Top 50 Beers [Archive] - Off Camber Forums

Ankf00

08-18-05, 01:38 AM

Ogorman would be pissed. His favorite almighty Miller High Life is rated in the 3rd percentile! (although I will admit, sometimes the stuff goes down good.)

http://beer.istephen.com/images/101_bottle.jpg

actually, his fav would be Shiner Bock, good ol' Texas beer... :p

Such a shame that Real Ale, Bitter End, St. Arnold's, and Live Oak brewing products are far far better and yet unavailable in Cleveland :(

http://ratebeer.com/Ratings/TopSouth.asp

Live Oak, Real Ale, Saint Arnold, Bitter End (off of 4th street 2 streets down from Congress)... Abita can suck it... w00t.

oddlycalm

08-18-05, 02:49 PM

Please, Kuhnhenn Raspberry Eisbock at #3...? Ugh. I spent a few amused minutes reading some of the tasting notes on the site which were hilarious. You think wine tasting notes are funny, check these out....

Has a tan head on top of a purple and deep red body. Amazing complexity in the aroma: bourbon, creamed raspberries, cherries, sweet (but not hot) alcohol, oak, peaches and fruit seeds, very husky and hearty aroma. Amazingly rich and sweet up front, full of wood, tart raspberries and pie (think cobler), some brandy and graham cracker... Rich mocha and woody fruits in the finish, rich and hot at the end. What the hell do creamed rasberries taste like? Fruit seeds anybody? I shudder to think what a "woody fruit" is. Dude, it's purple beer and you're a full bore idiot.

Just for the record, in order to develop one's palate to the point where scents and flavors can be accurately described takes a lot of time and practice. Beer, wine and coffee all require training with scent references in order to accurately judge, let alone describe what is being encountered to others. I'd wager that fewer than 1 or 2 percent of these folks have actually invested the $500+ to get a full set of scent references and actually learn what it is they are purporting to know. :shakehead

This probably explains why there are no mentions of off flavors, even in beers that were shipped all over hell's half acre without temperature control, or aged 5yrs or more, which you absolutely know is BS. These guys talk about shipping beer in growlers via UPS with whatever temperature variations happen to occur along the way, then describe the wonderful essences of the beer in syrupy prose. :gomer:

In order to single out off scents reliably requires one to spend time with a fault kit learning to identify at the very least a dozen of the most common faults. Just for the record, the kind scents and flavors you are looking for are hints of vegetal, rotten apple, vinegar, glue, soap, sulphur, rotten egg, onion, cauliflower, horse, and mouldy-earth. You show me five barely wines aged 5yrs or more, and I will be able to show you some of these faults. Beer is alive, and predictable things happen to it when it ages. Same with wood, another scent kit and another $130. Identifying even the most common barrel woods from memory takes a lot of time and practice.

oc

racer2c

08-18-05, 03:17 PM

Please, Kuhnhenn Raspberry Eisbock at #3...? Ugh. I spent a few amused minutes reading some of the tasting notes on the site which were hilarious. You think wine tasting notes are funny, check these out....
What the hell do creamed rasberries taste like? Fruit seeds anybody? I shudder to think what a "woody fruit" is. Dude, it's purple beer and you're a full bore idiot.

Just for the record, in order to develop one's palate to the point where scents and flavors can be accurately described takes a lot of time and practice. Beer, wine and coffee all require training with scent references in order to accurately judge, let alone describe what is being encountered to others. I'd wager that fewer than 1 or 2 percent of these folks have actually invested the $500+ to get a full set of scent references and actually learn what it is they are purporting to know. :shakehead

This probably explains why there are no mentions of off flavors, even in beers that were shipped all over hell's half acre without temperature control, or aged 5yrs or more, which you absolutely know is BS. These guys talk about shipping beer in growlers via UPS with whatever temperature variations happen to occur along the way, then describe the wonderful essences of the beer in syrupy prose. :gomer:

