Groupon did a recent offering of a home brewer's kit for a low cost..."Har!" thinks I...welcome to the addic...hobby as CG is always saying...
How do you figure out what you like in a beer?
- Thread starter Chevette Girl
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So I did a little homework. hehehe, I'm even keeping a beer diary in a notebook... exerpts follow. I've also gone looking to figure out whether things are classified as lager or ale. Maybe one of these days I'll figure out the difference and also remember it... 
I had a Coors Light (lager) (gimme a break, I've got a case of the stuff in the basement that someone gave me last summer and if I don't drink it it'll spoil) and a Molson Canadian (lager) on the same day so I was able to compare and contrast a bit... I found them both drinkable, not too bitter. I think I actually found the Coors Light had more of a mouthfeel to it, the Canadian tasted thinner. Which I find funny, because once a few years ago I had a Labatt's Blue (pilsner lager) on one knee and a Coors Light on the other (the one time in my life when guys bought me beers) and the compare and contrast I recall from the time was that Blue had a lot more flavour to it (I've always liked Blue, I blame my dad for feeding it to me when I was a toddler) but I could drink both and not be anxious for the bottle to be finished.
My in-laws were expecting a lot of company and so they stocked up on their favourites (Lasko Pivo Zlatorog and Loewenbrau, from Slovenia and Germany respectively) and I have had Zlatorog a few times before and thought it was OK, but I was more anxious to reach the bottom of the Lasko than the Loewenbrau, I found the Lasko just a bit more bitter or possibly less sweet, and that's what seemed to stop me up, the Loewenbrau went down a lot easier. Found a handy reference here that indicates Loewenbrau is a pale lager. And the LCBO says that Zlatorog is a pilsner lager: "Tasting Note: Light gold colour; hoppy, slightly smoky aromas and flavours; medium bodied, with a hoppy/bitter finish and hints of smoke".
Heh, according to Wikipedia, the Lasko brewery was founded by a gingerbread baker and mead producer.
I've also had Creemore's Urbock, a dark cream lager, found it more bitter than I like.
So... any comments on how this is looking so far?
Future shopping list includes a couple buckets of honey (one clover and one goldenrod should keep me going for a while, at least till NEXT tax return) and a multi-pack from Mill St Brewery, which I'm told exists although it may not be through the Beer Store, may have to check out the LCBO instead. Not a big deal, they're on the same block
. According to their websites though, neither seems to have a baltic porter. Or at least, they don't have that classification... Is Sleeman's responsible for the Okanagan Springs line? Found their pale ale but that's it...
I had a Coors Light (lager) (gimme a break, I've got a case of the stuff in the basement that someone gave me last summer and if I don't drink it it'll spoil) and a Molson Canadian (lager) on the same day so I was able to compare and contrast a bit... I found them both drinkable, not too bitter. I think I actually found the Coors Light had more of a mouthfeel to it, the Canadian tasted thinner. Which I find funny, because once a few years ago I had a Labatt's Blue (pilsner lager) on one knee and a Coors Light on the other (the one time in my life when guys bought me beers) and the compare and contrast I recall from the time was that Blue had a lot more flavour to it (I've always liked Blue, I blame my dad for feeding it to me when I was a toddler) but I could drink both and not be anxious for the bottle to be finished.
My in-laws were expecting a lot of company and so they stocked up on their favourites (Lasko Pivo Zlatorog and Loewenbrau, from Slovenia and Germany respectively) and I have had Zlatorog a few times before and thought it was OK, but I was more anxious to reach the bottom of the Lasko than the Loewenbrau, I found the Lasko just a bit more bitter or possibly less sweet, and that's what seemed to stop me up, the Loewenbrau went down a lot easier. Found a handy reference here that indicates Loewenbrau is a pale lager. And the LCBO says that Zlatorog is a pilsner lager: "Tasting Note: Light gold colour; hoppy, slightly smoky aromas and flavours; medium bodied, with a hoppy/bitter finish and hints of smoke".
Heh, according to Wikipedia, the Lasko brewery was founded by a gingerbread baker and mead producer.
I've also had Creemore's Urbock, a dark cream lager, found it more bitter than I like.
So... any comments on how this is looking so far?
