*Hey guys. I'm making this thread because I don't really feel this belongs in the beer appreciation thread and I thought that this is a decent enough topic.
I live in Western Michigan where we have a lot of craft breweries, such as Bell's (you may have heard of Oberon), Founders, Brewery Vivant, Shmoze, etc. A lot of my friends love to go to these breweries all the time, and are always dogging me to come along. I always have to dodge because of a dirtly little secret I try not to tell anyone... I don't like beer.
Well, that is to say, I haven't found a beer I enjoy yet; there are obviously a lot of different beers all with different flavors/textures, so I'm sure I'll eventually find something I like, which is why I'm coming here, asking for advice from some of you beer connoisseurs out there.
What I've tried -American Pilsners like Budwiser, Coors, Miller, Labaat's, etc. -Wheat Beers like Blue Moon, etc. -Some darker beers (couldn't tell you the names)
My thoughts on the flavors -I just hate the american pilsners. I can't stand them. There's a pronounced bitterness combined with something sour that's accentuated by how damn carbonated they are. -The wheat beers had a lot less of that flavor I didn't like, but it's still there a bit. They do leave a bit of an aftertaste that I don't quite enjoy. -I like the darker beers a bit. The taste from the pilsners isn't really present, but at least in the ones I've tried, there is a bit of a bitter note to a few, and a few have a kind of...burnt taste?
I don't have this vocabulary of terms to tell you exactly what I dislike about one beer over the other, which makes this difficult. I'm hoping some people out there who can help me find some beers that fit my style a bit better so I don't have to dodge when I go out with my buddies.
There are many wine & spirit shops now that carry good craft brews. A good place to judge beers is beeradvocate.com. So go to google and type in the name of the beer followed by beer advocate and enjoy!
sounds like you need soft beer with little bitterness.
czech budweiser german becks "gold" polish tyskie polish lech
(google for pics, there isnt a particual order for those cause tastes are different. they are all quite soft though)
i dont know how american wheat beer is, but the ones in germany are pretty good imo and not bitter (e.g. franziskaner), although i dont mind bitterness too much.
cant help u with american beer at all, dont know if youre able to get the ones i listed somewhere
If you like darker beers, try a few different porters or stouts. I love stout beer myself (and summer beers) - pretty much anything coffee flavored. My favorite coffee stouts are Troegs (from Pennsylvania) and Berkshire (from Massachusetts).
But the thing to do is either go to a beerfest where you get to sample a ton of beers (and most of them will probably be local) or go to a big beer store and just buy a ton of the 4 packs or single 22 oz darker beers they sell until you find a few you like.
Have you actually tried going for the "easy" beers? Like Warsteiner, Heineken, stuff like that? American lagers are generally VERY bland and they make up for that by over-carbonating it.
Yea I would say that you should look up german and czech beer. Read about different flavours and brands and go out and try to find them. Being from Europe myself this is pretty easy and I'm thankful for that because I don't enjoy any other beer but being from the US and all it may be harder for you. GL
I have also heard good things about beer from Poland, but never tried anything myself. But like some guys have said already, stay away from american beer. So bland and nasty.
On May 13 2012 07:14 AllHailTheDead wrote: and If you try a few and you still don't like it, then maybe you just dont like beer?
This, I also thought like OP a few years back, but then after trying many beers, i was always "nope, there's the same shit in this one as in the last one, altho something is different". Turns out i don't like what makes beer beer.
I don't really drink a lot of lagers, but Heineken is by far the best lager I've had. If you don't like Heineken maybe you should move onto ales
Here are some ales I would suggest for you.
Fat Tire
Sam Adam's summer ale
New Castle
IPAs (a type of ale) are good, but have a very distinctive taste a lot of people don't like. Some good IPAs are
Magic Hat no. 9
Ranger
Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA
These are probably the best in my opinion. Most the beers I've listed are American, but I'm sure there's some good European beers that are on par or better than the beers I've listed, but these are the easiest for me to find in the U.S.
This is like asking "what race should I play" in BW/SC2. Just go try out the variations to hone down your interest. Learn the differences between IPA, Wheat, Ale, Stout, etc.. by tasting instead of reading online. Fortunately, beer is cheap enough where you can experiment with a different 6-pack each week without it being a $$$ drain.
Hey, former WMU student too :D Man, I miss all of the bars out there...
I mean, I hate to say it, but if you didn't enjoy all of the things you've tried thusfar perhaps you are just not into beer. Kalamazoo is a great town for trying out a bunch of different craft beers, so it's totally possible you just aren't down with brew. That being said, maybe try some red ale? I think it might be smooth enough without being too heavy for you to enjoy.
I hate American pilsners for the same reason. I like darker beers, though, so maybe our taste in beer is similar enough this will help:
First off, beer IS bitter. Once you get past that, though, you can start picking up the more subtle flavors and really enjoy it.
Guinness is wonderful (draft only). Also, Warsteiner isn't bad for something easier to pick up.
You might try red beer; George Killian's Irish Red is pretty decent beer. Mixed with Guinness, it's really good. I'd say stay away from IPAs if you can't handle the bitterness of beer, though. If you have a Rock Bottom nearby, they used to have a kind of beer brewed from oatmeal that was really good; worth giving that a shot. And dark ales are decent taste, too.
So... find a good Irish themed bar and get a glass of Guinness. If you don't like that try a glass of any kind of red beer. If you don't like that try a dark ale. If you don't like that, maybe you just don't like beer!
beer isn't for everyone, but that said, it is an acquired taste. American cheap beers are shit, don't drink them. The beers that appeal to "newcomers" are usually what heavy beer drinkers consider "girly beers", such as blue moon, but some people are more attracted to dark beers, it sounds like you might be. Guinness might be a bit much for you at first, but look for Porters and Stouts and try them until you find something you love. I'm a dark beer guy myself, here's a few to try:
Stone's "Double Bastard Ale" Urthel Samaranth Young's Double Chocolate Stout Guinness Foreign Extra Samuel Smith's Taddy Porter Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout I could go on forever
Also, if you're hesitant about a beer you're going to try, punch it into beeradvocate.com and read the reviews. Most anything rated 90+ is going to be high quality.
You just dive in and try things, but always give things at least two separate tries before you place judgement. I almost exclusively drink Anchor Steam. I love my Bay Area brew, but I didn't care for it much at first, it had to grow on me. Also, different beers you will find you like later or at different points in your life, just like anything else.
I'm very far from a beer connoisseur, but like you, I don't like beer. I do not drink beer as a beverage, because I don't really like the taste. Over time though, I've slowly warmed up to beer through social circumstances and I've tried a lot of them over the years. For my palette, dark beers and such were far too strong or had an after-taste that really bothered me.
Through all my consumption, Heineken has risen to one I like the best, out of the more commercial beers. For me, it has a light, clean and crisp taste that works well for me. I may be off since it's been years since I've had it, but my memory finds it slightly comparable to MGD; not sure if you've given that a try.
Outside of Heineken, the only beer I regularly consume if I have a choice is Keith's (cheaper and more commonly on tap given I'm in Canada).
And not to drag too far away from the OP, can anyone suggest some beers similar to Heineken (can PM me as to not clutter the thread)? My girlfriend is fairly fond of beer (she likes Rickard's White best, I can't stand the end note though), so I find myself consuming more beer lately and I'd like to mix it up and try other beers as we're at the Beer Store often.
I just drink to get drunk an escape my problems. I don't care what it is as long as I get mad wasted. I remember when my dumb high school suspended me for going to class drunk. I was having a hard time at home.
Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout,Hop Czar,Stone Arrogant Bastard,Stone Double Bastard,Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Sierra Nevada Hoptimum,Chimay(any of them),Left hand Milk Stout,Rogue Dead Guy Ale, Rogue Chocolate Stout,Sam Adams Double Bock, Sam Adams Boston Lager.
I would recommend just trying different styles and seeing what you like. Most of the beers i listed up there have a higher abv than like say Bud Light, which is 5%abv and those are around 9-11%.(so be carefull with them lol) They also have alot more flavor to them,taste nothing like Budlight,Coors, or any of the other big company's.
On May 13 2012 07:37 divito wrote: I'm very far from a beer connoisseur, but like you, I don't like beer. I do not drink beer as a beverage, because I don't really like the taste. Over time though, I've slowly warmed up to beer through social circumstances and I've tried a lot of them over the years. For my palette, dark beers and such were far too strong or had an after-taste that really bothered me.
Through all my consumption, Heineken has risen to one I like the best, out of the more commercial beers. For me, it has a light, clean and crisp taste that works well for me. I may be off since it's been years since I've had it, but my memory finds it slightly comparable to MGD; not sure if you've given that a try.
Outside of Heineken, the only beer I regularly consume if I have a choice is Keith's (cheaper and more commonly on tap given I'm in Canada).
And not to drag too far away from the OP, can anyone suggest some beers similar to Heineken (can PM me as to not clutter the thread)? My girlfriend is fairly fond of beer (she likes Rickard's White best, I can't stand the end note though), so I find myself consuming more beer lately and I'd like to mix it up and try other beers as we're at the Beer Store often.
The best Pilsners are Czech for sure. Best wheat beers are anything from Germany (anything from Germany labeled Weis). If you like white beers, anything from Belgium
EDIT:
On May 13 2012 07:41 Redimere wrote: Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout,Hop Czar,Stone Arrogant Bastard,Stone Double Bastard,Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Sierra Nevada Hoptimum,Chimay(any of them),Left hand Milk Stout,Rogue Dead Guy Ale, Rogue Chocolate Stout,Sam Adams Double Bock, Sam Adams Boston Lager.
I would recommend just trying different styles and seeing what you like. Most of the beers i listed up there have a higher abv than like say Bud Light, which is 5%abv and those are around 9-11%.(so be carefull with them lol) They also have alot more flavor to them,taste nothing like Budlight,Coors, or any of the other big company's.
I love this man, he drinks good beer :D man I had old rasputin imp stout on tap for the first time a couple weeks ago and almost shat myself it was so good
On May 13 2012 07:17 ionlyplayPROtoss wrote: Try imported beers. American beers suck for the reasons you listed. I personally like corona or heinenken.
Why do you comment if you don't really know much about beer at all? Americans brew the best beer in the world.
This site have the biggest beer geeks in the world as members of their community. There really isn't any question whether this is correct or not.
Really, your argument is like saying all Hollywood movies suck just because you hate American Pie.
Anyway, OP, I'm not one of these big beer geeks myself but I know people who are and I've been exposed to and tried most styles of beers their are. Just like you the "darker" beers are generally nothing I appreciate all too much and same goes for the bigger brands like Budweiser and Miller producing only lagers/pilsners.
What I would recommend you is to check ales. These are generally not that bitter and have a more rounded full taste which I personally find easier to drink if you're not used to "normal" beer. As there's many different styles of ales I'd say start with amber ales and american pale ales. Have you ever tried Samuel Adams Boston Ale? I think that's the most common American ale.
Some great breweries you could check out: Great Divide, Cigar City and Three Floyds.
On May 13 2012 07:35 Splynn wrote: I hate American pilsners for the same reason. I like darker beers, though, so maybe our taste in beer is similar enough this will help:
First off, beer IS bitter. Once you get past that, though, you can start picking up the more subtle flavors and really enjoy it.
Guinness is wonderful (draft only). Also, Warsteiner isn't bad for something easier to pick up.
You might try red beer; George Killian's Irish Red is pretty decent beer. Mixed with Guinness, it's really good. I'd say stay away from IPAs if you can't handle the bitterness of beer, though. If you have a Rock Bottom nearby, they used to have a kind of beer brewed from oatmeal that was really good; worth giving that a shot. And dark ales are decent taste, too.