In order to single out off scents reliably requires one to spend time with a fault kit learning to identify at the very least a dozen of the most common faults. Just for the record, the kind scents and flavors you are looking for are hints of vegetal, rotten apple, vinegar, glue, soap, sulphur, rotten egg, onion, cauliflower, horse, and mouldy-earth. You show me five barely wines aged 5yrs or more, and I will be able to show you some of these faults. Beer is alive, and predictable things happen to it when it ages. Same with wood, another scent kit and another $130. Identifying even the most common barrel woods from memory takes a lot of time and practice.

oc

Well said! :thumbup:

As an amateur wine connoisseur myself I frequently chuckle at the descriptions. From a list of a dozen scents, I can usually pick out two sometimes three.

As for the list, I quickly clicked on the "widely distributed list" as I couldn't care less about some obscure, micro-brewed beer that some beer club guys gush over. I was surprised not to see Becks on that list. Harp is a nice beer, but I'll always choose a Becks over a Harp. No Krounenbourg (sic) either. I dig a Krounenbourg, although it's hard to find these days.

Oh, and I belonged to a beer making club for a year or so and I though it was hilarious that the holy grail for the hard core brewers was to mimic Budwieser, but of course domestic beer is the swill of the devil.

jcollins28

08-18-05, 03:33 PM

What no Magners? This list is all wrong.

oddlycalm

08-18-05, 06:38 PM

As an amateur wine connoisseur myself I frequently chuckle at the descriptions. From a list of a dozen scents, I can usually pick out two sometimes three. Absolutely, I've resisted sitting down and spending the time to fully learn scents and only own a limited scent set along with a set of offs. I go for long periods without tasting critically and, like you, I'm lucky to pick out the overtones let alone the undertones. Since I hang with some of the local commercial winemakers from time to time, I get a humbling reminder of how much I don't know on a regular basis.

Another funny thing I noticed was that their top fifty lists, regardless of region, are dominated by huge stouts, barley wines and other strongly flavored/high alcohol brews. Tells you a lot about the audience. It's the beer version of a wine list devoid of anything but huge reds. Makes you wonder if any of these folks ever pair beer with food. How many foods go with a huge imperial stout or a 20 proof barely wine....?

oc

Opposite Lock

08-18-05, 07:11 PM

It's the beer version of a wine list devoid of anything but huge reds. Makes you wonder if any of these folks ever pair beer with food. How many foods go with a huge imperial stout or a 20 proof barely wine....?

oc

Good point, although when I'm drinking imperial stouts or barley wines, I usually forget about food altogether. :)

Beer - it's what's for dinner.

RichK

08-18-05, 07:30 PM

Interesting thread!

So, if I like Newcastle and Gordon Biersch Marzen (an amber beer), what are some of these top 50 (or other weird microbrews) that I might like?

Sean O'Gorman

08-18-05, 07:47 PM

Speaking of funny beer reviews, here is one for Busch NA:

This canned brew poured a medium sized head of fine to medium sized white colored mostly lasting bubbles that left behind a transparent weakly carbonated weak yellow orange colored body. The aroma was mild and smooth with malt and dough like scents. The mouth feel was tingly and bubbly initially and lasted well into the finish. The flavor was surprisingly good for an NA and I even found myself drinking another with I would have never thought I’d do with an NA beer. It is much like a regular Busch beer. This is by far one of the better NA’s I have had.

:rofl:

cart7

08-19-05, 05:48 AM

WTF? I don't hold my pinkies out when I'm clutching a beer glass, bottle or can. Give me an AB or Miller product and I'm quite content.

BTW, I didn't see EKU28 on the list of strongest beers, I guess they're no longer around. My brother brought a few bottles back from Germany 20 + years ago and the stuff was undrinkable as a stand alone beer. The locals dilluted it with water and lemon juice to make it palatable.

Hard Driver

08-19-05, 01:23 PM

Never had a single one of the top 50.