Future shopping list includes a couple buckets of honey (one clover and one goldenrod should keep me going for a while, at least till NEXT tax return) and a multi-pack from Mill St Brewery, which I'm told exists although it may not be through the Beer Store, may have to check out the LCBO instead. Not a big deal, they're on the same block
. According to their websites though, neither seems to have a baltic porter. Or at least, they don't have that classification... Is Sleeman's responsible for the Okanagan Springs line? Found their pale ale but that's it...Just remember that technically the differences between “Ales” and “Lagers” only has to do with the type of yeast used. Because of the differences in fermentation, “Lagers” tend to have cleaner flavors from the yeast than do “Ales”. Ale yeast can often contribute spicy or fruity flavors to the beer. This allows lagers to show the full expression of the flavors from the grain and hops better than ales.
However both ales and lagers can go from low to high alcohol, from very pale to dark, from little bitterness from the hops to lots. In other words, just because something is a “Lager” vs. an “Ale” doesn’t necessarily mean much. Having said that though on this content when you say Lager, you are usually referring to a light pale beer as you find with almost all large commercial breweries.
You don’t seem to enjoy the bitter beers so if you want a fuller flavor without the hops (hops contribute bitterness) you might want to look at Irish style beers, these tend to be low hopped beers.
Enjoy you experiments.
Cheers
Jay
However both ales and lagers can go from low to high alcohol, from very pale to dark, from little bitterness from the hops to lots. In other words, just because something is a “Lager” vs. an “Ale” doesn’t necessarily mean much. Having said that though on this content when you say Lager, you are usually referring to a light pale beer as you find with almost all large commercial breweries.
You don’t seem to enjoy the bitter beers so if you want a fuller flavor without the hops (hops contribute bitterness) you might want to look at Irish style beers, these tend to be low hopped beers.
Enjoy you experiments.
Cheers
Jay
Some stores will allow you to mix-and-match a six pack...Trader Joe's for example, don't know if you have Trader Joe's up by you, though.
Huh, there's an Irish mix and match too, maybe I'll try that.
Actually you can often get single bottles/cans from the LCBO. I just try to stay out of there, it's less expensive if I never go in
Actually you can often get single bottles/cans from the LCBO. I just try to stay out of there, it's less expensive if I never go in
The other thing with lagers is that they're typically less sweet than ales, so that's one more difference that makes some people prefer one over the other. It definitely sounds like you like less hops, so now it's figuring out what sweetness levels you like, and whether you tend towards the lighter coloured less roasted beers, or darker more roasted ones, or somewhere inbetween.
Well, last night I bought a dozen different beers and we (hubby and I) had two from the Mill St. Brewery sampler. I found their organic lager very nice and clean, not bitter at all and no lingering aftertaste. Hubby's comment was that if it was more expensive than Alexander Keith's IPA, don't waste money on it for him. I find it nicer than Keiths.
The Mill St. Tankhouse Ale on the other hand (back of the bottle says it uses a "staggering" amount of hops and five different malts for spicy flavour in a fiery red ale), the flavour wasn't bad but OMG bitter, more than two slugs in a row gave me the involuntary head-shake I get when I try to drink something too strong (in flavour) too fast, and when I tried pouring some out into my hydrometer test tube (bad idea), it made a huge head that I didn't like the smell or taste of, again with the involuntary head-shake, ended up rinsing it out instead of finishing it. The bitter would cling to the tongue for about 30 seconds after swallowing. Blech. But I don't know if it's the taste of the hops or the bitterness that gets me with that one. Hubby is even more sensitive to bitterness and acidity than I am so I think my roommate ended up finishing that bottle
Funny thing was that we mixed a bit of the two just to see if it was better or worse and I found it cut the bitterness to a point where I thought it was good but hubby didn't think so, and the aroma was best avoided.
I am looking forward to the gunger beer and the lemon tea beer in that pack, and I also got a half-dozen cans of things that looked interesting, including a raspberry wheat and a green apple pilsner, and Rickard's Dark and a few domestic and imported things.
