Comments on: Trying the Classics: What’s Wrong with Peanut Butter and Jelly?

By: Bitburger Review | Thank Heaven for Beer

Bitburger Review | Thank Heaven for Beer — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:57:48 +0000

[...] As Mike recently wrote, beer geeks and beer dabblers alike can get wrapped up in a vicious cycle of always seeking out the bigger and more extreme beer, and neglect the classics. While it happens to the best of us, a little balance–beer feng shui–is in order. Thus the choice of Bitburger as the Sip With Us Saturday beer. For a little frame of reference on this beer, check out our post from a few days ago. [...]

By: beer_scientist

beer_scientist — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 17:44:06 +0000

Welcome, Sean. I’ve been reflecting on it a bit and thinking about tradition, history, and the like. I’m interested in us seeing great beer, even if it is not extreme (maybe even very subtle). About the ESB…rediscovery is always nice thing.

By: Sean Inman

Sean Inman — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 16:10:52 +0000

A couple weeks ago, I went to one of my beer haunts and noticed they had an ESB on a nitro tap. I ordered it and was struck by how smooth and refreshing it was. Then I realized that I hadn’t had an ESB for a long time. Sometimes, I get caught up in chasing the new and the bold at the expense of a solid lawnmower beer or a well done brown ale.
The classics are out there. We just need to crack them open more regularly and the breweries should publicize them more instead of consigning them to the “regular” line-up.
Thanks for bringing this topic up.

By: Sip With Us Saturday | Bitburger | Thank Heaven for Beer

Sip With Us Saturday | Bitburger | Thank Heaven for Beer — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:36:51 +0000

[...] cue from Mike’s article that suggests beer geeks need to take time to revisit the classics, the Sip With Us Saturday beer this week is Bitburger. Bitburger is truly a classic, and is [...]

By: beer_scientist

beer_scientist — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:39:01 +0000

Exactly! I just don’t want to see us losing the desire for something classic, while searching for the newest and most extreme sensory experience.

By: Big Tex

Big Tex — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:25:07 +0000

Classics. I love the classics. I do like the extreme beer from time to time, but I usually stick with the classics. Extremes are fun, especially Black Butte XXI from Deschutes. But, I can only do imperials and barley wines so much.

Rather, the classics are my standard. I enjoy Porter. I like Stout. I seek out many substyles of Bavarian weizen. I love Pale Ale. And I loathe American light lager.

Now, if you take any of the classic styles, you won’t have the same thing from brewery to brewery. Each one takes the style and makes it unique. For instance, I like what Southern Star did with Pale Ale. While sticking with a neutral yeast, they ventured out from the ubiquitous North West pale by shunning the Cascade hop for others including lesser know varieties such as Galena, Palisades and Sorachi Ace. The result? A delicious Pale Ale, true to style, but with pineapple notes as opposed to grapefruit.

My point about sticking with the classics: there is always something new and exciting without having to go extreme.

By: beer_scientist

beer_scientist — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:46:25 +0000

What I was driving at was being balanced in our approaches to both. I do like when a brewery makes something their own, too. There is a lot of room to move within a given category of beer, so I don’t have a problem with the pushing. Nuances is a good word for talking about pushing within a style.

By: Jim

Jim — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:07:00 +0000

I agree to a degree. You can keep your “stunt beers.” What I’ve come to appreciate is how a brewery will approach a classic style and make it their own.

Take Victory. My favorite beer is Storm King Stout. It’s a wonderful beer in the tradition of a stout but it has it’s own unique attributes that makes it really special. Everything Victory brews is like this – respectful of the classic style but with enough of a unique twist to make you appreciate the mastery of their brewers. I think this is where I’m most comfortable, enjoying the nuances of the classics.

When things get too nuts I tend to lose interest, unless it’s Dogfish Head. They could make a 360 Minute IPA that can take paint off of your bumper and I’d give it a try (or two). I like that they are trying to push the boundaries but always manage to respect the craft of brewing the the heritage of beer.

By: beer_scientist

beer_scientist — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:39:03 +0000

Amen! That’s exactly what I was hoping to hear. Will I go after bottles of hard to get stuff? Sometimes. But I’m on that path of less extremes.

By: howardf

howardf — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:44:31 +0000

I was on a path of ever-escalating price tags for a long time; always something bigger and better. What brought me back down to earth was Sun King Brewing. They’re a new brewery in town, and I was very eager to try their stuff. When they finally opened for carry out, they had six beers available, all under 6%, all very sessionable. They sell these really cool 24oz stainless steel mini growlers (picture a metal water bottle), so I bought one of each flavor. Now I’m back in there every Friday refilling those bottles with their excellent beer. I never thought I’d be excited about an ESB or a Pale Ale again, but the local option really got me back into it, and my beer expenses have shrunk down to about $18 a week, plus a couple of 22oz/750ml bottles from the cellar.

I’ve completely switched off from hype, because I just don’t want to spend $50 on a bottle of Firestone Walker 12, or try to fight an entire army of beer geeks for a bottle of Duck Duck Gooze. I’d much rather go to a liquor store and buy a Cantillon or a B.O.R.I.S the Crusher, and still have money left over for a pizza and a movie.