Wouldn' tyou think the "king of beers" would be #1 ;)

oddlycalm

08-19-05, 01:32 PM

So, if I like Newcastle and Gordon Biersch Marzen (an amber beer), what are some of these top 50 (or other weird microbrews) that I might like? None that I can see, and that puts a fine point on what I was saying. This list is obviously compiled by folks for whom too much is never engouh. ;) Everything on the linked top 50 list are big heavy beers that are further pumped up via some kind of additive (coffee, fruit, chocolate or absurd levels of hops, etc.) or unusual processes or ingredients. The average beer drinker, even the average microbrew drinker, would be horrified by most of them. Even if you wanted to try a few you couldn't because they aren't distributed in most cases. There is no doubt a few merchants in the Bay Area that do bring in craft brews and oddball stuff, just as there is in our area. They can often advise you regarding the stuff they carry if you tell them what you like.

The "50 accessible" list is probably where to look for something you can actually buy. If you like the Newcastle you will probably like the Sam Smiths (not to be confused with Sam Adams). The Sierra Nevada IPA and Pale Ale might be worth a try, although they aren't to my taste.

oc

Ankf00

08-19-05, 01:42 PM

OC: have you had Live Oak stuff while you were down in central texas? (it's unpasteurized so they don't ship it too far away from Austin...)

Wheel-Nut

08-19-05, 01:51 PM

A quick search of http://www.specsonline.com/ which is one of the largest liquor stores in the Houston area, reveals these "STOUT" selections.

BRIDGEPORT * BLACK STRAP STOUT
(OREGON)
It is full-bodied and silky. Background hop bitterness balances the roasty over-tones of black malts. Brewed with real black strap molasses.

COOPERS BEST * EXTRA STOUT
BEER (AUSTRALIA)

GREAT DIVIDE * OAK AGED YETI
IMPERIAL STOUT [U.S.A.]
Spec's ReviewOak aging gives a subtle vanilla character, rounding out yeti's intense roastiness and huge hoppy nature.

Rate a Beer ReviewGreat Divide's Yeti Imperial Stout is an onslaught of the senses. An almost viscous, inky-black brew, Yeti opens with a massive, roasty, chocolate, coffee malt flavor that eventually gives way to rich toffee and burnt caramel notes. Packed with an enormous quantity of American hops, Yeti's hop profile reveals a slightly citrusy, piney, and wonderfully dry hoppy finish. 75 International Bittering Units (IBUs).

GREAT DIVIDE * YETI IMPERIAL
STOUT(COLORADO) [U.S.A.]

GUINNESS * EXTRA STOUT(IRELAND)BIG
BOPPER [IRELAND]

MACKESON * TRIPLE STOUT ALE
(BEER ENGLAND) EACH

MACKESON TRIPLE STOUT (BEER
ENGLAND)

MENDOCINO BLACK HAWK STOUT
* [U.S.A.]

MURPHY'S * IRISH STOUT 1/4
BARREL KEG [U.S.A.]

MURPHY'S * PUB DRAUGHT(IRISH
STOUT)CANS [IRELAND]

MURPHY'S IRISH STOUT * 1/4
BARREL KEG [IRELAND]

OLD NUMBER 38 * STOUT (CAL
MICRO) 6PK

OLD RASPUTIN * IMPERIAL STOUT
(CAL MICRO) 4PAK

ROGUE * CHOCOLATE STOUT(OREGON
MICRO) [U.S.A.]

ROGUE * SHAKESPEARE'S STOUT
(ORE MICRO)

SAINT ARNOLDS * STOUT (TEXAS
MICRO) [U.S.A.]

