Favorite Brew

[Llama]

There has, indeed, been a few Black IPA's in the past few years, but many west coast brewers are trying to coin the less oxymoronic "Cascadian Dark Ale" that pays tribute to the style's origin.

Besides drinking whatever we have home brewed lately, I love the resurgence of sour beers in the US. Russian River has a few wonderful examples, and Goose Island has done some nice Belgian themed sours.

Although the style has fallen out of favor for the bigger-bolder stouts and Russian-Imperial stouts, my favorite is a good Porter. It can be drank in almost all weathers, and is more subtle than it's darker counterpart. Revolution in Chicago makes one of the best with their Eugene Porter.

And since there are so many antihopites here, I'll profess my love for the IPA - though I prefer a more subdued, and nuanced version, I can still enjoy the face-melting hop bombs. Bells' Two Hearted and Three Floyds' Zombie Dust are my usual.

[adempsey10]

Beau's Lugtread. Brewed in Vankleek Hill just east of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. http://www.beaus.ca/beer

Unfortunately, I now live in London, On. Home to a Labbatt's brewery. So far, I havent discovered too many places selling much other than Molson or Labbatt's. I miss Ottawa...

[Nathan]

Like others, I have a diverse beer palate and my choice varies greatly based on what I'm doing.

First, I do enjoy Alexander Keith's India Pale Ale from Nova Scotia. Don't let the name fool you. It's not technically an IPA but since it was called that since long before the craft brew consensus around the amount of hops required to qualify as an IPA, the name was grandfathered in. Regardless, it's a fine Nova Scotia Ale and is great for the heat of the summer. It also pairs well with seafood and BBQ. I got hooked on Keith's because I toured for them and they also sponsored a regular weekly gig I played for years, so I got used to the sweet flavour of freebees. A good beer even if you're paying.

In the summer with food like a shawarma or gyros I like a simple Heineken or Corona. Something not too overbearing and refreshing. I find Belgians and Wheat beers too complex and get in the way of the flavour of these simple foods.

In the winter, my tastes also turn toward the stout end of the spectrum. I probably drink Guinness most often because it a) has the fewest calories and b) doesn't make me belch due to the nitrogen carbonation. I also enjoy Sleeman Dark when I can get it and plenty of other beers.

When hanging out with some friends of mine that are aficionados, I enjoy many craft beers such as craft IPAs, Wheat beers, Pumkin Ales etc...but these are mostly enjoyed on their own or with something bold like strong cheese.

Just don't serve me a Molson Canadian. That stuff is like sex in a canoe.

[creagdhubh]

Just don't serve me a Molson Canadian. That stuff is like sex in a canoe.

Hahaha! Well said!

[Tobus]

NEWCASTLE!!!, Sam Adams Boston Lager, Guiness, PBR (it's really not that bad!), Lone Star (Texans will get that one), Purple Haze, various IPAs, a hemp brew that I caught at World Market a while back, Carlsberg, Asahi, Tsing Tao, Blue Moon, Fat Tire, Budweiser's (VERY GOOD and now-discontinued) "American Ale," Mississippi Mud, Modelo Negra, Boddington's, Killian's Irish Red (corrct name? Only had it once--made an big impression, though) Thellonius Monk (seriously...it's really good), and Peroni.

WOW! That's a lot of brew! I enjoy them all.

You listed a couple (which I bolded) that I like as well. My usual non-specialty store-bought brews are Guinness, Belhaven Scottish Ale, and Shiner Bock, but my friend from Manchester really got me hooked on Boddington's when we hang out. It's about the lightest beer I can enjoy.

I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Texan, but honestly, I don't know what people see in Lone Star beer. That stuff is nasty. The only thing I've ever tasted that was nastier was Heineken. I swear, Heineken is like somebody played a joke and pretended to brew something that was outrageously awful, just to see if they could sucker people into drinking it. I am absolutely clueless as to how they've managed to convince people to drink it. It doesn't even remotely taste like beer.

Eh, anyway, my real favourites are local microbrews. There are some good ones around Austin. When I can find it, I really love the Convict Hill Oatmeal Stout. And I must admit, I had an absolutely wonderful oatmeal stout in Kansas City at Granite City called "Broad Axe Stout". Those are the kinds of brew that make life worth living...

[sydnie7]

Tap vs bottle vs can really seems to make a difference in some cases, too.

I've had one of my top faves, Green Flash Double Stout, from both tap and bottle. No difference that I can tell, although I haven't had them back to back.

OTOH, the Dechutes Black Butte mentioned earlier is great on tap, so I bought a 6-pack of bottles. Very disappointing, thin and not nearly as tasty as I remembered. Again, subjective memory, but still.

And I enjoyed free ShockTop for a while on tap at the Embassy Suites where I stay on business trips. Purchased bottles and found it undrinkable.

Won't drink Boddy's, Corona, used to drink Heineken all the time but they either changed the recipe or my taste buds evolved LOL and now I have to agree with Tobus on that one. I do like Shiner Bock and Michelob has/used to have? an Amber Bock that did well, for the price.

So many beers, so little time!

[Nathan]

I swear, Heineken is like somebody played a joke and pretended to brew something that was outrageously awful, just to see if they could sucker people into drinking it. I am absolutely clueless as to how they've managed to convince people to drink it. It doesn't even remotely taste like beer.

Tell us how you really feel! ;) I'm not sure what they brew it out of where you come from but it tastes good where I live. The first time I had a Heineken was from a street vendor in Athens, Greece. He sold me a quart bottle of it with the most delicious chicken souvlaki I've eaten. It was tasty and refreshing, but not so flavourful that it distracted from the taste of the food. Is it the most complex brew I've had? Not by half, but there's nothing inherently unpleasant about the taste to my buds. I stick to my earlier stated opinion that it's a nice light summer beer that goes well with sandwiches etc...

I can also enjoy an Innis & Gunn, a Maudite or a Fin du Monde, Flying Monkey etc... I also typically enjoy a Kingfisher with Indian food. I'm not sure how you can say something doesn't taste remotely like beer when the flavours of beer are so diverse and varied. To my palate, Heineken falls into the most popular class of beers in the world so it certainly falls within the realm of tasting like beer.

You certainly don't have to like it, but my goodness, why the hostility toward the affordable refreshing brew in the nice green bottle?

[Llama]

The green bottle is the problem. I have no idea how Heineken is supposed to taste because, by the time it has reached my mouth, the green bottle has let in so much visible and ultraviolet light that the alpha acids in the hops have reacted to create something that is molecular-ly similar to what a skunk sprays out of it's behind.

[Hopper250]

For professional brews, I really like 1554 and Edmond Fitzgrald. Any porter is really worth drinking except maybe Bell's, that one wasn't very good in my opinion.

I did find away to make a small stout, and by that I mean it is as drinkable as a pale ale and doesn't have the think mouth feel most associate with the style. That's one of my top three homebrews and will be made again.

[StevieR]

The green bottle is the problem. I have no idea how Heineken is supposed to taste because, by the time it has reached my mouth, the green bottle has let in so much visible and ultraviolet light that the alpha acids in the hops have reacted to create something that is molecular-ly similar to what a skunk sprays out of it's behind.

Agreed. Draught Heineken in Holland isn't a complete disaster.