BeerBorg

Yes, my glasses matter, because I wear bifocals, and I can't drive or read without my glasses.

But this isn't about that, because I'm actually talking about the glasses from which we quaff our beloved homebrew (or quality craft beer; let's not be snobs, eh wot?).

I'm currently tapping a keg of FedoraDave's American Ale. I changed the hops bill to include Amarillo with the Simcoe, and it's a keeper. Oh yes, it's definitely a keeper.

But my go-to drinking glass is the Samuel Adams Perfect Pint. But I decided tonight to go with the Dogfish Head IPA glass. Google them both. They're different, but they're supposed to enhance different aspects of the your beer. Specifically, the Dogfish Head glass is designed to create an "olfactory cannon" that makes the aroma really stand out, and I have to say, it does. Good aroma up front, but also an enhanced tasting experience.

There was a big difference between drinking this beer from the Sam Adams glass and the Dogfish Head glass. Just another avenue of the Beer Experience to explore.

So, you're saying I need more beer glasses? I'm on it.

Oh no! Don't blame me for this! I already have enough problems with SWMBO thinking I have more beerware than I need!

You're on your own.

FedoraDave wrote:Yes, my glasses matter, because I wear bifocals, and I can't drive or read without my glasses.

But this isn't about that, because I'm actually talking about the glasses from which we quaff our beloved homebrew (or quality craft beer; let's not be snobs, eh wot?).

I'm currently tapping a keg of FedoraDave's American Ale. I changed the hops bill to include Amarillo with the Simcoe, and it's a keeper. Oh yes, it's definitely a keeper.

But my go-to drinking glass is the Samuel Adams Perfect Pint. But I decided tonight to go with the Dogfish Head IPA glass. Google them both. They're different, but they're supposed to enhance different aspects of the your beer. Specifically, the Dogfish Head glass is designed to create an "olfactory cannon" that makes the aroma really stand out, and I have to say, it does. Good aroma up front, but also an enhanced tasting experience.

There was a big difference between drinking this beer from the Sam Adams glass and the Dogfish Head glass. Just another avenue of the Beer Experience to explore.

Yes! Glasses do matter...

And, gotta tell ya... Told ya that Simcoe and Amarillo are killer! That combo is tied for me with Simcoe, Amarillo and Citra... Also, cause I like English brews, probably tied with EKG and Fuggles... And cause I like Belgians, probably tied with Hallertau Mittlefrau and Striselspalt...

Oh Heck... Love me some simcoe and amarillo!

It was Kealia's comment to the effect of Simcoe and Amarillo going together like chocolate and peanut butter that gave me high hopes for this recipe change. It's a great combination, and the change has become permanent in the recipe book. No looking back now.

I have 4 ounces of Simcoe, 5 of Amarillo. Hmmm.

Try the Simply Simarello recipe a few of us have been doing. It's a treat for your tastebuds.
I now have more glasses than am man should be allowed and have for some time, noticed the differences in them. I have one I love with stouts and a few I love with IPA's.

Beer-lord wrote:Try the Simply Simarello recipe a few of us have been doing. It's a treat for your tastebuds.

I'll second that. My session version also uses Citra in the steep and dry hop. The aroma is absolutely killer!!

FedoraDave wrote:It was Kealia's comment to the effect of Simcoe and Amarillo going together like chocolate and peanut butter that gave me high hopes for this recipe change. It's a great combination, and the change has become permanent in the recipe book. No looking back now.

Right you are...

What I meant was I have been supportive of the combo many times on this forum.

Lots of folks using it with good results.

The combo, with the addition of Citra has been the secret sauce in my award winning Belgian IPA for the last few years.

I can't get enough of it either!

Glad it made your book too!

I am all drunk n stuff. Drinking from a Sam Adams perfect pint glass. So I am not off topic. So there!

FedoraDave wrote:There was a big difference between drinking this beer from the Sam Adams glass and the Dogfish Head glass. Just another avenue of the Beer Experience to explore.

I’d like to see your comparison of the Dogfish Head glass (I’ve always known it as Spiegelau) and a tulip glass, which is what I use for IPAs.

These glasses do pretty much what a tulip glass does. Closing in toward the top helps to hold the aroma in.

I have experimented before with different glasses and one beer. Choco Brown (my English brown ale) is best out of Spiegelau's stout glass (Left Hand glass) but is also just as good out of the wheat glass (Bell's glass) as they both have the same basic shape at the foot and the bell. It's ok in the IPA glass but I think the ribbed foot somehow hinders the flavor. Maybe because it's a style that isn't carbed very high, where as pale ales and IPAs are carbed a bit more so it's constantly releasing aroma compounds via bubbles with all of the turbulence.

alb wrote:

FedoraDave wrote:There was a big difference between drinking this beer from the Sam Adams glass and the Dogfish Head glass. Just another avenue of the Beer Experience to explore.

I’d like to see your comparison of the Dogfish Head glass (I’ve always known it as Spiegelau) and a tulip glass, which is what I use for IPAs.

I've got a couple of tulip glasses (the Stella Artois "goblet" comes to mind, but I've got a couple others as well). So maybe I'll try to make a comparison this weekend. The Dogfish Head glass has the same basic shape at the top, but it also has the ribbed handle at the bottom, which a tulip glass lacks. I don't know if that would make a difference, but I do know that the aroma (and, as a result the flavor) of the hops is really accentuated when using the Dogfish Head glass.

Two things that the Dogfish Head IPA glasses have going for them, beyond the shape at the top, are the ribs at the base, which help generate turbulence when the glass is less-full, and thus release more carbonation/head/aroma, and also the laser-etched bottom to create nucleation points.
I was skeptical of all the claims made by Spiegelau, but I picked up a pair on sale and have to say I very impressed with the benefits they bring to drinking a good IPA.
Tulip glasses are good for IPA drinking, too, but I have to admit that I think the Spiegelau glasses are even better.