SAMUEL SMITH * IMPERIAL STOUT
ALE (ENGLAND)

SAMUEL SMITH * OATMEAL STOUT
ALE (ENGLAND)

SAMUEL SMITH * OATMEAL STOUT
ALE (ENGLAND)

SAMUEL SMITH' IMPERIAL STOUT
(ENGLAND)

SIERRA NEVADA * STOUT BEER
(CAL MICRO)

SIERRA NEVADA STOUT ALE STONEGROUND
MUSTARD

ST. PETER'S CREAM STOUT *
NRB [ENGLAND]

YOUNG'S * DOUBLE CHOCOLATE
STOUT(ENGLAND)

YOUNGS * OATMEAL STOUT ALE
(BEER ENGLAND)

YOUNGS * OATMEAL STOUT ALE
(BEER ENGLAND)

YOUNGS OATMEAL STOUT * KEG
[ENGLAND]

None are in the top 50 but Great Divide comes in at 63.

RichK

08-19-05, 02:09 PM

The "50 accessible" list is probably where to look for something you can actually buy. If you like the Newcastle you will probably like the Sam Smiths (not to be confused with Sam Adams). The Sierra Nevada IPA and Pale Ale might be worth a try, although they aren't to my taste.

oc

Thanks! I've had the Sam Smith's Stout, which was very good. I'll try their other stuff.

I can't stand Sierra Nevada (or Anchor Steam, although I want to like it). Someone told me that these two brands use copper vats, which tinge the taste. I'm not sure if that's true or not.

stroker

08-19-05, 02:12 PM

I'm partial to Stouts, too.

I've got a feeling my favorite Stout would be equal portions of molasses, cigarette ash and grain alcohol.

:)

Turn7

08-19-05, 02:24 PM

My #1 beer.....COLD!

KLang

08-19-05, 02:24 PM

Sam Smith and Sierra Nevada are usually in my fridge. :thumbup:

The HEB I usually shop at has started to carry the Bridgeport Stout from Oregon. I really like it.

anait

08-19-05, 03:18 PM

I checked out the Top 25 beers available in my region, and found several of them at the closest LC. Discovered that the Commission decided to stop carrying the #1 beer on the list, Chimay Bleu. LC guy: "But it keeps really well," ...which would be great if I'd actually FOUND any. Bought five on that trip (hm, should stop by on my way to poker tonight for a few more. :D ). So here are my uneducated and hopefully unpretentious reviews:

#4 Youngs Double Chocolate Stout - I figured I'd hate it, but thought I should taste it before passing judgement. I was very surprised at how much I liked the taste. Incredibly smooth, goes down like satin. Creamy, dark, and the cocoa flavour actually goes really well! However - and this is probably just me, b/c I am known for finding strange aromas everywhere - it smells like vomit. Only when I sniffed without drinking, though...if I drank and inhaled :p it didn't. Mr anait was teasing me that I must have had several chocolate-induced vomiting spells...

#9 Hoegaarden White - nice, mild.

#10 McEwans Scotch Ale - Very tasty medium ale. Very easy to drink.

#11 Paulaner Hefeweissbier - I really liked this one. Delicious, and virtually no aftertaste. Manic says it's a 'wheaty' beer.

#22 Pilsner Urquell - also very nice, good mild flavour. After drinking the Paulaner, though, I noticed that the Pilsner did leave more of a sour aftertaste.

Tonight I might pick up #12 Propeller ESB, #19 Anchor Steam (is it worth it, RichK? You mentioned not liking it), #20 Leffe Blond, and some more McEwans and Paulaner.

extramundane

08-19-05, 03:37 PM

3 of Three Floyds brews in the top 14 means there was some intelligence at work. Those guys don't make anything that isn't good.

RichK

08-19-05, 03:41 PM

#19 Anchor Steam (is it worth it, RichK? You mentioned not liking it),

If you like Sierra Nevada, you'll probably like Anchor Steam. Lots of people like it, but to me it has a "tinny" or sharp, metallic taste to it like Sierra Nevada.

My preference is more towards Newcastle or Fullers ESB. Hm, I guess I like "Ales". Must be the fact that I lived in England from age 1 to 3....maybe my parents took me to a few pubs? :)

Let me know what you think of it!