The Mill St. Tankhouse Ale on the other hand (back of the bottle says it uses a "staggering" amount of hops and five different malts for spicy flavour in a fiery red ale), the flavour wasn't bad but OMG bitter, more than two slugs in a row gave me the involuntary head-shake I get when I try to drink something too strong (in flavour) too fast, and when I tried pouring some out into my hydrometer test tube (bad idea), it made a huge head that I didn't like the smell or taste of, again with the involuntary head-shake, ended up rinsing it out instead of finishing it. The bitter would cling to the tongue for about 30 seconds after swallowing. Blech. But I don't know if it's the taste of the hops or the bitterness that gets me with that one. Hubby is even more sensitive to bitterness and acidity than I am so I think my roommate ended up finishing that bottle
Funny thing was that we mixed a bit of the two just to see if it was better or worse and I found it cut the bitterness to a point where I thought it was good but hubby didn't think so, and the aroma was best avoided.
I am looking forward to the gunger beer and the lemon tea beer in that pack, and I also got a half-dozen cans of things that looked interesting, including a raspberry wheat and a green apple pilsner, and Rickard's Dark and a few domestic and imported things.
Sounds like you don't care for IPA's? ;D
Perhaps you'd like something a little less "hop forward", like an APA or an English Bitter. If you can get it up there, try Bell's Two Hearted Ale, it's more balanced than a heavy-hopped IPA.
Any English Ale by Fuller's is quite good and a good example of the style. They're fairly low hopped despite the name "bitter".
Perhaps you'd like something a little less "hop forward", like an APA or an English Bitter. If you can get it up there, try Bell's Two Hearted Ale, it's more balanced than a heavy-hopped IPA.
Any English Ale by Fuller's is quite good and a good example of the style. They're fairly low hopped despite the name "bitter".
Old ales are often malty and on the sweetish side with low hops. You might find them to suit you.
On the other hand, the sour beers like a lambic or gueuze that have virtually no hops character might be something that you'd like.
As you can see, tasting a few things will help you quickly zero in on what you don't like, making it easier to find what you do enjoy.
On the other hand, the sour beers like a lambic or gueuze that have virtually no hops character might be something that you'd like.
As you can see, tasting a few things will help you quickly zero in on what you don't like, making it easier to find what you do enjoy.
Good call. Perhaps something like an English Barleywine. Some are very malt-forward.
Actually I don't mind the ones I've had, my hubby's comment was just that if the organic one costs more than the IPA he likes, don't waste the money since he can't tell the difference.
Hmm. Pretty sure I didn't bring home anything sour. I bet my hubby would hate it if I did, he pronounces a lot of things I call sour (acidic) to be bitter to him.
I'll have to check those out after I'm done this batch of "homework", tonight's is Mill Street's ginger beer ("thist-quenching spicy beer that harkens back to the Age of Sail", and Mill Street's Stock Ale "a golden export-style ale made from only malt and hops, the malt's natural sweetness is perfectly balanced by the bitterness derived from the hops". Well. I guess we'll see if their idea of well-balanced bitterness matches mine
I shall report back soon on the next fabulous installment of "Beer for Homework".
Well, the Mill St lager is a very different beast from the Alexander Keiths "IPA". One is an ale, the other a lager, (the Keiths is much sweeter than the Mill St I think) and to compound the confusingness, the Keiths IPA is the most non-IPA "IPA" I've ever had, it's extremely light on the hops (IPA is supposed to at a minimum at least be very noticable hops and hop bitterness), and lower ABV than most IPAs that I've had.
Sounds like you've asked a question that gives you a good excuse to have some fun! Enjoy your exploration of the World of Beer!
I'm not saying specifically that the stuff tasted like Keiths (I'd need to compare directly to assert that) but more that it was inoffensive to my hubby who dislikes almost all beers except Keiths and Guinness. I know comparing them is apples to oranges but I'm not working with a full fruit basket here anyway so I'm comparing what I know I'm also not great for remembering tastes. I don't know what Mill Street's IPA tastes like and I'm not sure how it would compare if I taste-tested it against the Stock Ale or the Organic Lager.
The Stock Ale is nice. I like it. It's not too bitter at all, three slugs in rapid succession does not give me an involuntary head-shake. But I don't know if I'd be able to pick it out of a lineup with any other non-bitter pale coloured ale.