So... find a good Irish themed bar and get a glass of Guinness. If you don't like that try a glass of any kind of red beer. If you don't like that try a dark ale. If you don't like that, maybe you just don't like beer!
oh my goodness, George Killians Irish Red is some deliciousness....
I also am a fan of Samuel Adam's beers....When it comes to American beers. I don't like Heineken or Corona....maybe I'm just weird?
Shock Top is pretty nice, Dos Equis was good when I tried it, and
Red Stripe....I drink one of those if I'm not drinking Killians Irish Red.
On May 13 2012 07:17 ionlyplayPROtoss wrote: Try imported beers. American beers suck for the reasons you listed. I personally like corona or heinenken.
Why do you comment if you don't really know much about beer at all? Americans brew the best beer in the world.
You're on the right track. American pilsners taste like crap because they're full of adjuncts like rice and corn, use hops with high levels of bitterness but no flavor (because it takes less of them to bitter the beer), and crappy undustrial yeasts that overwhelm the flavor that is there (that's where the nasty/uriney sourness comes from- there are good beer that are intentionally sour from wild (or semi-wild) yeast but that's a different story). The fact that you don't like shitty beer makes you a good contender for appreciating good beer. I've even had dedicated wine connoisseurs that HATE beer find one that they love. I think an easy place to start is a widely available Belgian (or Belgian style) Abbey Ale like Chimay which you can find almost everywhere. From there there are literally tens of thousands of craft beers around the world to try from.You really just need to find a good shop or bar that carries a good variety and you can go to Beeradvocate.com or Ratbeer.com to find reviews and information about beers you like/don't like. You'll be surprised to find that the beers you have tried in the past generally rate very poorly, but these site will generally point you in the direction of better brews in the same style. Cheers!
I love this man, he drinks good beer :D man I had old rasputin imp stout on tap for the first time a couple weeks ago and almost shat myself it was so good
Man i wish i could try Old Rasputin on tap,not to many places around here having anything but Bud,Coors etc on Tap But yeah i started out drinking Bud Light,Miller,Coors, had no idea anything else was made, tried a Pale Ale from Sierra Nevada i think and was like man i've been drinking crap lmao.
Something else for the OP,I would check out ChadzBeer Reviews on Youtube, or Greg's Beer Reviews. They seem to know quite a bit about beer, and have alot of reviews of all different kinds.
On May 13 2012 07:17 ionlyplayPROtoss wrote: Try imported beers. American beers suck for the reasons you listed. I personally like corona or heinenken.
Why do you comment if you don't really know much about beer at all? Americans brew the best beer in the world.
This site have the biggest beer geeks in the world as members of their community. There really isn't any question whether this is correct or not.
Really, your argument is like saying all Hollywood movies suck just because you hate American Pie.
in a question about tastes there is no best or right and wrong.
Sorry, I do hate when people try force their own subjective opinions on me. I was speaking generally judged by their dominance among the people who are supposed to know what is a good beer and what is not. To compare it with the film industry again I'd say Hollywood make the best movies but I wouldn't get mad if someone thought Brittish movies are better. If some people prefer Belgian or Czech beer over American beers they are of course not wrong since it's their opinions, my bad. :D
On May 13 2012 07:30 Tewks44 wrote: I don't really drink a lot of lagers, but Heineken is by far the best lager I've had. If you don't like Heineken maybe you should move onto ales
Here are some ales I would suggest for you.
Fat Tire
Sam Adam's summer ale
New Castle
IPAs (a type of ale) are good, but have a very distinctive taste a lot of people don't like. Some good IPAs are
Magic Hat no. 9
Ranger
Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA
These are probably the best in my opinion. Most the beers I've listed are American, but I'm sure there's some good European beers that are on par or better than the beers I've listed, but these are the easiest for me to find in the U.S.
Really glad you mentioned these, I was thinking Samuel Adams Summer Ale would be the perfect choice. It seems like OP wants a slightly sweeter beer, so these suggestions should be spot on. Killian's is another more accessible option. Magic Hat is great because they sell variety packs where you can try a bunch of different styles, and maybe find one that you like.
Macro brews for the most part suck. A lot of wheat bears floating around out also pretend to look micro (Blue Moon and Shock Top come to mind), but are really just produced by bad macro companies. Sounds like you'd be more of a porter/stout kind of guy considering you didn't trash "darker" beers. You might dig on some amber ales too (Fat Tire is a pretty basic and common amber that isn't too shabby on tap). Not gonna bother listing companies I like since you're area might not have them, just trying to give more general advice. Plus I'm a big proponent of supporting local craft (assuming they're good ), so just go out there and try some micro porters, stouts, and ambers.
And to note, I love a good stout, but for the love of god, don't go for Guinness (at first while you're still acquiring a taste). I'm not trying to start some Guinness bashing or anything, so people please don't interpret it as such, I just personally am not a huge fan it. But the main reason I say don't go trying Guinness if you're looking to try some stouts is that it tastes very different from any other stout I've ever had. I actually held off on trying out stouts for the longest time, regrettably, all because of Guinness. (A local brewery in my area has an amazing stout, currently my favorite, that I didn't try for a good 2 years or so because I was scared off by Guinness.)
Also, not saying you'd like them, but try some Belgian beers if you have the opportunity. Actually, I lied, and I am gonna brand drop; Russian River out of Santa Rosa, CA is my favorite brewery and their Consecration, omg so good.
edit: Just saw Russian River a fair amount of times on that rating site linked (Pliny the Younger at #6, lol good luck ever trying it since its only out for like 2 weeks a year) and Consecration at #50. Just highlighting their awesomeness out of my love of them.
Don't give up on American beer you just have to find something that suits you.
American macro brews are awful but you can thank the prohibition for destroying our beer culture (unlike wine and liquor beer producers were unable to survive the prohibition)
But microbrews are delicious! You should start by looking for something with high "drinkability" not too hoppy not too malty maybe a fruit flavor brew.
I hated beer for a long time, but I finally came around when I tried a Heineken. It didn't have the same bitter taste a lot of other beers do. Since then, my favorite has to be guiness. It's dry, not too bitter, and I like the taste with a greasy/salty meat meal.
On May 13 2012 07:17 ionlyplayPROtoss wrote: Try imported beers. American beers suck for the reasons you listed. I personally like corona or heinenken.
Why do you comment if you don't really know much about beer at all? Americans brew the best beer in the world.
Don't listen to these American craft brew haters; the USA brews some of the best beers in the world. It sounds to me like you don't like hoppy beers. That's OK. Here's some to try. I recommend trying one from each category. If you don't like any of them, you're beyond hope.
STOUTS - These are rich, malty beers. Usually black in color. USA: - The Poet (New Holland) - Oatmeal Stout - Left Hand Milk Stout (Left Hand Brewery) - Milk Stout - Founders Breakfast Stout (Founders) - Imperial Stout (more hoppy than the others) - Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout (North Coast) - Imperial stout (also hoppy) - Old #38 Stout (North Coast) - Irish stout Good imports: - Guinness Stout (Guinness) - Stout (sort of the prototypical example) - Lion Stout (Lion Brewery) - Stout - Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout (Samuel Smith) - Oatmeal stout BROWN ALES - These are lighter in body than stouts and have gentler, sometimes sweeter malts. Often not bitter. USA: - Downtown Brown (Lost Coast) - Dirty Helen (Barley Island Brewing Co.) - Nut Brown Ale (Goose island) -- this one is a little different - Dundee Nut Brown (Dundee Brewing Co) Imports: - Newcastle Brown Ale (Heineken) -- it has to be mentioned - Fuller's ESB (Fuller Smith & Turner)
DOPPELBOCKS - These are German style lagers that range from lightish like brown ales to rich and thick like stouts. USA: - Doppelrock (Great Lakes Brewing) Imports: - Celebrator (Ayinger) -- This is arguably the best beer in the world - Salvator (Paulaner) BELGIAN ALES - Belgian ales use a different yeast from most beers; it gives the beer a very different character that some people really like. Usually pretty strong in alcohol USA (/Canada): - Trois Pistoles (Unibroue) - a Belgian strong dark ale (made in Canada) - Sofie (Goose Island) - A saison: lighter in color, but strong in flavor. Kinda citrusy. very delicious - Maudite (Unibroue) - Belgian strong ale - Three Philosophers (Ommegang) - A very strong (in flavor) quadruppel Imports: - Chimay Première (Bières de Chimay) - An amazing Belgian dubbel - Delirium Nocturnem (Brauerij Huyghe) - Another Belgian strong ale
Have you tried Backwoods Bastard by Founders? i live in eastern Michigan so I dont get to taste that delicious beer very often but when I do, I enjoy it :p
On May 13 2012 07:30 Tewks44 wrote: I don't really drink a lot of lagers, but Heineken is by far the best lager I've had. If you don't like Heineken maybe you should move onto ales
Here are some ales I would suggest for you.
Fat Tire
Sam Adam's summer ale
New Castle
IPAs (a type of ale) are good, but have a very distinctive taste a lot of people don't like. Some good IPAs are
Magic Hat no. 9
Ranger
Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA
These are probably the best in my opinion. Most the beers I've listed are American, but I'm sure there's some good European beers that are on par or better than the beers I've listed, but these are the easiest for me to find in the U.S.
DAAAAMMNN
thanks for reminding me of Dogfish Head! Out to try it right now!
For dark beers I like bourbon barrel types. Try to get some made in KY . I also like the high alcohol content ones. Try La Fin Du Monde or Ruination IPA.
On May 13 2012 08:11 Hat wrote: - Downtown Brown (Lost Coast)
As someone who lives in Humboldt, I gotta say Downtown Brown is not very awesome and is one of Lost Coast's weaker beers. Might as well go for the Eight Ball Stout instead (the stout I was referring to as my favorite in my other post in this thread).
On May 13 2012 08:17 prochobo wrote: For dark beers I like bourbon barrel types. Try to get some made in KY . I also like the high alcohol content ones. Try La Fin Du Monde or Ruination IPA.
I remember having La Fin Du Monde a fair amount when I was visiting San Francisco a few years back. If I remember correctly, expensive, but worth every penny.
edit: To note (and be more in line with the OP), I used to hate beer. I was solely a spirits guy. Sapporo was the beer that got me to start trying out beer.
On May 13 2012 07:17 ionlyplayPROtoss wrote: Try imported beers. American beers suck for the reasons you listed. I personally like corona or heinenken.
Why do you comment if you don't really know much about beer at all? Americans brew the best beer in the world.
This site have the biggest beer geeks in the world as members of their community. There really isn't any question whether this is correct or not.
Really, your argument is like saying all Hollywood movies suck just because you hate American Pie.
Anyway, OP, I'm not one of these big beer geeks myself but I know people who are and I've been exposed to and tried most styles of beers their are. Just like you the "darker" beers are generally nothing I appreciate all too much and same goes for the bigger brands like Budweiser and Miller producing only lagers/pilsners.
What I would recommend you is to check ales. These are generally not that bitter and have a more rounded full taste which I personally find easier to drink if you're not used to "normal" beer. As there's many different styles of ales I'd say start with amber ales and american pale ales. Have you ever tried Samuel Adams Boston Ale? I think that's the most common American ale.
Some great breweries you could check out: Great Divide, Cigar City and Three Floyds.
I think there is a large disconnect between the term "american beer" and the reality of how good american craft brewing is. There's such a huge market for shit beers like budweiser, busch, pbr, coors, etc that people just associate american beer with bad/skunky flavor, football, and weak alcohol content. Those of us who are lucky enough to live in the pacific northwest, socal, etc have a very different perspective.