KLang

08-19-05, 04:06 PM

One I tried on truebrit's advice and REALLY like is Old Speckled Hen.

Hmm, this is odd, a beer thread and no truebrit?

08-19-05, 04:45 PM

One I tried on truebrit's advice and REALLY like is Old Speckled Hen.I haven't found that one yet - been looking.

The only British beers I can find around here are (I'm gonna get pounced on for this, I know it...) tasteless. Yes. Tasteless. Boddinton's, Tetley's, Newcastle Brown, and some others that I don't remember their names. They are "good", but just not enough flavor for me. I try them with high hopes and just get mildly disappointed. There was an Irish cream ale that I was just giddy to try, but it fell short.

I know. A Yank raised on Miller Lite complaining about tasteless beer. :shakehead

Pilsner Urquell pwns.

devilmaster

08-19-05, 05:01 PM

G. - are you talking draught or bottle/can?

Draughts are a hit and miss bunch. Someone said the same thing earlier in the thread I believe. It really depends on what bar you are at - and if they take care of their systems.

Even a beer like Guinness can be night and day depending on where you get it. I made the mistake of ordering a pint from a BW3's back during an Offcamber viewing party in CBus. Tasted nothing like what I have come to expect Guinness to be. To go further, a buddy of mine who owns the Kildare house here in Windsor, drinks guinness wherever he goes. But will refuse it if its just not poured properly.

At the Kildare nowadays, I usually go for a pint of Belhaven - St. Andrews Ale. Good Scot Ale. :thumbup:

cameraman

08-19-05, 05:05 PM

Paulaner Oktoberfest Märzen
Newcastle Brown Ale
Chimay Bleu

works for me

08-19-05, 05:09 PM

Bottle/can, dm. And I'm discounting the "common" Brit bevvies, the Guiness, Harp, Bass' of the world. I like them and consider them more flavourful than the so-called "good" beers.

CARTNUT

08-20-05, 02:16 PM

Going down to San Diego next weekend for some R&R. Already made plans to visit Pizza Port Brewery/Restaurant. They have a huge selection of beer on tap, and Pizza! Imagine that! ;)

Ankf00

08-20-05, 02:23 PM

#9 Hoegaarden White - nice, mild.

Tonight I might pick up #12 Propeller ESB, #19 Anchor Steam (is it worth it, RichK? You mentioned not liking it), #20 Leffe Blond, and some more McEwans and Paulaner.

all hail the Hoegaarden!! :D perfect hangover drink at 11am after mardi gras
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v612/Ankf00/small.jpg

and yea steve, agree on the hit and miss, worst Hoegaarden I ever had was at BW3's, then again they had just installed the tap so who knows what they messed up, watery as all hell :thumdown:

Duvel's another Blegian one I like, much diff from the Hoegaarden...

devilmaster

08-20-05, 02:29 PM

Hey! Its Alex Yoong at a bar! Neat shot Ank!

;)

Ankf00

08-20-05, 02:32 PM

:p

although I wouldn't mind his paycheck...

oddlycalm

08-20-05, 07:29 PM

OC: have you had Live Oak stuff while you were down in central texas? (it's unpasteurized so they don't ship it too far away from Austin...) Sorry, never tried it. The San Antonio and Austin relations are all commercial mega-brewery beer drinkers so when I'm there it's Myers rum and tonic with a squeeze of lime for me... ;)

I can't stand Sierra Nevada (or Anchor Steam, although I want to like it). Someone told me that these two brands use copper vats, which tinge the taste. I'm not sure if that's true or not. I don't care for Sierra Nevada or Anchor either, and I know it's the hops that I don't like. I don't have the energy for a rant on Cascade hops as applied to traditional style beers, and nobody here gives a rip anyway, but that's the culprit. The flowery, citrusy, and sometimes metalic aromas and flavor are simply not to my taste. It's cheap and plentiful though, so one encounters it frequently.

