seems to be the default anymore. Even "regular" beers are hopped like an old school IPA. "Modern" IPAs are like hop extract. Which is fine. Sometimes... But craft beer is getting kind of one dimensional.

side-question: how did this ever happen? I have noticed it over the last year or so, here and in other places, but seemingly out of the blue, there seems to be this growing conspiracy to grossly mis-use "anymore." It drives me nuts, and it's somewhat confusing when stumbling across such a glaring grammar failure such as this! :(

Anyhoo, yes I agree with you: excessive hopping has become the standard, which is a shame. It's usually the easiest style to make and essentially masks all the flaws in shitty beers. I think it's why you see that seemingly 70% of beers out there these days, any season, are some IPA abomination. I like a good IPA every once in a while, but most of them are utter crap. Whenever I see something like "Belgian IPA," my eyes start bleeding and I am consumed with thoughts of murder.
 

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,483
8,344
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Agree with Zin & lxskllr on the "hopster" culture. I hate going to a microbrew and finding 5/8 offerings some kind of "X"PA where X represents some style or nationality. I'm finding that they are moving from pale ales to sours now. That seems to latest craze they are chasing. And equally...meh.
 

DigDog

Lifer
Jun 3, 2011
13,764
2,279
126
there was no crips and refreshing beer before the 40s.

this is just plain wrong. there's a few, rare, select instances (geographically limited) where ales were the common drink, but mostly beer was close to what lager is today. beer isn't american and it certainly wasn't invented in the 40s, for example https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berliner_Weisse in the 1800s this was the most common alcoholic drink.

Evn our own local Peroni has been brewing the same beer since 1864. Stella Artois is from 1926. Heineken has been pretty much identical since 1873.