Also, I just got finished with a sixer of great divide's raspberry ale. I'm a sucker for a good girly raspberry beer and it didn't disappoint. Need to stop by if I'm ever in colorado.
I've got a huge portland bias, but there are more amazing breweries out here than I can even keep track of sometimes. If you can get your hands on anything from laurelwood, hopworks, deschutes, rogue, or bridgeport you won't be disappointed. Those are the breweries that distribute widely off the top of my head. A couple amazing california breweries are stone and russian river. If you ever see pliny the elder or pliny the younger on tap, put aside everything else that you're doing and drink up.
As far as my favorite dark beer goes, try to get your hands on the deschutes abyss. It will completely change your perspective on what beer can actually be. It tastes like chocolate and oak barrels and licorice and coffee and every other thing in the world that tastes good to the adult palette.
The best thing to do is find a liquor store that has a create your own 6-pack section. From there pick a wide variety of beers. My favorite is wheat and pale ales, especially IPA's. It's pointless to argue which beer is best because that's the whole point of it all...everyone can have their own favorite, their is no such thing as a best beer.
On May 13 2012 07:17 ionlyplayPROtoss wrote: Try imported beers. American beers suck for the reasons you listed. I personally like corona or heinenken.
Why do you comment if you don't really know much about beer at all? Americans brew the best beer in the world.
This site have the biggest beer geeks in the world as members of their community. There really isn't any question whether this is correct or not.
Really, your argument is like saying all Hollywood movies suck just because you hate American Pie.
Anyway, OP, I'm not one of these big beer geeks myself but I know people who are and I've been exposed to and tried most styles of beers their are. Just like you the "darker" beers are generally nothing I appreciate all too much and same goes for the bigger brands like Budweiser and Miller producing only lagers/pilsners.
What I would recommend you is to check ales. These are generally not that bitter and have a more rounded full taste which I personally find easier to drink if you're not used to "normal" beer. As there's many different styles of ales I'd say start with amber ales and american pale ales. Have you ever tried Samuel Adams Boston Ale? I think that's the most common American ale.
Some great breweries you could check out: Great Divide, Cigar City and Three Floyds.
I think there is a large disconnect between the term "american beer" and the reality of how good american craft brewing is. There's such a huge market for shit beers like budweiser, busch, pbr, coors, etc that people just associate american beer with bad/skunky flavor, football, and weak alcohol content. Those of us who are lucky enough to live in the pacific northwest, socal, etc have a very different perspective.
Also, I just got finished with a sixer of great divide's raspberry ale. I'm a sucker for a good girly raspberry beer and it didn't disappoint. Need to stop by if I'm ever in colorado.
I've got a huge portland bias, but there are more amazing breweries out here than I can even keep track of sometimes. If you can get your hands on anything from laurelwood, hopworks, deschutes, rogue, or bridgeport you won't be disappointed. Those are the breweries that distribute widely off the top of my head. A couple amazing california breweries are stone and russian river. If you ever see pliny the elder or pliny the younger on tap, put aside everything else that you're doing and drink up.
As far as my favorite dark beer goes, try to get your hands on the deschutes abyss. It will completely change your perspective on what beer can actually be. It tastes like chocolate and oak barrels and licorice and coffee and every other thing in the world that tastes good to the adult palette.
Amen to all of that. TBH, I can't even remember the last time I even bought a beer that wasn't made by an American company (probably was Newcastle like over a year ago, used to be my beer of choice). American Macrobreweries != American Beer.
Honestly, I hate beer. I would rather have a glass of coke. Best carbonated drink ever! Still, I have only tried american/canadian beers. I am definitely open to trying different beers in the future, but for now i'll just stick to rum, vodka, rye and my good ol' can o' coke.
In the beginning i really didnt enjoy beer, but it was the cheap and abundant way to get drunk as a youngster. I kept at it and now i some beers if theyre really cold. But i still prefer i drink instead.
Killians Irish Red. It isn't the best beer out there, but it is like a good stepping stone. It is easy for anyone to enjoy and starts to get you used to more "advanced" beers.
Edit: Lol, was planning something for my 500th post
After reading some of the posts, I tried out an oatmeal stout from New Holland Brewing Co (A local brewery) called The Poet, and it's actually pretty good. It's definitely a sipping beer, but the bitterness isn't overwhelming and actually adds something to it and it has a pretty nice chocolate and oatmeal hint. It's not 100% what I'm looking for, but I'd definitely order this at a bar. I think something a bit more milky or with a bit more choclate taste to it with a bit less of that bittersweet aftertaste and I'd be in heaven.
On May 13 2012 09:21 dronefarm wrote: After reading some of the posts, I tried out an oatmeal stout from New Holland Brewing Co (A local brewery) called The Poet, and it's actually pretty good. It's definitely a sipping beer, but the bitterness isn't overwhelming and actually adds something to it and it has a pretty nice chocolate and oatmeal hint. It's not 100% what I'm looking for, but I'd definitely order this at a bar. I think something a bit more milky or with a bit more choclate taste to it with a bit less of that bittersweet aftertaste and I'd be in heaven.
Oatmeal Stouts are awesome, glad you found something local you dig on
And uhhh, I dunno how to help in terms of looking for something milky. Ironically, based on my first post, maybe you would like Guinness then, lol.
edit: Another that I'm not sure was mentioned at all, but pretty much any bar will have no problem with you trying a beer. They just give you a shot glass of it to try, no cost. Don't be afraid to ask if you can try something.
Also some bars offer taster packs, like all their beers on tap in small glasses for like ~$20. If you're ever going out with friends you could always suggest getting one to split.
I'm a fan of lagers with a nice wheatey aftertaste without a lot of extra bitterness or carbonation. You are going to have to look outside of the regular US brands for a solid beer. I Love local German , British, and Dutch Lagers. Again though you'd have to import. Remember Everything is going to taste better on tap. Personally as far as domestic goes I like MGD but Canadian MGD is stronger then USA stuff. Check out "1664" if you get the chance and kozel is alrigth as well but it may have to much of an aftertaste for you.
I had a hard time dealing with beer too when I was younger and couldn't for the life of me understand why people would drink something as wretched as beer.
However... A few years back a friend of mine introduced me to a bunch of quality brews, namely ones from Czech Republic, Netherlands etc. and now I'm a huge, huge fan of beer. Whenever someone offers me something that's made locally, I absolutely refuse to drink it in lieu of much better tasting alternatives.
Anywho, my tip is to just try anything and everything. With modesty of course. Buy a bottle here, two there and eventually you'll find one that suits your tastebuds.
For me, the beer that really won me over is called Sol. Made in Mexico, such a smooth and delicious taste. I still drink today, but hands down my favorite has to be Paulaner. The taste is INCREDIBLE. I strongly urge everyone to try Paulaner, can't remember the exact name, but it's slightly smokey in its taste and is kind of opaque.
On May 13 2012 09:06 SuB.ZerO wrote: my advice is to pound down a ton of beer and you will like the taste eventually
I don't get why people think like that. If you don't like something, why force yourself to like it? Why not just have other stuff.
<- non beer drinker.
beer is convenient, universal, fills you up, such a wide variety of flavors tastes and its something you can bond over. Its a cultural thing. I never used to drink beer and was in the same boat as you until I puked on my drink of choice vodka one to many times and couldnt stand it anymore. I got onto beer and havent looked back, smallest hangovers, something to have with a meal, chill with a friend or family. Its just an amazing drink and my go to liqour along with many other peoples around the world. :D
On May 13 2012 09:21 dronefarm wrote: After reading some of the posts, I tried out an oatmeal stout from New Holland Brewing Co (A local brewery) called The Poet, and it's actually pretty good. It's definitely a sipping beer, but the bitterness isn't overwhelming and actually adds something to it and it has a pretty nice chocolate and oatmeal hint. It's not 100% what I'm looking for, but I'd definitely order this at a bar. I think something a bit more milky or with a bit more choclate taste to it with a bit less of that bittersweet aftertaste and I'd be in heaven.
Hmm you would probably like Left Hand Milk Stout ,has more of a sweeter taste to it. Youngs Double Chocolate is also pretty sweet, but from what i remember it has more of a bitter taste than the Left Hand.
I'm a fan of stouts myself. Oatmeal stouts are pretty good, but you should try a chocolate stout! Those taste really good even for those who don't like beer. If you don't like bitterness, don't try an IPA or a pale ale.
Remember that beer is fun. There are more and more beer snobs these days but the most important part is that it tastes good to you!
On May 13 2012 09:41 denzelz wrote: I'm a fan of stouts myself. Oatmeal stouts are pretty good, but you should try a chocolate stout! Those taste really good even for those who don't like beer. If you don't like bitterness, don't try an IPA or a pale ale.
Remember that beer is fun. There are more and more beer snobs these days but the most important part is that it tastes good to you!
I wouldn't recommend anyone try IPAs until they are fully engulfed in enjoying beer. It took me a very, very long time to enjoy IPAs (probably about 8 months ago, lol), and even then I can be picky with my IPAs.
Alcohol in general is somewhat bitter. That said, I fee; heineken and molsen are less so. Around Michigan, at least the ann arbor area, there are also lots of seasonal beers. Many of those have a very strong flavor based on the season, so you might like them. Just go to a decent bar and ask for the beers of the month.
I just tried Pilzensky Prazdroj....So tell me....is it worth anything...Everyone suggested a czech beer so I figured I'd try it....Since the whole legal issues n' what not.
Man i wish i could try Old Rasputin on tap,not to many places around here having anything but Bud,Coors etc on Tap But yeah i started out drinking Bud Light,Miller,Coors, had no idea anything else was made, tried a Pale Ale from Sierra Nevada i think and was like man i've been drinking crap lmao.
Something else for the OP,I would check out ChadzBeer Reviews on Youtube, or Greg's Beer Reviews. They seem to know quite a bit about beer, and have alot of reviews of all different kinds.
Old Rasputin on tap is an otherworldy experience. It has a super dense chocolate mousse like head and is on of the most perfectly balanced stouts I've had. Not a hint of ashiness or acrid acidity but tons of flavor. It's awesome.
I used to not like beer, but I was in college and all my friends were drinking it so I felt weird not being able to do it. All I did was force myself to drink a whole beer. It became easier. The more I drank, the more I like it and now I drink all kinds of beer and I love it. I think most people who say they don't like beer just haven't drank a lot of it. Just force yourself to finish one. It will get easier and once you find what you like about it you will able to choose what kind you like. Thinking about it right now won't help you. You just have to go out and drink some beers man!
i wanted to throw out a couple of my favorites that were not mentioned so far.
Old Speckled Hen (England) From their website,‘Old Speckled Hen’ has a full, smooth flavour and is very easy to drink. Its rich amber colour and superb fruity aromas are complemented by a delicious blend of malty tastes. Toffee and malt combine with bitterness on the back of the tongue to give a balanced sweetness. This, all followed by a refreshingly dry finish.”
Troegs Nugget Nectar (Pennsylvania) From beer-flavored.com, "I don't normally pay attention to amber ales; chances are, wherever I am, there's going to be something else that catches my eye first. It's such a middle of the road style, it's unadventurous almost by definition. But that doesn't matter; Nugget Nectar reminds you that an amber ale can be a fantastic beer, that style is a limitation of characteristics, not quality. If I had to fill Dharma Initiative-style cans labelled just "beer" with any beer — a beer that embodied all beer; a quintessential craft beer exactly in the middle of style and at the top of taste — it would probably be this."