I quite enjoy the flavour of the ginger one, I'm going to have to try that one day myself, but it is a bit on the bitter side for me, although that might be because I'm comparing it directly with the Stock Ale. I'd probably not have a problem finishing it if it were the only beer I was trying to drink at the time!
I'm also not great for remembering tastes. I don't know what Mill Street's IPA tastes like and I'm not sure how it would compare if I taste-tested it against the Stock Ale or the Organic Lager.The Stock Ale is nice. I like it. It's not too bitter at all, three slugs in rapid succession does not give me an involuntary head-shake. But I don't know if I'd be able to pick it out of a lineup with any other non-bitter pale coloured ale.
I quite enjoy the flavour of the ginger one, I'm going to have to try that one day myself, but it is a bit on the bitter side for me, although that might be because I'm comparing it directly with the Stock Ale. I'd probably not have a problem finishing it if it were the only beer I was trying to drink at the time!
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Faxe Premium- my roommate and I both agree, it threatens to grab you by the bitter-receptors like the Tankhouse Ale, and then doesn't. Pretty pleasant, actually. I think it's got decent hoppy flavour without overdoing the bitterness.
We'll see if I feel the same by the end of the 500 ml can
We'll see if I feel the same by the end of the 500 ml can
The Mill St Pilsner was very nice - lots of flavour (I think hops?) and the hint of bitterness I think was mostly softened by it being fairly sweet. I'd drink it again!
And I did still like the Faxe by the end of the can, but my stomach informed me for most of the next day that perhaps adding it to the pizza and onion rings already in me might not have been my brightest moment.
And I did still like the Faxe by the end of the can, but my stomach informed me for most of the next day that perhaps adding it to the pizza and onion rings already in me might not have been my brightest moment.
And I did still like the Faxe by the end of the can, but my stomach informed me for most of the next day that perhaps adding it to the pizza and onion rings already in me might not have been my brightest moment.
If you can't get a beer to go with pizza and onion rings, what can you get it to go with?!
...as much as I hate to admit it, I actually got through an engineering degree without ever having had beer with pizza despite the monthly Beer and Pizza parties (I always had to drive home), so I'm used to having a Coke with my grease, and now I don't even drink soft drinks anymore (can't do caffeine and that much sugar just isn't worth it, I'll take my sugar in my chocolate, thanks)... I've had bad experiences with citrus juice plus grease, so it's possible that beer and grease is another bad combo for me. <shrug> whatever. Can't have a cast-iron gut forever, I suppose. So I drink my beer BEFORE the pizza next time. At least I'm not celiac like my mom.
Mill St. Brewery's Lemon Tea beer - it's a wheat beer with lemon and tea (blend of orange pekoe and Earl Grey), and I thought it was really nice. No bitterness, still tasted like a beer to me but I could pick out the bergamot from the earl grey tea...
But last night's winner, a friend brought over St. Ambroise Apricot Wheat Ale, another wheat beer with a delicate aroma and flavour of apricots. Yummy. Don't know if it ever met a real apricot "apricot essence" in the ingredients) but it tasted good. Again, a nice light beer without the bitterness.
I don't know if it's the wheat beer I like or that they don't tend to put a lot of bitter hoppiness in wheat beers, but so far so good... we'll see what the raspberry wheat beer says to me when I get around to drinking it.
The brew-in-a-bottle kit beer is in the fridge chilling (hopefully clearing the rest of the way too) but I'm saving that till I've got more people over who can give me opinions...
But last night's winner, a friend brought over St. Ambroise Apricot Wheat Ale, another wheat beer with a delicate aroma and flavour of apricots. Yummy. Don't know if it ever met a real apricot "apricot essence" in the ingredients) but it tasted good. Again, a nice light beer without the bitterness.
I don't know if it's the wheat beer I like or that they don't tend to put a lot of bitter hoppiness in wheat beers, but so far so good... we'll see what the raspberry wheat beer says to me when I get around to drinking it.
The brew-in-a-bottle kit beer is in the fridge chilling (hopefully clearing the rest of the way too) but I'm saving that till I've got more people over who can give me opinions...
I love their lemon tea beer, I thought it would be really bad but it's pretty much the most perfect possible hot-day beer I think I've ever had... just simple clean bright flavours.
