BeerBorg

It is interesting what differences there are in such a fine bunch of beer connoisseurs.
Goose IPA is a good standard that is readily available, IMHO. Like Blue Point Toasted Lager, Heineken, or Sam Adams, I don't seek it out, but drink it as an alternative to BMC when I'm out.

For the record, Magic Hat is not craft either. But, to the point, when I visited Goose Island in Chicago, it was pretty terrible too. I thought they'd be better at the source, and tried to ignore the AB influence. But it was underwhelming at best.


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New Belgium makes some pretty good beers
In my opinion Fat Tire IS NOT one of them
I can barely swallow it

John Sand wrote:Maybe a little unusual, but I don't care for New Belgium. People seem to love Fat Tire, but I don't. I tried some others I don't recall, but didn't like them either.

Never tasted a Magic Hat beer I liked

RayF wrote:Magic Hat! Weird beer!

I wont drink Blue Point Toasted Lager or Heineken EVER, under any conditions. I will take a coors lite instead
And I HATE coors lite
I will, however, take a Boston Lager or a Noble Pils and a few other Sam Adams beers

John Sand wrote:It is interesting what differences there are in such a fine bunch of beer connoisseurs.
Goose IPA is a good standard that is readily available, IMHO. Like Blue Point Toasted Lager, Heineken, or Sam Adams, I don't seek it out, but drink it as an alternative to BMC when I'm out.

dbrowning wrote:I will, however, take a Boston Lager or a Noble Pils and a few other Sam Adams beers

John Sand wrote:Goose IPA is a good standard that is readily available, IMHO. Like Blue Point Toasted Lager, Heineken, or Sam Adams, I don't seek it out, but drink it as an alternative to BMC when I'm out.

So I would drink some Sam Adams beers if I was out somewhere and that's what they had as their "craft" selection and the rest were macros, or the other "craft" beers were say... magic hat. Or something else I know I didn't like so much. I have no "dislike" for Sam Adams beers. I'm not wowed by them, but I will happily drink one if you hand it to me.

The Goose IPA, yeah... well I'd sort of feel like you there John if I hadn't had the bad experience. I really just can't stand looking at the bottles anymore. My soured batch experience was that bad. (and I like sours... but that wasn't good sour... in any way....)

FWIW, I'd rather drink a Fosters Ale (not Lager) over a Blue Point or a Heineken.

Yeah, there's definitely a hierarchy.
Stella is probably my favorite big, readily available brew.

John Sand wrote: Stella is probably my favorite big, readily available brew.

Now we are on the same page John, I like Stella and have Stella glasses. I wouldn't mind trying to brew a clone of it but would probably be hard to copy. It took me quite a few batches to get the Fat Tire clone where I wanted it and that was only after I done it in AG, I could never get the malt backbone that the original has and maybe that is what some of you don't care for. And BTW a lot of Belgium beers taste extra good in a Stella glass.

I don't really have a refined palette, I'm not sure why I don't like Fat Tire. I don't hate it, don't like it. Probably not the malt, as I make no beers without crystal or Munich.
I do love my Stella glass, as well as other fancy beer glasses.

I will drink a Fat Tire just like I will drink a SA beer. But it wouldn't be my first choice.

Interesting responses. I like Fat Tire, and I have a clone recipe I got from BrewToad. It's the only clone recipe I have, and the only recipe I didn't formulate myself or in collaboration. I prefer a couple of my own original Amber recipes, but I do like Fat Tire.

Now, here's another angle to this thread that just occurred to me:

It's one thing to not like a beer. It may be a style you don't care for, or just that particular beer or brand just doesn't do it for you. But would you say it was a personal taste issue, or one where the beer just wasn't made well?

For instance, I said I didn't care for Clown Shoes, but I can acknowledge that the beers I've had from them are crafted well; they just don't do it for me. This is in opposition to a beer that's just not well-made, like Iron City or this one IPA I had at the Philadelphia convention (it was from a home-brew club) that smelled of cat piss and was the only beer I tried that weekend that I dumped out and didn't finish.

Any thoughts?

I find it interesting that quite a few of the responses include New Belgium, Sam Adams, and Sierra Nevada. Although they are considered craft beer, they are very large outfits, so they may be pushing themselves into the realm of the large breweries. I have to wonder if size matters in this discussion. As breweries grow and expand does their quality become....run of mill???

I noticed that someone brought up Magic Hat, then BerryMan mentioned #9 specifically. I don't care for it either. But I wonder if people realize it's actually considered a fruit beer. It's got apricot extract in it. So if you're going into that one thinking your getting a pale ale, well, you're really not. For some reason they try to hide the fact it's a fruit beer with apricot, not sure why. Just come out and say for goodness sake.

FedoraDave wrote:Interesting responses. I like Fat Tire, and I have a clone recipe I got from BrewToad. It's the only clone recipe I have, and the only recipe I didn't formulate myself or in collaboration. I prefer a couple of my own original Amber recipes, but I do like Fat Tire.

Now, here's another angle to this thread that just occurred to me:

It's one thing to not like a beer. It may be a style you don't care for, or just that particular beer or brand just doesn't do it for you. But would you say it was a personal taste issue, or one where the beer just wasn't made well?

For instance, I said I didn't care for Clown Shoes, but I can acknowledge that the beers I've had from them are crafted well; they just don't do it for me. This is in opposition to a beer that's just not well-made, like Iron City or this one IPA I had at the Philadelphia convention (it was from a home-brew club) that smelled of cat piss and was the only beer I tried that weekend that I dumped out and didn't finish.

Any thoughts?

The cat piss could come from one or more of the hips they used. I've learned to stay away from any beer that has hops that list black currant as a flavor or aroma. Apparently, that smells and/or tastes like cat urine to some people.

I've no doubt it was because of the hops. But the hops strain notwithstanding, there was no decent malt backbone to balance it. It was just thin and nasty.

Inkleg wrote:Just shows how everyone taste is different. I'd take Clown Shoes over Harpoon or Smutty Nose.

Goose Island only has one beer I like and it's their Bourbon Barrel series.

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I've actually never had the Bourbon Barrel series. I generally like barrel aged beers so I would be willing to try this, you know for the sake of science!