Dogfish Head's Raison D Etre (Delaware) French for "Reason for Existence!" according to ratebeer.com, "Raison D'Etre Voted 'American Beer Of The Year' in January 2000 by Malt Advocate Magazine. A deep mahogany ale brewed with beet sugar, green raisins, and Belgian yeast. As complex as a fine red wine. 36 IBU - available year round, 12 ounce bottles & draft - Descriptors: Notes of pit fruit, decadent, winey, raisiney, malty."
Can't go wrong with any Troeg Brewery or Dogfish Head beers. may post more later
On May 13 2012 14:40 decafchicken wrote: Sounds like you're looking for something a bit sweeter and summer is the perfect time for that, try one of these:
The trick to liking a lot of beer (especially heavier/bitter ones) is just drinking a shit ton of beer :D
I've had summer shandy (people pretty much force you to drink it). We call it golden shower shandy. I imagine if a dude drinks a whole lot of lemonade and takes a giant piss, it probably tastes like summer shandy. It doesn't have the horrible sour/bitter taste american pilsners have, but it tastes really bad imo.
If it hasn't been addressed the "bitter" taste in beer comes from the hops. Since you complain about it in American "pilsners" like Budwiser, which is an American lager, I wouldn't expect you to like anything with a decent hop flavor to it. This greatly reduces the amount of beers you may enjoy, as hops are an ingredient in beer. Not just an ingredient either, but one of the main ingredients, and the most pronounced ingredient in American style beers (at least of the West Coast).
What you may want to look for is Belgian or French style ales. I would suggest you stay away from all the American/English styles; not necessarily all styles brewed in those countries but the ones advertised with the country's name. You may find some German ones to your liking, but they are often very complicated and difficult to explain.
The best advice I can offer though is to go to a nearby brewery and ask if they know of any specialty stores that sell rare bottled beer. Some breweries have "bottle shops" that are often off site from their main restaurant/bar and they are generally well known among the brewery crowds although can be very difficult to find on your own. When you find one and go there, ask the person working the question you are asking this forum and they will probably be much more helpful than everyone here combined (myself included, even though I have worked at one of these shops).
If none of that helps you, I'm afraid you just don't like beer. There's no shame in it. I can't stand wine personally. These things happen.
there is an amazing amount of retarded advice in this thread. yes, russian imperial stouts and the like are freaking amazing and some of the best beers i've ever had, but your average beer newbie is not going to like it at all.
i think the key for me, and i've observed this in some of my mates, is to simply try as many different beers as possible. you simply need a range of experiences as a base. even if i expect a beer to be very poor, i'll still try it given the opportunity. only on you do not want to lock yourself into just one beer!!
once you'd tried a decent range of of beers (you're probs at this point), it's time to get a little more discerning. you should focus on beers with mild but good flavour, generally lagers/pilseners. all the american macro beers and stuff like corona/heineken are trash, stay away from them. some examples of some decent, cheap and mild lagers are stuff like konig pilsener / the czech budweiser (budvar), lowenbrau. the german / czech lagers are probs your best bet here. this is probably the point where your palate will start developing a fair bit and you'll realise how shite some of the bad ones i mentioned earlier are. this site can be very helpful to you - http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/304/6715.
after this.. rapid expansion! delve into the pale ales / bitters, then dark and strong ales and stouts! the more beers you try, the more you'll appreciate.
of course, this is based on my experiences with friends.. but don't just try some of the hardcore stouts / strong ales that people have suggested here and conclude you don't like beer if you don't like them!
Pilsner is just like water. People drink them like water also. They all more or less the same and dont realy have lots of taste differences. If drink pilsner i would just go with a bulk brand like heineken or budweizer or anny cheap local variety, imo there isnt realy much difference between them.
If you a newbe to beer and want try some special beers with a bit higher alcohol% i would go for belgium beers. You roughly have "double" beers and "tripple" beers both in dark and light (blonde) colours Double beers have ~ 6-7% alcohol and tripple beers have ~8-11%. The tripples are realy strong and maybe not good to start with. There is a huge assortiment but you can just stick to the most popular ones at start as they are excelent already. Brands like "grimbergen" "leffe" "duvel" are well known. Then you also have special tastes of beer wich you could try to see if you maybe realy like one specific beer, like cherry beer and weisen beer or things like corona (mexican beer, great on a sunny day though much like pilsner basicly) Schneider weise is a great german weisen beer. English lager and irish beer i somehow dont like at all. Lager is a bit like pilsner though with slightly less alcohol,the wrong temprature and a worse taste lol. Murphys stout isnt to bad, is a bit like some belgium beers though it has alot less alcohol/taste. Some bars are specialised in beers and have over 100 different ones, you could go there on a nice day and try out a few, there also beer tasting events in bars and brewerys.
Hmm looking at your post you would need a sweet beer as you realy dont like the bitterness manny beers have. Weisen beer and corona are a bit sweeter then lager and you can easily drink them in large amounts,they might be a good alternative if lager/pilsner is to bitter for you. Some belgium double beers also have a realy nice sweet taste like grimbergen.
On May 13 2012 22:55 one-one-one wrote: Try a lot of different beers is a good way :D
Just don't become one of those beer hipsters who only drink beer from local breweries or beer brewed by some stupid monks.
Here are some suggestions that are good for anyone. + Show Spoiler +
Yes, I really mean anyone
Stella Artois Pilsner Urquell Liberty Ale
Those aren't good for anyone... They, especially the Urquell, are JUST like water and taste of close to nothing. But they are good suggestions for people just starting to drink beer or for a warm summerday.
On May 13 2012 22:55 one-one-one wrote: Try a lot of different beers is a good way :D
Just don't become one of those beer hipsters who only drink beer from local breweries or beer brewed by some stupid monks.
Here are some suggestions that are good for anyone. + Show Spoiler +
Yes, I really mean anyone
Stella Artois Pilsner Urquell Liberty Ale
Those aren't good for anyone... They, especially the Urquell, are JUST like water and taste of close to nothing. But they are good suggestions for people just starting to drink beer or for a warm summerday.
This is the kind of people you shouldn't listen to dronefarm.
Some people have a tendency to start flaming once you bring up something fairly mainstream.
All of the beers I mentioned have excellent taste while at the same time being easy to drink.
They certainly do not taste like water. Pilsner Urquell has won the price as the best beer in the world I think.
On May 13 2012 22:55 one-one-one wrote: Try a lot of different beers is a good way :D
Just don't become one of those beer hipsters who only drink beer from local breweries or beer brewed by some stupid monks.
Here are some suggestions that are good for anyone. + Show Spoiler +
Yes, I really mean anyone
Stella Artois Pilsner Urquell Liberty Ale
Those aren't good for anyone... They, especially the Urquell, are JUST like water and taste of close to nothing. But they are good suggestions for people just starting to drink beer or for a warm summerday.
This is the kind of people you shouldn't listen to dronefarm.
Some people have a tendency to start flaming once you bring up something fairly mainstream.
All of the beers I mentioned have excellent taste while at the same time being easy to drink.
They certainly do not taste like water. Pilsner Urquell has won the price as the best beer in the world I think.
I don't think you understand the meaning of flaming... You made a blanket statement which I disagreed with. Those beers aren't good for anyone. They are good beers to start out with when you want to get into drinking beer, and for a very hot summerday to quench a thirst. But to claim that they have a rich taste and are great for anyone is outright wrong - and it is a very common objection towards the beers you mentioned, that they simply taste too watery.
EDIT: Also, how much do you actually know about beers? I have a feeling we are discussing at 2 different levels here. Pilsner Urquell has won the price as the best PILSNER - and that was some time ago. Pilsner Urquell hasn't won best beer, the difference is huge, I don't even know how you could make this mistake? Also the best beer in the world is the Weihenstephaner Vitus (according to http://www.worldbeerawards.com/2011/) - but the relevans of those sort of awards are rather miniscule as everyone differ in taste...
On May 13 2012 22:55 one-one-one wrote: Try a lot of different beers is a good way :D
Just don't become one of those beer hipsters who only drink beer from local breweries or beer brewed by some stupid monks.
Here are some suggestions that are good for anyone. + Show Spoiler +
Yes, I really mean anyone
Stella Artois Pilsner Urquell Liberty Ale
Those aren't good for anyone... They, especially the Urquell, are JUST like water and taste of close to nothing. But they are good suggestions for people just starting to drink beer or for a warm summerday.
This is the kind of people you shouldn't listen to dronefarm.
Some people have a tendency to start flaming once you bring up something fairly mainstream.
All of the beers I mentioned have excellent taste while at the same time being easy to drink.
They certainly do not taste like water. Pilsner Urquell has won the price as the best beer in the world I think.
I don't think you understand the meaning of flaming... You made a blanket statement which I disagreed with. Those beers aren't good for anyone. They are good beers to start out with when you want to get into drinking beer, and for a very hot summerday to quench a thirst. But to claim that they have a rich taste and are great for anyone is outright wrong - and it is a very common objection towards the beers you mentioned, that they simply taste too watery.
LOL.
You are soooo wrong in everything you say. Typical beer hipster statements.
Let other people try them so they can get an opinion on their own.
edit: and since the OP asked for a "beer to like" , isn't it better to start off with beers that are easy to drink ? It is so typical that some people start tipping about their "fancy" beers they have acquired a taste for after years of drinking beer. If you say that my beers taste watery I might object and say that your beers taste like a loaf of break soaked up in carbonated water. Then we would both be equally wrong.
If you go to a brewery, some of them actually do beer tastings :D Even though it might not be the same as the ones in a store, you can get a sense of which kind of beer you prefer. I found some really good beers that way.
On May 13 2012 22:55 one-one-one wrote: Try a lot of different beers is a good way :D
Just don't become one of those beer hipsters who only drink beer from local breweries or beer brewed by some stupid monks.
Here are some suggestions that are good for anyone. + Show Spoiler +
Yes, I really mean anyone
Stella Artois Pilsner Urquell Liberty Ale
Those aren't good for anyone... They, especially the Urquell, are JUST like water and taste of close to nothing. But they are good suggestions for people just starting to drink beer or for a warm summerday.
This is the kind of people you shouldn't listen to dronefarm.
Some people have a tendency to start flaming once you bring up something fairly mainstream.
All of the beers I mentioned have excellent taste while at the same time being easy to drink.
They certainly do not taste like water. Pilsner Urquell has won the price as the best beer in the world I think.
I don't think you understand the meaning of flaming... You made a blanket statement which I disagreed with. Those beers aren't good for anyone. They are good beers to start out with when you want to get into drinking beer, and for a very hot summerday to quench a thirst. But to claim that they have a rich taste and are great for anyone is outright wrong - and it is a very common objection towards the beers you mentioned, that they simply taste too watery.
LOL.
You are soooo wrong in everything you say. Typical beer hipster statements.
Let other people try them so they can get an opinion on their own.
edit: and since the OP asked for a "beer to like" , isn't it better to start off with beers that are easy to drink ? It is so typical that some people start tipping about their "fancy" beers they have acquired a taste for after years of drinking beer. If you say that my beers taste watery I might object and say that your beers taste like a loaf of break soaked up in carbonated water. Then we would both be equally wrong.
The difference between you and me is that you are the one making the blanket statements and the ad hominems. Sucks for you that I am at this moment drinking a Tuborg pilsner whilst watching QPR vs Man City - but so much for me being a beer hipster...
But at least you are getting on track now - there isn't a beer that is good for EVERYONE (which was the statement I objected against), so props to you for that.
Before this becomes an American beer sucks threat, know that there are some very good American beers brewed by smaller breweries. I'm only posting my favorite few that you can pretty much find anywhere.