oc

dando

08-20-05, 07:47 PM

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v612/Ankf00/small.jpg

Is that Harold or Kumar? :gomer: :p

-Kevin

manic mechanic

08-20-05, 08:17 PM

Sorry, never tried it. The San Antonio and Austin relations are all commercial mega-brewery beer drinkers so when I'm there it's Myers rum and tonic with a squeeze of lime for me... ;)

I don't care for Sierra Nevada or Anchor either, and I know it's the hops that I don't like. I don't have the energy for a rant on Cascade hops as applied to traditional style beers, and nobody here gives a rip anyway, but that's the culprit. The flowery, citrusy, and sometimes metalic aromas and flavor are simply not to my taste. It's cheap and plentiful though, so one encounters it frequently.

oc

I agree with the problem being the Cascades..They aren't strong enough to make the brew stand on it's own.

That's why I use Centennials! :D

Try Ballast Point's Big Eye IPA..100% Centennial hops and awesome flavors without the "metallic" edge.

If you get to the BP brewery, they usually have the Dorado Double IPA at the tasting bar...That stuff is unbelieveable!! :eek:

manic

Ankf00

08-20-05, 09:48 PM

Sorry, never tried it. The San Antonio and Austin relations are all commercial mega-brewery beer drinkers so when I'm there it's Myers rum and tonic with a squeeze of lime for me...
oc
well now you know what you have to have :)

Is that Harold or Kumar?

-Kevin
neither, I am he whom the charater of Kumar was derived from :p

besides, OGorman is Roldy... "omg, she's so hot, what do I say to her?" :laugh:

I don't have the energy for a rant on Cascade hops as applied to traditional style beers, and nobody here gives a rip anyway,
hey, speak for yourself, what's the deal with this cascade business?

drinking new belgium sunshine wheat right now b/c it was on sale, *shrug* turns out it's equal parts wheat and barley malt, plus coriander seed + orange peel according to the label... *gasp* JUST LIKE BELGIAN WHITE ALES!!! *double shurg* boring beer. stupid coloradans... stupid skaven... gay goters my ass, goy beer more like it :p

extramundane

08-20-05, 10:23 PM

I agree with the problem being the Cascades..They aren't strong enough to make the brew stand on it's own.

That's why I use Centennials! :D

Real men use Amarillos.

:runs:

oddlycalm

08-21-05, 04:00 AM

Real men use Amarillos. No need to run EM, I completely agree. Amarillo is a great choice. If Anchor and Sierra Nevada used Amarillo they would have great beer IMO.

oc

oddlycalm

08-21-05, 05:12 AM

I don't want to start a separate beer thread, as long as we are discussing premium beers with expensive ingredients it was inevitable that ones that cheaped out would come up as well, hence the Anchor, Sierra Nevada, cheap hops discussion. A whole lot of brew pub beer is wretched swill simply because it's cheaply made with ingredients that offer better prices than they do flavor. Just as Ferrari could never have won constructors championships on a Minardi budget it should come as no surprise that you can't make a great beer for the same cost as a crappy one.

Cost is also why watery American lager came into the picture in the first place. Once Americal brewers discovered their customers couldn't tell the difference between crap beer and good beer if it was kept cold enough, watery American lager was born and mass market corporate beer followed. Cheap grains like corn and rice could be added as money saving filler and the off flavors weren't noticed while even the cheapest hops could be used sparingly. Try a taste of Bud or Miller at room temperature and you'll get the entire picture of why it has to be served cold. :eek:

The most recent ingredient to get excluded from the process by the accountants is brewery itself. Yup, beers like Pabst Blue Ribbon along former racing sponsors Old Milwaukee, Strohs, plus a couple dozen other brands are simply brand names owned by a trust company in an office building in San Antonio and produced, bottled and shipped by contract brewers. The "brewer" doesn't brew it, bottle it or ship it because it got outsourced and all the folks that used to make those 28 brands in brewries all around the country got fired.

