A German IPA is born

[zeeklafreek 1,106]

good lord.

 

your "hoppy love" is an American micro-breweries way to mask their inability to make a decent beer. i worked quite a bit in CO and noticed most of the beer was "over hoppy", meaning the brew "masters" there didn't know their hole from a whole...

 

every time i go back to the US, the beers are "hoppier and MORE hoppier". crappier.

 

and not sure why you're in oberbayern and still drinking beer from "hopfenextrakt" smack dab in the hops growing region in Ingoldstadt.

 

i'll leave you to your beer in a can, i'll take mine straight from holzfass into my Mass.

 

happy drinking. ;)

[bueschen 324]

@ZEEKLAFREEK: So by your way of thinking beers such as Fuller's ESB or Samual Smith's IPA are "crappier" because they have a higher than usual hop content? I can agree that an overly hoppy beer may not be the favored style for every one. But I don't think that automatically makes them crappy.

Next time you visit the States here some suggestions for you:

 

Brooklyn Lager from Brooklyn Brewery

Session Lager from Full Sail Brewery

Moose Drool Brown Ale from Big Sky Brewery

Thomas Hooker Munich Style Helles Lager from TH Brewery

 

Colorado as a region definitely has a love for hoppier beers so perhaps this is an area you should avoid from a beer perspective. But I do hope you keep sampling and enjoy the variety that the American beer market provides.

[catjones 1,690]

The Association of Brewers reports that of July 31, 2009 there were a total 1482 craft breweries (962 Brewpubs)(456 Microbreweries)(64 Regional Craft Breweries) in the United States.

My guess is that in the capital of the largest country in Europe there might be 4-5 microbreweries.

[Small Town Boy 6,672]

Well America does now have more breweries than any other country in the world, having recently overtaken Germany. And the number of breweries in the UK has almost doubled to 700 in the past decade. Quantity isn't always quality though; while there are many excellent beers in America, among the smaller breweries and brewpubs in both the US and the UK the quality can be somewhat touch and go because the brewers don't have a sufficiently deep knowledge of this complicated subject.

 

With regard to the hoppiness of many American beers, Fuller's ESB does not contain anywhere near the amount of hops that most American IPAs contain (the Sam Smiths example isn't relevant as they brew mostly for the American market). In my opinion many American IPAs contain way, way too much hop; the idea of a delicate balance of flavour is sacrificed to a sledgehammer of both aroma and bittering hops. But if that's what the market wants then good luck to them; there are plenty of other great beers in the world for people who don't like extremely hoppy beers.

[bueschen 324]

That's just it, it's all opinion.

I suggest that simply not liking the taste of a beer because of its hop content does not make it crappy, it just makes it not to your liking.

Obviously many many people enjoy a beer that is chock full o' hops.

I just don't like blanket statements that condemn whole countries or regions or industries when there is often plenty of choice to those willing to look.

[zeeklafreek 1,106]

actually, i would argue that there is such a thing as "too hoppy" and indeed, that makes a beer crappy and is a result of the brewer/brewery not knowing what the hell they're doing.

 

just like there's a thing a "too garlicky" in cooking whereby the taste of garlic overpowers everything else and destroys a dish. if you are a garlic lover, eat raw garlic, but don't cook me something that is pure garlic and tell me it's pasta primavera. if you love hops that much, eat raw hops. lol. just don't make a fermented liquid that's all hops and pass it off as beer.

 

i have tasted brooklyn and full sail offerings, and they're passable. not crappy, but passable.

[ryhntyntyn 17]

 

First off...anyone who thinks American beer is shit has never been to the Boulder/Denver/Ft. Collins area of Colorado. There are more world class breweries than you could imagine. Also, Germany pales in comparison to the US when considering variety. Most Germans drink one, maybe two types of beer their whole lives, swearing that nothing beats German (Bavarian) beer, even though they've never tried anything else. Fine, but that's not for me. Sounds a bit like having sex with one woman for 75 years. I shiver at the thought. Please don't tell my wife! Also, while the small breweries in Europe are being gobbled up by the conglomerates left and right, it is the microbrewery industry in the US that is leading the way and growing at an amazing pace.

 

Second...thanks for the heads up on the IPA! I've been craving some hoppy love for far too long now. Dales Pale Ale, out of Lyons, CO is one of my absolute favorite beers. Don't let the can fool you, it is the absolute surest way of preserving the original flavor of the beer.

 

On a side note, what is up with all the beers here using hops extract? Even the local brewery in Eichstätt, which has been brewing beer since 1492 now uses hopfenextrakt...what a shame! It destroys a beer's flavor, taking all the flowery notes of the hops and leaving the bitterness. Not good! Is this common elsewhere?

 

Keep in mind that our beer was Garbage from the war until the rebirth of craft brewing. We killed our brewing industry. It has gotten a lot better in since we picked it up again. It's one of the good things to come out of the Carter Administration.

 

And Bavarian lager is still better than most of our lager. What lager do we have in the US that can compete? Keep in mind that I miss the Bells brewery in Kalamazoo a lot, and I actually still like Red Stripe (Jamaican, I know), but, though I like them, I know that they don't compare. And Belgian Ales are better still. The Bavarians do not have a lot of variety it's true, but what they do they do very well.

 

English cuisine is the same way. They have an awful reputation for food both production and preparation. And it's undeserved. English beef is better than anything raised on the continent. Full stop. And they make some of the best hard cheeses in the world. It is actually a result of the war and rationing until the 50's. So it was bad for a long time, for good reason, no one had enough food to get creative with but then it got better and few back home actually know, because they haven't actually been there. But in the last 2 decades they have made leaps and bounds.