Shiner - Bock, Hefeweizen, Golden, their seasonal stuff Flying Dog - Raging Bitch, Snake Dog, a handful of others Wild Blue + Show Spoiler +
On May 13 2012 22:55 one-one-one wrote: Try a lot of different beers is a good way :D
Just don't become one of those beer hipsters who only drink beer from local breweries or beer brewed by some stupid monks.
Here are some suggestions that are good for anyone. + Show Spoiler +
Yes, I really mean anyone
Stella Artois Pilsner Urquell Liberty Ale
Those aren't good for anyone... They, especially the Urquell, are JUST like water and taste of close to nothing. But they are good suggestions for people just starting to drink beer or for a warm summerday.
This is the kind of people you shouldn't listen to dronefarm.
Some people have a tendency to start flaming once you bring up something fairly mainstream.
All of the beers I mentioned have excellent taste while at the same time being easy to drink.
They certainly do not taste like water. Pilsner Urquell has won the price as the best beer in the world I think.
I don't think you understand the meaning of flaming... You made a blanket statement which I disagreed with. Those beers aren't good for anyone. They are good beers to start out with when you want to get into drinking beer, and for a very hot summerday to quench a thirst. But to claim that they have a rich taste and are great for anyone is outright wrong - and it is a very common objection towards the beers you mentioned, that they simply taste too watery.
LOL.
You are soooo wrong in everything you say. Typical beer hipster statements.
Let other people try them so they can get an opinion on their own.
edit: and since the OP asked for a "beer to like" , isn't it better to start off with beers that are easy to drink ? It is so typical that some people start tipping about their "fancy" beers they have acquired a taste for after years of drinking beer. If you say that my beers taste watery I might object and say that your beers taste like a loaf of break soaked up in carbonated water. Then we would both be equally wrong.
The difference between you and me is that you are the one making the blanket statements and the ad hominems. Sucks for you that I am at this moment drinking a Tuborg pilsner whilst watching QPR vs Man City - but so much for me being a beer hipster...
But at least you are getting on track now - there isn't a beer that is good for EVERYONE (which was the statement I objected against), so props to you for that.
Very good. I used to go to Denmark and buy some Tuborg when I lived in Malmö.
I'm also watching that game
But how did I make any blanket statements?
I picked a good lager , a good pils and a good ale.
I formulated myself in the way I did because I wanted to point out that there are mainstream beers that are very good. It is a natural way to start enjoying beer . A lot of people in this thread makes it over complicated by suggesting beers that are quite hard to drink and enjoy for a beginner. You have to acquire a taste for those I think.
You can also find a beer you like by "DRINK ALL THE BEER !".
Or you can organize some party or stuff like that where everyone brings a different beer so that everyone can taste, I know in France many people do the same but with wine. There're many shops where there's a shitload of beers you can buy. Where I live there's a bar where you can buy 300 different kind of beers, and there's a shop where you can buy a TON of different beers and wine.
Alcohol is an acquired taste. If you don't like beer right now, there is almost certainly not a beer that you do like. You'll just have to keep trying stuff and forcing it down, and eventually you'll come to honestly like it and appreciate it.
I know this isn't the answer you want. If you want alcohol that is palatable to the masses, you just have to stick with mixed drinks that heavily dilute the spirit in a mixer, like whiskey and coke or gin and tonic.
It is worth it to develop this taste, though. There is such a wonderful variety of beer, wine and cocktails to experiment with.
On May 14 2012 01:09 visual77 wrote: If you don't like beer right now, there is almost certainly not a beer that you do like.
I don't think that this is what you mean right? It's like ' If you don't like terran or protoss right now, there is almost certainly no race that you do like.' Doesn't make much sense huh?
There are great beers out there, I really like Bitburger or San Miguel, but I really dislike Koenig Pilsener for example. Just keep tasting all kinds of beer and eventually you will find your favorite. I disliked the first beers I tried, but after a while I came across San Miguel and fell in love.
American pils are awful, and good imported pils are hard to come by in the states. Try some lager imports, like Stella Artois, Becks, or Peroni. (my favorite of the three) They're not blow-your-mind fantastic, but they're good, simple, and light enough to get you acclimated I think. Darker beers and hoppier ales are great, but they take even more getting used to (for most people).
The US market is way over-saturated, especially with micro-brews, but that means you'll pretty much never run out of new beers to try. :D
On May 14 2012 01:09 visual77 wrote: If you don't like beer right now, there is almost certainly not a beer that you do like.
I don't think that this is what you mean right? It's like ' If you don't like terran or protoss right now, there is almost certainly no race that you do like.' Doesn't make much sense huh?
There are great beers out there, I really like Bitburger or San Miguel, but I really dislike Koenig Pilsener for example. Just keep tasting all kinds of beer and eventually you will find your favorite. I disliked the first beers I tried, but after a while I came across San Miguel and fell in love.
Beer is not StarCraft.
I meant what I said - beer is an acquired taste. If he says he does not like any beer he's had, I would bet that he's not going to suddenly find one he does like.
In my personal opinion it's a lot easier for someone to find a spiriit/liquor they like moreso than a beer, as beer is all made with hops. If people don't enjoy the taste of fermented hops they probably will overall dislike the taste of beer (like myself), yet higher proof alcoholic beverages can be made with a much much wider range of ingredients and combination of ingredients so you have much more variety between liquors such as vodka and rum for example, whereas beer is more about appreciating the subtle differences
you should try an amber or a light belgian beer. Neither are very bitter, and both have a slight sweetness to them. Ambers can be very creamy without being super carbonated. if you can find some sort of raspberry accented belgian wheat beer, it'll be extremely delicious ^^.
ps. don't correlate raspberry accented with something like budlight lime, its totally different
I thought of this myself recently :D In my city I have a shop with many types of beer (It's shop with beer only, local/imported etc.), so what I'm going to do is simply go there every day or every 2-3 days and just pick different one every time. I'd suggest you trying that ^^ hf
On May 14 2012 01:09 visual77 wrote: If you don't like beer right now, there is almost certainly not a beer that you do like.
I don't think that this is what you mean right? It's like ' If you don't like terran or protoss right now, there is almost certainly no race that you do like.' Doesn't make much sense huh?
There are great beers out there, I really like Bitburger or San Miguel, but I really dislike Koenig Pilsener for example. Just keep tasting all kinds of beer and eventually you will find your favorite. I disliked the first beers I tried, but after a while I came across San Miguel and fell in love.
nah I think that was what he meant. I really don't like beer myself either and from what I read in the OP it looks like he just doesn't like the taste in general.
Sure he can go with some stuff like Becks and I do drink those as well but it's not like they taste good to me. It's just "less bad" to the point of me not caring but I would never say it tastes good or anything like that.
mix-trinks obviously work well in that scenario because they're overlaying the beer flavor a lot but that's not really beer and I don't see the point in drinking those unless you want to get drunk (at which they horribly fail due to the lack of alcohol).
Funny thing is that I for example really like other alcoholic stuff. Pretty much no matter what. I just can't stand beer and from what I read in the OP it really lookes a lot like that as well. When I talk with my friends about that they usually say stuff like "yeah this beer is really bad, try this one" but they don't honestly mean it that way when they say bad. It's more like "it's not good and this one is way better" while for me it's really bad taste.
On May 14 2012 01:09 visual77 wrote: If you don't like beer right now, there is almost certainly not a beer that you do like.
I don't think that this is what you mean right? It's like ' If you don't like terran or protoss right now, there is almost certainly no race that you do like.' Doesn't make much sense huh?
There are great beers out there, I really like Bitburger or San Miguel, but I really dislike Koenig Pilsener for example. Just keep tasting all kinds of beer and eventually you will find your favorite. I disliked the first beers I tried, but after a while I came across San Miguel and fell in love.
Beer is not StarCraft.
I meant what I said - beer is an acquired taste. If he says he does not like any beer he's had, I would bet that he's not going to suddenly find one he does like.
I agree, beer is an acquired taste.
I drink at work functions at a minimum on at least once a week. Afternoon luncheons or after work drinks etc etc for last 4-5 years.
It tasted like piss when I first started, it still tastes like piss today.
On May 14 2012 01:09 visual77 wrote: If you don't like beer right now, there is almost certainly not a beer that you do like.
I don't think that this is what you mean right? It's like ' If you don't like terran or protoss right now, there is almost certainly no race that you do like.' Doesn't make much sense huh?
There are great beers out there, I really like Bitburger or San Miguel, but I really dislike Koenig Pilsener for example. Just keep tasting all kinds of beer and eventually you will find your favorite. I disliked the first beers I tried, but after a while I came across San Miguel and fell in love.
Beer is not StarCraft.
I meant what I said - beer is an acquired taste. If he says he does not like any beer he's had, I would bet that he's not going to suddenly find one he does like.
I agree, beer is an acquired taste.
I drink at work functions at a minimum on at least once a week. Afternoon luncheons or after work drinks etc etc for last 4-5 years.
It tasted like piss when I first started, it still tastes like piss today.
And you still haven't acquired the taste? You must just genuinely not like hops. When I first started drinking it tasted like piss but I was a dumb kid who wanted to get drunk with friends and did it anyway. Eventually I came to tolerate it, and then grew to like it.
I don't like the taste of beer either but I drink a lot of Bulmers, which is an Irish cider. I know a lot of people like Kopperberg (Swedish, quite sweet) or Strongbow (English, strong and dry) as well. I have no idea how easy they are to get in the US though, or what sort of selection you would get. I've had a couple of different French ciders that were great, but they were mostly unbranded and not available outside of France.
This thread is full of a lot of terrible suggestions, people listing their favourite beers and general idiocy. I'm going to try to break things down to the basics a bit. You have five primary contributors to flavour in beer: Hops: There are several varieties of hops some more flavourful, some more bitter. The bittering hops content is usually what contributes a bitterness to the beer (hence the name), but not all hops are equally bitter. Hops also give citrusy, pine, etc. notes. I would say these are all 'high notes' of flavour. It would appear that the OP doesnt like a strong bitter hops character. Barley Malt: These are your earthy notes. Different malts give different flavours, but they all have that rich base. Some hops are smoked, some are more nutty, chocolatey, etc. Yeast: This is usually a minor effect even in bottle conditioned beers. If you have ever made bread, you'll know what to expect out of yeast. The one thing this does do that is major is the beer type is largely determined by yeast. Lager yeasts make lagers (ususally lighter beers, but woe be the person that buys an eisbock expecting a light drinking beer), and ale yeasts make ales (usually heavier weight beers with more intense flavouring, but again, its up to the brewer, some ales can be quite light). Alcohol: Drink a shot of vodka. You now know what alcohol tastes like. It usually contributes a slight spice to high abv beers, but is generally not a primary flavour contributor to most beers. Adjuncts: This is kind of a catchall category for everything that isnt yeast, water, barley malt, or hops. In good beer adjuncts like (but definitely not limited to) wheat, oatmeal, chocolate, and coffee are pretty common to add flavour notes to the beer). In cheap shitty beer, adjuncts like corn and rice are used to add fermentable material at a minimum of cost. If you look at Corona, an example of a weak piss beer brewed cheaply, youll find it contains water, yeast, barley malt, corn, rice, hops, ascorbic acid, and propylene glycol alginate [yum antifreeze]. Basically with adjuncts, you should be able to guess how they affect flavour (if they added spruce or juniper, it probably tastes like spruce or juniper).
With that said, it sounds like the OP likes deep tones of malt without strong bitterness or hop character. The style list at beer advocate can help you find beers that fit the need, but I'll try to name some styles off the top of my head that fit well: Doppelbock - strong german lagers that are malty without heavy hop character Scotch ale/Wee Heavy - Scottish beers that are sweet and malty with no bitterness Belgian dark ales - Very malty, not very hoppy, sweetish, very high abv Milk stout - Contains milk [or at least milk sugars]. Sweet [too sweet for my taste], malty, little hop character Belgian dubbels, tripels, and quads - very very malty, very very high abv, kind of sweet, low hop character American/English porters/stouts - This is a mixed bag, some are bitter, some arent. All are very malty.