An interesting footnote to all this is that Portland, mothership to the craft brewing boom of the 1980's, is the single largest market for Pabst, a brand that isn't even advertised. If a cold PBR sounds good to you the Delta Cafe serves their quarts of PBR on ice in galvanized steel buckets... :D :thumbup:

Oregonian article on the Pabst phenomena (http://www.oregonlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/living/1122631163279271.xml?oregonian?lvls&coll=7&thispage=1)

Grass roots Pabst revival explained (http://robwalker.net/html_docs/pabst.html)

oc

extramundane

08-21-05, 11:54 AM

No need to run EM, I completely agree. Amarillo is a great choice.

And apparently an in-demand choice these days. We're brewing up a Gumball Head (http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/three-floyds-gumballhead/22764/) clone, and it took 3 suppliers to get us the necessary hops.

devilmaster

08-21-05, 12:02 PM

....... oc

A couple of points to supplement OC's good post.

About contract brewing - Another phenomenon is the small 'brewery' that contracts the making of their beer to megabrewerys. A friend of mine found a place (i can't remember, but when I talk to him, i'll edit this) that sold a 'local' beer claiming to be a microbrew. As he drank it he read the label, and in small print was 'brewed under contract by anheiser-busch.

And to the comment about areas which drink crap beer - I've spoken before about the Kildare house, the local pub where you'll find me if not at home. One of the bartenders is a transplanted Scot named Kit. He went back home for a visit not too long ago, and he marveled about how everyone at the pubs he went to were drinking Bud.

Ankf00

08-21-05, 12:09 PM

He went back home for a visit not too long ago, and he marveled about how everyone at the pubs he went to were drinking Bud.
Well naturally, he was mingling amongst BMW-Williams fans :D

TrueBrit

08-21-05, 12:25 PM

manic mechanic

08-21-05, 02:11 PM

Sorry but that entire list is weak. Any list with the words "Fifty greatest" and "Beer" in them that doesn't include Fuller's London Pride, Boddington's, Bishop's Finger, Speckled Hen, Theakston's Old Peculiar or anything from Sheperd Neame is by definition, complete and total bollocks.

Here endeth the sermon.

:D

I'll agree with Theakston's and Sheperd-Neame. Both are makers of some very good ales. I'm also rather fond of Ruddles County when I can find it.

I have also had some brews out of a Whitbreads "tied house" in Cheltenham that were bordering on excellent. Too bad only the "faux" Whitbreads is available locally (brewed under license in Cincinatti, OH.)...Merely a shadow of what the brand is all about, IMHO. :shakehead
The same brewery also does Mackeson's Triple Stout (albeit poorly, IMHO).

manic

mapguy

08-21-05, 02:12 PM

Go to the search bar at the top and type it in, it should give a review.... There is more than just 50 beers, try every country and style almost....

Went looking at the top 100 US beers..... and guess what I found at 91 :D

http://www.arrogantbastard.com/animated/animation2.gif

http://www.arrogantbastard.com/interface/cornerlogo.gif

Stone Brewing makes awesome beers. Their Stone IPA and Ruination IPA are amazing. They make Arrogant Bastard pale (no pun intended) in comparison.

TrueBrit

08-21-05, 09:54 PM

One I tried on truebrit's advice and REALLY like is Old Speckled Hen.

Hmm, this is odd, a beer thread and no truebrit?

Better late than never!!!

Okay, who's got the first round? :D

TrueBrit

08-21-05, 09:55 PM

I'll agree with Theakston's and Sheperd-Neame. Both are makers of some very good ales. I'm also rather fond of Ruddles County when I can find it.

I have also had some brews out of a Whitbreads "tied house" in Cheltenham that were bordering on excellent. Too bad only the "faux" Whitbreads is available locally (brewed under license in Cincinatti, OH.)...Merely a shadow of what the brand is all about, IMHO. :shakehead
The same brewery also does Mackeson's Triple Stout (albeit poorly, IMHO).

manic

Whitbread is another excellent brewery, and Ruddles County is one of my faves as well....