 

As a former Chef it literally makes me proud to see us doing well. We have a ways to go before we get back to where we were before prohibition but I am really happy that US brewing is going strong.

[Keefy 3,577]

 

I just don't like blanket statements that condemn whole countries or regions or industries when there is often plenty of choice to those willing to look.

 

Agreed.

 

Just had a couple of weeks in Poland, returning via Prague. With a few pints of Żywiec, Okocim, Żubr, Krušovice, Plzeňský Prazdroj and some others whose names I have already forgotten, I am, remarkably, still standing and none the worse for my experiences.

 

Buurrrp!

[DanHessen 2,964]

I had no idea Carter ever did anything good. I may have to rethink him.

Also, I was in Fraser CO in July and the local breweries were doing tons of styles, not just hoppy IPAs. Also, in Winter Park they had a Belgian Beer Pub which we found quite enjoyable because you wouldn't find one of those in Germany in a million years (Das ist doch kein Bier! Öliges Zeug! Limonade!)

[catjones 1,690]

My favorite beer place in Chicago http://www.binnys.com/beer/search has a few choices for sale. 17 IPAs alone, not including those sold exclusively in microbrew pubs.

[CincyInDE 3,293]

We're talking about "American beer" so...

 

 

Well, apparently we're talking about German IPA, so obviously American beer is going to get slammed. :rolleyes:

[Mik Dickinson 443]

Since when have you been a Brit?If you are you speak with a terrible American accent. :D

[rjurban101 10]

@Zeeklafreak...

 

There are tons of beers here now brewed with hopfenextrakt. Even local, smaller breweries right smack dab in the middle of the Hallertau region. I would have to say that the majority now are. Try to look at the ingredients every time you drink a beer...you'll be amazed at how widespread it has become.

[CincyInDE 3,293]

Since when have I been a brit? fucking never!

 

I'm just pointing out that while it's fair to call BudMillOors out on making fizzy, yellow, alcoholic water (and calling it beer), non-USians just like to slag on American beer because, well, those non-USians are just haters. I think the pic of the fatty in a motorized scooter holding a Mickey Mouse ice cream bar is an excellent metaphor for this.

 

Look at this fat, stupid, lazy American bitch. All other Americans must be like her.

 

Look at this pale, tasteless, watery American beer. All other American beers must be like this.

 

Give Zeeklafreek a bit of credit for articulating why he doesn't like American craft brews, even if he was a cock about it. Of course, he's American...hmm...

[2B_orNot2B 8,451]

 

Agreed.

 

Just had a couple of weeks in Poland, returning via Prague. With a few pints of Żywiec, Okocim, Żubr, Krušovice, Plzeňský Prazdroj and some others whose names I have already forgotten, I am, remarkably, still standing and none the worse for my experiences.

 

Buurrrp!

 

Keefy, and any other TTers who are curious about trying it, may be happy to know that I have been able to buy Krušovice in Germany for over a year now.

 

I am looking at 2 (sadly empty) bottles here, 1 sloping, 1 shouldered. The former may be an early import as it has a (stupidly illegible) gold on gold printed label only in Polish. The latter has a bit of German on the front label and an additional standard bi-lingual e-label (bar coded, 0,5l cont. 500ml, alc. 5,0% vol.) which highlights its Rheinhetsgebot provenance and informs me that the MHD would've been good til 12.11.2010. If only I'd been more patient. *sigh*

 

Oh, I expect you'd also like to know that it is sold (surprisingly) by REWE.

 

Thank you all for your informative postings.

 

I, for one, care no more about the national origin of a man nor his choice of beer as long as both are pure, not too weak, and provide a degree of enjoyable and entertaining amusement. I remain, like Oscar Wilde, a man of simple tastes who is easily satisfied by the best.

 

Cheers!

 

2B

[mlovett 8,681]

It's simply a question of money. Coors is cheap, craft beers aren't.

[zeeklafreek 1,106]

 

Since when have I been a brit? fucking never!

 

I'm just pointing out that while it's fair to call BudMillOors out on making fizzy, yellow, alcoholic water (and calling it beer), non-USians just like to slag on American beer because, well, those non-USians are just haters. I think the pic of the fatty in a motorized scooter holding a Mickey Mouse ice cream bar is an excellent metaphor for this.

 

Look at this fat, stupid, lazy American bitch. All other Americans must be like her.

 

Look at this pale, tasteless, watery American beer. All other American beers must be like this.

 

Give Zeeklafreek a bit of credit for articulating why he doesn't like American craft brews, even if he was a cock about it. Of course, he's American...hmm...

 

cock of the walk, baby.

 

actually, don't think i was being a cock at all...unless by simply stating that there are many brewers/breweries that don't know what they're doing and think that if a little bit of hops is a good thing, than a shitload of hops must necessarily be a GREAT thing.

 

there are many great American beers. there are many crappy American beers, too. :)

[Small Town Boy 6,672]

 

There are tons of beers here now brewed with hopfenextrakt.

 

But it conforms to the Reinheitsgebot so it must be OK...!

[CincyInDE 3,293]

 

...

actually, don't think i was being a cock at all...unless by simply stating that there are many brewers/breweries that don't know what they're doing and think that if a little bit of hops is a good thing, than a shitload of hops must necessarily be a GREAT thing.

...

 

Niles: Whatever happened to the concept of "less is more"?

Frasier: Ah, but if less is more, then just think of how much more "more" will be!

[bueschen 324]

@zeeklafreek: One mans trash...

Still all subjective, I just don't see where something can be "too garlicky." (or too anything for that matter)

Add "for my liking" to that statement and I will allow it. I have been to a couple different places on this planet (as I am sure most reading this have as well)and seen some pretty weird things eaten and drank (drunk?), but I always try to remember that not everyone has the same likes and dislikes.