Strong antirecommendation: Anything "Imperial" - these are usually very hoppy and/or very bitter (Imperial Russian Stout, Imperial IPA, etc.) Anything "Pale Ale" - usually quite hoppy, enerally light malt character (NB: IPA = India Pale Ale and should be avoided, all true IPAs are quite bitter, although some of them are just using the name [like Alexander Keiths]) Anything macrobrewed (Stella, Heineken, Molsen, American Bud, Miller, etc.) - usually just bad or bland, very few exceptions Anything "Light" - see above
Some specific beers I would recommend: Southern Tier Creme Brulee Stout Southern Tier Choklat Chimay Blue Traquair Jacobite Innis & Gunn Rum Cask Celebrator Doppelbock Unibroue La Fin Du Monde (assuming you like nutmeg) Young's Double Chocolate Stout (guess what adjunct this has )
1. Drink a lot of beer. It's an aquired taste and it's common to not like it much at first. 2. Drink a lot of different beers. When you're going to a party, don't buy 6 bottles of the same kind, buy 6 different beers and compare (but remember that the drunker you get, the less you'll be able to appreciate them).
I don't know if you have something similar in the US, but in Sweden, you can only buy alcohol at a state owned company where everything they sell is described in detail, so you can easily find which beers are considered bitter, burnt etc and use that to find that you prefer.
Then I started drinking enough vodka or whatever to get kinda drunk and would drink whatever shitty beer was availiable to me after that point and it would taste great.
Now I actually like beer and don't get drunk that often :\
Check out local beer events. Last weekend my city hosted a beerfest and I was exposed to a hundred different beers made by various local and imported brewers. Probably the best way to learn and find beers you like.
Those are not american pilsners, those are alcoholic, carbonated waters.
It sounds like you tend to like the taste of bitter, darker beer, but are put off by the heaviness and body of those kinds of beers. You're probably looking for something like a red, a slightly darker lager or ale. And give pilsners another chance, but find something that isn't that garbage masquerading as beer.
For a reddish beer I'd recommend something a Faxe Amber Lager. It's got a nice taste and its on the slightly more flavorful side. It's not a really heavy dark beer, but it still has some nice flavor and body. Innis & Gunn is also a good beer with a similar body and flavor profile, but it's a more expensive beer, but a really really good beer. New Castle Brown Ale is a slightly darker beer, but still more towards the medium bodied scale, also very flavorful, good beer.
For lighter beers check out some imported stuff like Bitburger, Staropramen, Pilsner Urquell, or Czechvar, and if you can find, don't know if it's in the US, Mill Street Organic, one of my favorite beers.
If you're looking for something more affordable Moosehead, Keith's and Rickard's aren't awful. And Boxer beer is drinkable and cheap.
Most bars just carry the most popular stuff and most of that is popular because it's well known and cheap, not because it's any good. Go find a store with some good beer selection and wander around a bit. Find some beers you've never heard of and that aren't cheap as dirt and give them a try. After what you've previously ventured into it can't be any worse.
There are several good varieties of Czech beer and they are all very inexpensive within the Czech Republic compared to the sort of price you would find in the Eurozone. Staropramen is the staple beer that you will find in every restaurant and bar without exception. Budvar is sometimes known as Czechvar and is easier to find overseas than the others.
The only other beers that come to mind as beers I've enjoyed are Rickard's Red and Delirium Tremens. I had Delirium Tremens in Belgium and it's been a while, but the memory stuck with me.
On May 13 2012 08:22 forgotten0ne wrote: Step 1) Move to Oregon Step 2) Go for years without ever being able to try every delicious microbrew we make. Step 3) ????? Step 4) Profit
This! My Irish blood found a gold mine when I moved out here lol.
Sounds like you're on the right track OP, many of these posters don't seem to understand beer enough to give you proper advice. Stouts and porters are what you should be looking for with your current preferances. Availability is sometimes problematic depending on what is available to you locally. I think Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout is distributed nationwide and pretty easy to find. Guiness might be something you'd like if you can find a pub that knows how to serve it properly- otherwise it can have a burnt/bitter taste.
Black Butte porter or Obsidian stout from Deschutes Brewing co. would probably be something you'd like if you can find it out there. I'm not familiar with the micro brew scene where you live though.
The best way to do it is to -go to the breweries-. Most (if not all) breweries will give you tasters, and if you express that you don't know if you like beer or which ones you'd like, I'm sure they'll help you out. Being exposed to a ton of different microbrews will give you a much better sense on what you might like or don't like. It'll be much more rewarding than having all of us yell beer names at you which you'll have to buy full bottles of in order to taste...
If you're down in Colorado I will take you to some breweries. We are practically the beer state of the US, with over 140 microbreweries (second only to California, but they have like a billion people)! GO COLORADO!
(Special shout out to Vermont, Oregon, Maine and Montana for also being awesome beer states)
On May 14 2012 04:16 elKaDor wrote: Miller etc are imo overrated, everyone i know are like omg wtf awesome when they drink miller.
Staropramen Heineken and also the national beer of turkey, forgot the name but my god its awesome!
well, national beer, the most common beer
Efes? That's at least the beer they had everywhere in Istanbul. That' good yea. I staropramen, too. I am really into beck's since inwas born in bremen and lived there for 20 years so i am pretty used to it. Leffes from belgium is really really good, too.
On May 14 2012 02:49 Cragus wrote: This thread is full of a lot of terrible suggestions, people listing their favourite beers and general idiocy. I'm going to try to break things down to the basics a bit. You have five primary contributors to flavour in beer: Hops: There are several varieties of hops some more flavourful, some more bitter. The bittering hops content is usually what contributes a bitterness to the beer (hence the name), but not all hops are equally bitter. Hops also give citrusy, pine, etc. notes. I would say these are all 'high notes' of flavour. It would appear that the OP doesnt like a strong bitter hops character. Barley Malt: These are your earthy notes. Different malts give different flavours, but they all have that rich base. Some hops are smoked, some are more nutty, chocolatey, etc. Yeast: This is usually a minor effect even in bottle conditioned beers. If you have ever made bread, you'll know what to expect out of yeast. The one thing this does do that is major is the beer type is largely determined by yeast. Lager yeasts make lagers (ususally lighter beers, but woe be the person that buys an eisbock expecting a light drinking beer), and ale yeasts make ales (usually heavier weight beers with more intense flavouring, but again, its up to the brewer, some ales can be quite light). Alcohol: Drink a shot of vodka. You now know what alcohol tastes like. It usually contributes a slight spice to high abv beers, but is generally not a primary flavour contributor to most beers. Adjuncts: This is kind of a catchall category for everything that isnt yeast, water, barley malt, or hops. In good beer adjuncts like (but definitely not limited to) wheat, oatmeal, chocolate, and coffee are pretty common to add flavour notes to the beer). In cheap shitty beer, adjuncts like corn and rice are used to add fermentable material at a minimum of cost. If you look at Corona, an example of a weak piss beer brewed cheaply, youll find it contains water, yeast, barley malt, corn, rice, hops, ascorbic acid, and propylene glycol alginate [yum antifreeze]. Basically with adjuncts, you should be able to guess how they affect flavour (if they added spruce or juniper, it probably tastes like spruce or juniper).
With that said, it sounds like the OP likes deep tones of malt without strong bitterness or hop character. The style list at beer advocate can help you find beers that fit the need, but I'll try to name some styles off the top of my head that fit well: Doppelbock - strong german lagers that are malty without heavy hop character Scotch ale/Wee Heavy - Scottish beers that are sweet and malty with no bitterness Belgian dark ales - Very malty, not very hoppy, sweetish, very high abv Milk stout - Contains milk [or at least milk sugars]. Sweet [too sweet for my taste], malty, little hop character Belgian dubbels, tripels, and quads - very very malty, very very high abv, kind of sweet, low hop character American/English porters/stouts - This is a mixed bag, some are bitter, some arent. All are very malty.
Strong antirecommendation: Anything "Imperial" - these are usually very hoppy and/or very bitter (Imperial Russian Stout, Imperial IPA, etc.) Anything "Pale Ale" - usually quite hoppy, enerally light malt character (NB: IPA = India Pale Ale and should be avoided, all true IPAs are quite bitter, although some of them are just using the name [like Alexander Keiths]) Anything macrobrewed (Stella, Heineken, Molsen, American Bud, Miller, etc.) - usually just bad or bland, very few exceptions Anything "Light" - see above
Some specific beers I would recommend: Southern Tier Creme Brulee Stout Southern Tier Choklat Chimay Blue Traquair Jacobite Innis & Gunn Rum Cask Celebrator Doppelbock Unibroue La Fin Du Monde (assuming you like nutmeg) Young's Double Chocolate Stout (guess what adjunct this has )
This is such a damn good post. I was thinking about replying earlier with some suggestions, including the Chimay Grande Réserve (the blue one), La Fin Du Monde, and Young's Double Chocolate Stout, but you covered that, and gave a lot of helpful info besides.
As for the comments ITT about it how it might be that OP just doesn't like beer, period -- that's possible, but the beers listed in the original post aren't a very good sample for determining that. There was a time not long ago where all I'd tried was stuff similar to what the OP listed, and I was wondering if I didn't have a taste for any beer at all...and then a buddy of mine bought me a pint of a local brown ale. (BTW, the first time I ever had Newcaste Brown Ale, it was a from a bottle, and it was skunked. However, I didn't know about skunking, so for quite some time, I thought that Newcastle Brown Ale was shit. [I await your snarky replies.] )
I'm a minor so take my word with a grain of salt, also not a heavy drinker by any means, but when i was in St. Martin and St. Maarten (same island, two sides to it) I had a carib, and i have to say, it and fosters taste the best for what i have had, but i kinda hate the taste of beer.
Goose Island: Matilda (i like a lot of their beers, honker's ale, 312, etc...) Delirium Tremens (kind of expensive its like $12/bottle, but more alcoholic) Dogfish Head: Golden Elixir (really can't go wrong with this brand)
most of these are bit more expensive though (~8-10 bucks for a 6 pack)
if you want some decent cheap beers
simpler times (it can be found at Trader Joe's), Lionshead, Pabst Blue Ribbon, and Red Oval are all not too bad for their cost.
sounds like you should really just go out with your friends if they're into craft beers. craft beers taste completely different from the stuff you have tried, and really its a fun experience just trying all the beers, getting a little tipsy with friends and looking at the whole process. I think food/spirits production is also really interesting in a lot of ways (its a good blend of science and culture), and its interesting to compare my own opinions with that of others.
On May 14 2012 00:33 CptBeefheart wrote: Before this becomes an American beer sucks threat, know that there are some very good American beers brewed by smaller breweries. I'm only posting my favorite few that you can pretty much find anywhere.
Shiner - Bock, Hefeweizen, Golden, their seasonal stuff Flying Dog - Raging Bitch, Snake Dog, a handful of others Wild Blue + Show Spoiler +
On May 13 2012 07:17 ionlyplayPROtoss wrote: Try imported beers. American beers suck for the reasons you listed. I personally like corona or heinenken.
Why do you comment if you don't really know much about beer at all? Americans brew the best beer in the world.
This site have the biggest beer geeks in the world as members of their community. There really isn't any question whether this is correct or not.