Ankf00

08-21-05, 10:14 PM

all anyone ever needs to know about beer:

www.puretexanbeer.com

:gomer:

eiregosod

08-22-05, 03:27 PM

What no mention of Guinness in the top 50 beers? There's a lot of :gomer:'s in this country who would see that as a call to arms.

Sean O'Gorman

08-22-05, 04:10 PM

eiregosod

08-22-05, 05:12 PM

http://ratebeer.com/Ratings/TopAccessible.asp

#14 on that list

I have to be in a certain mood to enjoy a Guinness. But my dad doesn't like it at all, and he is twice as Irish as me. And his dad doesn't drink at all! I have a wierd family. :eek:

most of the beers on those lists are porter or stouts. Guinness is a porter/stout.

stout is a highly aquired taste. I sure didnt like the taste of it when I was 8 years old ;)

nice to see hoegaarden on that list :D

Opposite Lock

08-22-05, 09:50 PM

(not to be confused with Sam Adams).
oc

Speaking of Samuel Adams, wah' happen? Up until about two years ago, Sam had a very distinct and very consistent flavor, no matter which contracted brewhouse was bottling it, (and personally tested in various corners of the country :) ).

Now it's just consistently, well, uh, "meh".*

I suspect something got cheapened in the contract recipe. Hops? A lesser malt?

*can't blame it on advancing age - most everything else still tastes the same.

08-23-05, 11:30 AM

Speaking of Samuel Adams, wah' happen? Up until about two years ago, Sam had a very distinct and very consistent flavor, no matter which contracted brewhouse was bottling it, (and personally tested in various corners of the country :) ).

Now it's just consistently, well, uh, "meh".*

I suspect something got cheapened in the contract recipe. Hops? A lesser malt?

*can't blame it on advancing age - most everything else still tastes the same.You are not alone. SA used to have really good seasonal beers, Spring and Summer ales were my favorites. Now, it's crap.

Also, I HAVE had Ol Speckled Hen before. Good stuff. But not worth the eight bucks a four-pack, IMO. But it does actually have flavor! Had four this weekend.

I've always thought that the Brits had very flavorful beers to compensate for their tasteless food (I know, old stereotype. The old ones last forever, though.). That's why I was surprised at the tastelessness of some of the "good" Brit ales.

oddlycalm

08-23-05, 02:33 PM

I suspect something got cheapened in the contract recipe. Hops? A lesser malt? Probably all of the above. Once the money people get involved it's just a matter of time. Brewing large amounts of beer means buying large amounts of hops and malt, and specialty malt and hops prices have gone up precipitously at a time when grain prices have been relatively static.

Back in the 1980's feed barley and two row malting barley were priced about the same. By 2005 there was a 75% premium on malting barley, and that only gets it as far as the malting plant. While Canadian Malting Ltd., or their US subsidiary Great Western Malting, make a lot of malt, only a small portion is the specialty malts use for craft beers and exploding popularity of these beers has driven up the prices of the malts used.

We already had the hops discussion and the same thing happens there with traditional Fuggles, as used in most English ales, commanding a 75% premium over the Cluster hops used in commercial American brews. Add in the volume discounts and the difference grows and discounts for quanitity shipping for the big commercial breweries and the difference in price becomes huge. The contract brewer doesn't work for free either, and if you want them to handle special malt and special hops you pay special prices for it. On the other hand, if you are willing to take malt a hops they already buy in volume, the cost can drop enormously.

This has to be a very big temptation to any manangement team at a time when Sam Adams is also spends serious money on national advertising, a big expense they didn't have in the beginning. They also know that 95% of all their beer gets served at very cold temperatures in the US, so the chances that the average customer will notice the changes are smaller than they might be.

oc