Really, your argument is like saying all Hollywood movies suck just because you hate American Pie.
in a question about tastes there is no best or right and wrong.
no, some people have better taste than others. i'm not saying you should blindly accept what others say and just only try x beer, of course you should drink what you like, but dont pretend that everyone's opinion is equally valid.
I just order whatever someone else I'm with orders or recommends, if I haven't tried it yet. So far, I have similar tastes to some, and not so much to others. I'm fairly open to trying new stuff, because obviously, you don't know if you like it or not unless you have tried it.
I find it works out pretty well. I know I can pretty much drink whatever my father does, so our tastes are similar there.
On May 14 2012 02:49 Cragus wrote: This thread is full of a lot of terrible suggestions, people listing their favourite beers and general idiocy. I'm going to try to break things down to the basics a bit. You have five primary contributors to flavour in beer: Hops: There are several varieties of hops some more flavourful, some more bitter. The bittering hops content is usually what contributes a bitterness to the beer (hence the name), but not all hops are equally bitter. Hops also give citrusy, pine, etc. notes. I would say these are all 'high notes' of flavour. It would appear that the OP doesnt like a strong bitter hops character. Barley Malt: These are your earthy notes. Different malts give different flavours, but they all have that rich base. Some hops are smoked, some are more nutty, chocolatey, etc. Yeast: This is usually a minor effect even in bottle conditioned beers. If you have ever made bread, you'll know what to expect out of yeast. The one thing this does do that is major is the beer type is largely determined by yeast. Lager yeasts make lagers (ususally lighter beers, but woe be the person that buys an eisbock expecting a light drinking beer), and ale yeasts make ales (usually heavier weight beers with more intense flavouring, but again, its up to the brewer, some ales can be quite light). Alcohol: Drink a shot of vodka. You now know what alcohol tastes like. It usually contributes a slight spice to high abv beers, but is generally not a primary flavour contributor to most beers. Adjuncts: This is kind of a catchall category for everything that isnt yeast, water, barley malt, or hops. In good beer adjuncts like (but definitely not limited to) wheat, oatmeal, chocolate, and coffee are pretty common to add flavour notes to the beer). In cheap shitty beer, adjuncts like corn and rice are used to add fermentable material at a minimum of cost. If you look at Corona, an example of a weak piss beer brewed cheaply, youll find it contains water, yeast, barley malt, corn, rice, hops, ascorbic acid, and propylene glycol alginate [yum antifreeze]. Basically with adjuncts, you should be able to guess how they affect flavour (if they added spruce or juniper, it probably tastes like spruce or juniper).
With that said, it sounds like the OP likes deep tones of malt without strong bitterness or hop character. The style list at beer advocate can help you find beers that fit the need, but I'll try to name some styles off the top of my head that fit well: Doppelbock - strong german lagers that are malty without heavy hop character Scotch ale/Wee Heavy - Scottish beers that are sweet and malty with no bitterness Belgian dark ales - Very malty, not very hoppy, sweetish, very high abv Milk stout - Contains milk [or at least milk sugars]. Sweet [too sweet for my taste], malty, little hop character Belgian dubbels, tripels, and quads - very very malty, very very high abv, kind of sweet, low hop character American/English porters/stouts - This is a mixed bag, some are bitter, some arent. All are very malty.
Strong antirecommendation: Anything "Imperial" - these are usually very hoppy and/or very bitter (Imperial Russian Stout, Imperial IPA, etc.) Anything "Pale Ale" - usually quite hoppy, enerally light malt character (NB: IPA = India Pale Ale and should be avoided, all true IPAs are quite bitter, although some of them are just using the name [like Alexander Keiths]) Anything macrobrewed (Stella, Heineken, Molsen, American Bud, Miller, etc.) - usually just bad or bland, very few exceptions Anything "Light" - see above
Some specific beers I would recommend: Southern Tier Creme Brulee Stout Southern Tier Choklat Chimay Blue Traquair Jacobite Innis & Gunn Rum Cask Celebrator Doppelbock Unibroue La Fin Du Monde (assuming you like nutmeg) Young's Double Chocolate Stout (guess what adjunct this has )
I support this post. I also share your tastes I think, and these recommendations would be very good in helping you get into beers.
You're probably not just going to find one that you like but a type of beer. Best way i can think of is just go out and try different types of beer. When you find one that you hate less than the rest try other stuff like it.
On May 14 2012 06:11 -Switch- wrote: I would be surprised if anyone liked beer when they first tried it.
I remember very well the first time I got to try some low-alcohol beer in the sauna when I was 6 years old. I loved it from the first sip and still do.
Imho this is the best beer you can get. But there's nothing wrong with czech beers in general (e.g. Staropramen, Budweiser), so...yeah. ^^ Good german beers are for example: Jever, Schumacher Alt (local beer from Düsseldorf) and Becks.
All the people here telling you to get imported beer seem to be missing the point that you won't be able to get those at local breweries with your buddies.
It sounds to me like you may be a candidate for brown ales. I had a Bell's brown ale the other night (can't remember the name) and it was damn good.
If I was you, I'd stop by a store where you can create a mixed six pack (picking single beers) or buy 3-4 six packs and experiment. Make sure you focus on different types of beer - for instance, you may want to grab an IPA, a stout, and a brown ale from Bell's (if they have them all). This will let you find what "type" of beer you like, as opposed to a certain brewery.
I'm fortunate that around me I have an awesome store:
And it's an amazing store stocked full of every sort of alcohol (mostly) you could want, wine, beer spirit you name it.
This is what one of their beer aisles look like.
Every so often I'll go through one with a friend and just pick out ones I havent tried before until I've built up a catalog in my head of ones I've liked which help picking out new ones easier.
Hooray beer! Happy hunting. Searching for your favorite can be almost as fun as finding it I've found. Cheers.
On May 14 2012 02:49 Cragus wrote: This thread is full of a lot of terrible suggestions, people listing their favourite beers and general idiocy. I'm going to try to break things down to the basics a bit. You have five primary contributors to flavour in beer: Hops: There are several varieties of hops some more flavourful, some more bitter. The bittering hops content is usually what contributes a bitterness to the beer (hence the name), but not all hops are equally bitter. Hops also give citrusy, pine, etc. notes. I would say these are all 'high notes' of flavour. It would appear that the OP doesnt like a strong bitter hops character. Barley Malt: These are your earthy notes. Different malts give different flavours, but they all have that rich base. Some hops are smoked, some are more nutty, chocolatey, etc. Yeast: This is usually a minor effect even in bottle conditioned beers. If you have ever made bread, you'll know what to expect out of yeast. The one thing this does do that is major is the beer type is largely determined by yeast. Lager yeasts make lagers (ususally lighter beers, but woe be the person that buys an eisbock expecting a light drinking beer), and ale yeasts make ales (usually heavier weight beers with more intense flavouring, but again, its up to the brewer, some ales can be quite light). Alcohol: Drink a shot of vodka. You now know what alcohol tastes like. It usually contributes a slight spice to high abv beers, but is generally not a primary flavour contributor to most beers. Adjuncts: This is kind of a catchall category for everything that isnt yeast, water, barley malt, or hops. In good beer adjuncts like (but definitely not limited to) wheat, oatmeal, chocolate, and coffee are pretty common to add flavour notes to the beer). In cheap shitty beer, adjuncts like corn and rice are used to add fermentable material at a minimum of cost. If you look at Corona, an example of a weak piss beer brewed cheaply, youll find it contains water, yeast, barley malt, corn, rice, hops, ascorbic acid, and propylene glycol alginate [yum antifreeze]. Basically with adjuncts, you should be able to guess how they affect flavour (if they added spruce or juniper, it probably tastes like spruce or juniper).
With that said, it sounds like the OP likes deep tones of malt without strong bitterness or hop character. The style list at beer advocate can help you find beers that fit the need, but I'll try to name some styles off the top of my head that fit well: Doppelbock - strong german lagers that are malty without heavy hop character Scotch ale/Wee Heavy - Scottish beers that are sweet and malty with no bitterness Belgian dark ales - Very malty, not very hoppy, sweetish, very high abv Milk stout - Contains milk [or at least milk sugars]. Sweet [too sweet for my taste], malty, little hop character Belgian dubbels, tripels, and quads - very very malty, very very high abv, kind of sweet, low hop character American/English porters/stouts - This is a mixed bag, some are bitter, some arent. All are very malty.
Strong antirecommendation: Anything "Imperial" - these are usually very hoppy and/or very bitter (Imperial Russian Stout, Imperial IPA, etc.) Anything "Pale Ale" - usually quite hoppy, enerally light malt character (NB: IPA = India Pale Ale and should be avoided, all true IPAs are quite bitter, although some of them are just using the name [like Alexander Keiths]) Anything macrobrewed (Stella, Heineken, Molsen, American Bud, Miller, etc.) - usually just bad or bland, very few exceptions Anything "Light" - see above
Some specific beers I would recommend: Southern Tier Creme Brulee Stout Southern Tier Choklat Chimay Blue Traquair Jacobite Innis & Gunn Rum Cask Celebrator Doppelbock Unibroue La Fin Du Monde (assuming you like nutmeg) Young's Double Chocolate Stout (guess what adjunct this has )
I ran out of the poet I've been sipping on so I stopped and grabbed a 6 pack of Founder's "Dirty Bastard" Scotch Ale. I definitely like the beer, and it has an amazing scent to it; a lot of caramel and butterscotch with some other pleasent scents. When I taste it, it's so smooth, and you get hit with a lot of that dark chocolate, caramel type taste with some fruit flavor. It's really good, but as It's going down you're hit with something toward the back of your tongue...It's not really a bitter beer, but it kind of leaves a...Bite? It's got a pleasant taste afterwards, but as it's hitting you it's a pretty strong experience. What do I look for in the next beer I try that will trim down on that, and for that matter, what is it in the first place? It's sort of frustrating not being able to describe and associate the flavor with what it is I don't like. I would definitely order this beer again, but I'm just looking for something that fits my style a little better.
BudLight Lime enough said haha. Every guy I talk to that really doesn't like the taste of beer loves them. It doesn't make sense to only call them a "bitch beer" because its not. I actually enjoy drinking this beer and for the most part hate drinking most beers after trying tons of them. Everyone can be a beer connoisseur but I really think that people that drink beer a lot develop a palate for it and really don't enjoy drinking it that much. ALCOHOL IS NOT MEANT TO TASTE GOOD, so thinking that people will love the taste of beer is just wrong lol.
On May 18 2012 17:12 lightrise wrote: BudLight Lime enough said haha. Every guy I talk to that really doesn't like the taste of beer loves them. It doesn't make sense to only call them a "bitch beer" because its not. I actually enjoy drinking this beer and for the most part hate drinking most beers after trying tons of them. Everyone can be a beer connoisseur but I really think that people that drink beer a lot develop a palate for it and really don't enjoy drinking it that much. ALCOHOL IS NOT MEANT TO TASTE GOOD, so thinking that people will love the taste of beer is just wrong lol.
I know so many people who love the taste of beer ... seems like we are all wrong. Thanks for clearing that up !
On May 18 2012 17:20 CrumpetGuvnor wrote: Step 1 - work a day in the coal mines Step 2 - after work, go to the pub and drink a cold beer from the tap
You're finished! The beer you drank is the beer you like.
That'd do it.
I just moved to the UK from the US for a few years, and my town has a metric dick-ton of pubs. I usually found that contrary to what one might think, asking my German friends was not the best. A lot of the pubs brew their own and if not, asking the bartender for recommendations was the way to go.
On May 14 2012 02:49 Cragus wrote: This thread is full of a lot of terrible suggestions, people listing their favourite beers and general idiocy. I'm going to try to break things down to the basics a bit. You have five primary contributors to flavour in beer: Hops: There are several varieties of hops some more flavourful, some more bitter. The bittering hops content is usually what contributes a bitterness to the beer (hence the name), but not all hops are equally bitter. Hops also give citrusy, pine, etc. notes. I would say these are all 'high notes' of flavour. It would appear that the OP doesnt like a strong bitter hops character. Barley Malt: These are your earthy notes. Different malts give different flavours, but they all have that rich base. Some hops are smoked, some are more nutty, chocolatey, etc. Yeast: This is usually a minor effect even in bottle conditioned beers. If you have ever made bread, you'll know what to expect out of yeast. The one thing this does do that is major is the beer type is largely determined by yeast. Lager yeasts make lagers (ususally lighter beers, but woe be the person that buys an eisbock expecting a light drinking beer), and ale yeasts make ales (usually heavier weight beers with more intense flavouring, but again, its up to the brewer, some ales can be quite light). Alcohol: Drink a shot of vodka. You now know what alcohol tastes like. It usually contributes a slight spice to high abv beers, but is generally not a primary flavour contributor to most beers. Adjuncts: This is kind of a catchall category for everything that isnt yeast, water, barley malt, or hops. In good beer adjuncts like (but definitely not limited to) wheat, oatmeal, chocolate, and coffee are pretty common to add flavour notes to the beer). In cheap shitty beer, adjuncts like corn and rice are used to add fermentable material at a minimum of cost. If you look at Corona, an example of a weak piss beer brewed cheaply, youll find it contains water, yeast, barley malt, corn, rice, hops, ascorbic acid, and propylene glycol alginate [yum antifreeze]. Basically with adjuncts, you should be able to guess how they affect flavour (if they added spruce or juniper, it probably tastes like spruce or juniper).
With that said, it sounds like the OP likes deep tones of malt without strong bitterness or hop character. The style list at beer advocate can help you find beers that fit the need, but I'll try to name some styles off the top of my head that fit well: Doppelbock - strong german lagers that are malty without heavy hop character Scotch ale/Wee Heavy - Scottish beers that are sweet and malty with no bitterness Belgian dark ales - Very malty, not very hoppy, sweetish, very high abv Milk stout - Contains milk [or at least milk sugars]. Sweet [too sweet for my taste], malty, little hop character Belgian dubbels, tripels, and quads - very very malty, very very high abv, kind of sweet, low hop character American/English porters/stouts - This is a mixed bag, some are bitter, some arent. All are very malty.
Strong antirecommendation: Anything "Imperial" - these are usually very hoppy and/or very bitter (Imperial Russian Stout, Imperial IPA, etc.) Anything "Pale Ale" - usually quite hoppy, enerally light malt character (NB: IPA = India Pale Ale and should be avoided, all true IPAs are quite bitter, although some of them are just using the name [like Alexander Keiths]) Anything macrobrewed (Stella, Heineken, Molsen, American Bud, Miller, etc.) - usually just bad or bland, very few exceptions Anything "Light" - see above
Some specific beers I would recommend: Southern Tier Creme Brulee Stout Southern Tier Choklat Chimay Blue Traquair Jacobite Innis & Gunn Rum Cask Celebrator Doppelbock Unibroue La Fin Du Monde (assuming you like nutmeg) Young's Double Chocolate Stout (guess what adjunct this has )
I ran out of the poet I've been sipping on so I stopped and grabbed a 6 pack of Founder's "Dirty Bastard" Scotch Ale. I definitely like the beer, and it has an amazing scent to it; a lot of caramel and butterscotch with some other pleasent scents. When I taste it, it's so smooth, and you get hit with a lot of that dark chocolate, caramel type taste with some fruit flavor. It's really good, but as It's going down you're hit with something toward the back of your tongue...It's not really a bitter beer, but it kind of leaves a...Bite? It's got a pleasant taste afterwards, but as it's hitting you it's a pretty strong experience. What do I look for in the next beer I try that will trim down on that, and for that matter, what is it in the first place? It's sort of frustrating not being able to describe and associate the flavor with what it is I don't like. I would definitely order this beer again, but I'm just looking for something that fits my style a little better.
You should probably just try another Scotch ale like Old Chub or something. Even within the same style (sometimes even between different batches of the same beer), variation of things like aftertaste is pretty large. Specifically, it sounds like you are describing either a bittering hops character that you only really notice on the finish, or some sort of astringency [most likely the hops one] (it could also be the burn of a higher abv beverage, but that's usually felt in the throat not the back of the tongue). A sweeter variety of stout that's lower in abv would eliminate all of those possibilities. Milk stouts in particular might be a good bet as a sweeter stout, but they can get a kind of odd taste from the milk content. Try another Scotch ale or two first though. If its really close to being what you're after then there is really no reason to go adventuring into other styles yet.
I just took a tour of the flying dog brewery in Frederick Maryland, it was pretty awesome. For five bucks they give you a tour of the whole factory, a free poster with original art by Ralph Steadman (his art is on the walls in the brewery, cool surrealist stuff), and five tokens for five free drinks plus a free glass beer mug...quite a deal. I recommend the Woody Creek white belgian, was absolutely delicious. =]
Have you considered trying either honey or spelt beers (if that's what you call them there). The bitterness in these is usually quite limited and nutty / chocolaty hints add a lot to the experience. They drink a tad different from regular beer. I'd also recommend buying imported beer (Czech, German, Belgian and Polish beers won't dissapoint you and the selection should be big enough for you to be able to choose something fitting). I can't speak much about local American breweries, but perhaps it's worth checking out as well. The mass produced stuff is usually of lower quality and it seems everyone associates the term "American beer" with that crap.
On May 19 2012 13:53 True_Spike wrote: I can't speak much about local American breweries
The Northwestern part of the country (West Coast) has AMAZING microbrew. Mostly you will get IPA (which I personally don't like), other ales like red and amber, and then stouts and porters. You can usually get these in the section of the grocery store with the larger bottles (like 22 oz).
edit: "american beer" is just lager made from corn
Typically, I'd recommend wheats (don't judge wheats by Blue Moon) and hefeweizens to people who haven't developed a taste for beer. It also sounds like you might have a taste for darks but don't like the "burnt" taste (that's from the roasted malt).
Given that, you should definitely try out some brown ales and honey browns. They're more about the malt and tend to be pretty smooth and no bitter aftertaste. Perhaps something like Samuel Smith's nut brown, as its pretty esay to drink. Avoid Newcastle. They use clear bottles and it often tastes skunky.
If the browns don't work out, keep looking. There's a *huge* amount of variety in beers. Anyway, here's some other suggestions that are easy to find in the midwest and easy to like:
Boulevard's Wheat (out of Kansas City) New Belgium's Sunshine Wheat Widmer Brother's Hefeweisen
Sierra Nevada's Porter Young's Chocolate Stout
Another good thing to do is goto local brew pubs and get samplers of their homemade stuff. You can typically get 6 -12 little glasses and try everything they make.
P.S. Beware of much of the advice in this thread. There's a lot of people who don't know anything about beer.
Only thing I want to say, particularly to some of my critical brethren from across the pond, is that it's very naïve and outdated to say "American beer is horrible".
Most folks who actually know a thing or two about beer will tell you that many of the finest brews in the world are coming out of smaller craft brewing operations in America. It's not some kind of rare thing anymore... any US supermarket will have at least a handful of great American beers, and if you go to a store that specializes in fine beverages, there are too many good US produced beers to list here.
For example, Belgian Ales- I think my favorite would be Westvleteren 12 from Belgium... but, let's say Belgian Whites- I honestly believe I haven't had a Witbier from Europe that is as good as La Fin Du Monde from Canada or Allagash White from the US.
Great beer exists on both sides of the Atlantic, and it's very much a rapidly growing segment here in the US.
Belgian ales, stouts, scotch ales are what I'd recommend you experiment with.
Also, German beer is pretty damn good too. I went to a "german bar," about as much as it could be in Seattle, but everything they had on tap, none of which I could pronounce, was tasty and had lots of variety overall.
Find the most types of beers you can possibly find in any way, then buy them to drink. Beer if bad for your health, you know. Proceed with caution and eat your vegetables!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
On May 18 2012 17:12 lightrise wrote: BudLight Lime enough said haha. Every guy I talk to that really doesn't like the taste of beer loves them. It doesn't make sense to only call them a "bitch beer" because its not. I actually enjoy drinking this beer and for the most part hate drinking most beers after trying tons of them. Everyone can be a beer connoisseur but I really think that people that drink beer a lot develop a palate for it and really don't enjoy drinking it that much. ALCOHOL IS NOT MEANT TO TASTE GOOD, so thinking that people will love the taste of beer is just wrong lol.
Beer is delightful once you drink it for a while. And yes, if you show up anywhere with a pack of budlight limes you're going to be called a bitch. Also:
somebody mentioned it on page two, and i havent found it anywhere except one place in vermont so far but im going to keep looking, but Trois Pistoles is an absolutely life changing beer.
I'd say before you try some of those microbrewery beers, try a brand name beer like budweiser. these beers don't have nearly as much taste and are much more simple than the beers you referred to. However, drinking some of these will get you more acquainted with beer, and will allow you to appreciate the flavors in a microbrew much more.
Oh, and don't try asian beers, especially korean ones. from the ones i've tasted, they're all pretty bad
Best thing to do is just get out there and try some. From what it sounds like, bitter isn't your thing (for now...if it took me a while to enjoy them but you probly will, too, in time).
With that in mind you should ease into brews like India Pale Ales (IPAs), APAs, Bitters, and pilsners/lagers for the most part. Most people find darker, maltier brews more likeable at first, then get into typically more bitter beers or sours.
Try these: Stouts - (Young's double chocolate, Left Hand milk stout, Sam Adams Imperial Stout) Porters - (Anchor Porter, London Fuller Porter) Belgian style brews - (Duvel, Unibroue {any}, Chimay {any}) Any American strong ale These are all easy to find and are also good representations of their style.
Also, online resources like RateBeer or Beer Advocate are nice to help with your quest to find a likeable beer. Cheers, and good luck!
On May 18 2012 17:12 lightrise wrote: BudLight Lime enough said haha. Every guy I talk to that really doesn't like the taste of beer loves them. It doesn't make sense to only call them a "bitch beer" because its not. I actually enjoy drinking this beer and for the most part hate drinking most beers after trying tons of them. Everyone can be a beer connoisseur but I really think that people that drink beer a lot develop a palate for it and really don't enjoy drinking it that much. ALCOHOL IS NOT MEANT TO TASTE GOOD, so thinking that people will love the taste of beer is just wrong lol.
Beer is delightful once you drink it for a while. And yes, if you show up anywhere with a pack of budlight limes you're going to be called a bitch. Also:
stop drinking beer for the taste and instead look at it as a cold, refreshing means to a pleasantly sedated end.
also all the beers you listed that you tried are pretty much terrible, labaat's is pretty much the only standard beer you listed that isn't awful.
if you liked the general idea of blue moon but found the execution lacking definitely try some hoegaarden, it is definitely a much better representative of the belgian white/wheat style of beer.
why dont you just tell your friends you dont like beer? who gives a shit what people think of you. despite what culture tells you drinking beer doesn't make you manly
It's hilarious how people are advocating not drinking a beverage for the taste. You might as well down a couple shots if you just want to get drunk.
Beer is also one of the worst alcohol you can drink, it's just filled with carbs and extremely unhealthy. You're better off with spirits or wine, from a health perspective.
Not to mention it taste horrible. Anytime my friends go out for a beer, I usually just order a gin and tonic or vodka tonic.
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