Beverage: Beer (favorite brands & articles about)

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ChoChiyo
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Post by ChoChiyo »

Taking the risk of being lynched on the spot, I have to say that Guinness tastes foul to me. I'd rather drink 10-40 motor oil with a battery acid chaser.

I had heard so much about Guinness for so long that I was POWERED UP to taste it. How horrible when I had to spit it back into the glass because it was THAT BAD.

YUUUUUUUK.

On the other hand, I found Bass Ale to be extremely good.

:mrgreen:

I guess I'm just not into darkness in any of its forms.

MrDude--PBR was the ONLY beer I would drink in my misspent youth.

I thought Schlitz (which we tenderly referred to by a rhyming word was bad. But Fitgars was The Worst Beer I have ever tasted in my life.

Dirty gutter water would be a divine alternative.
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Darb
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Post by Darb »

Guinness is an acquired taste for some, but for some who enjoy it, it's mana from heaven.

Some people dislike it for being slightly sour (which is a byproduct of darkly roasted malts as well as carefully controlled bacterial souring), astringent (malted barley roasted to the point of blackness), bitter (from the hops), as well as having a finish reminiscent of burnt butterscotch (diacetyl), and ground up clamshells (a combination of calcium hardness in the water, as well as a side effect of injecting nitrogen gas for an extra creamy head).

I happen to like it ... but only on the winter. For some reason, I lose my taste for it in the summer. It's a cool weather apperitif beer for me. Goes great with oysters, and the slight sourness also makes it a good match for fried food. It's also good with/in certain types of stews.

In any case, I have some interesting glassware at home, and if you've never seen a guinness nitrogen 'cascade' in a 3 ft tall hand-blown yard glass, you've missed out, because it's really an impressively hypnotic sight. :mrgreen:
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ChoChiyo
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Post by ChoChiyo »

You have no idea how much I WANTED to like it, Brad. Its color is amazing, and I love the creamy head...I even liked the smell of it...but...it gagged me.

Sniff.

I don't know if I could acquire the taste.

Maybe if I started off drunk to begin with...when most of the taste buds are comatose.....
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KiltanneN
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Post by KiltanneN »

ChoChiyo wrote:I guess I'm just not into darkness in any of its forms.
Brad wrote:Guinness is an acquired taste for some, but for some who enjoy it, it's mana from heaven.
Have either of you read The Drawing of the Dark by TIm Powers?

It is one book that made a VERY strong impact when I read it - but I no longer own a copy and will one day have to re-acuire it... :shock:

Seems to me that this is one book anybody who enjoys their Ales AND reading should take a look at...

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Post by Darb »

CHO: Just because something is considered excellent by beverage critics doesn't mean one is obliged to like it ... taste (and smell) have both objective and subjective aspects.

In any case, I think I know you well enough by now to know that you're just giving an honest (subjective) opinion on guinness ... you weren't just doing it to bait me. :mrgreen:
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Post by Darb »

KILTY: No, I haven't seen that book before. Looks interesting ! :lol:

I just added it to my e-notes to read up on it a bit more ... I may have to add it to my next order.
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ChoChiyo
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Post by ChoChiyo »

Brad wrote:CHO: Just because something is considered excellent by beverage critics doesn't mean one is obliged to like it ... taste (and smell) have both objective and subjective aspects.

In any case, I think I know you well enough by now to know that you're just giving an honest (subjective) opinion on guinness ... you weren't just doing it to bait me. :mrgreen:
Heh heh...you know me well, grasshopper.

Though I was baiting you in the Stranded thread when I suggested that Bill the Taco Man may actually have been Willhelmina, the taco delivery GOAT.

Blah hah hah hah

But--it wasn't a malicious baiting. You know I love you.

(Except when you do that vulcan tush meldy thing. Then you must die. Horribly.)
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Post by Darb »

You're only saying that cuz yer tush prolly looks like a horta. :P

j/k :lol:

Back to beer ...
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ChoChiyo
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Post by ChoChiyo »

Brad wrote:You're only saying that cuz yer tush prolly looks like a horta. :P

j/k :lol:

Back to beer ...
I need one after that.

Hee hee.

BTW--hortas are considered extremely sexy in some circles!

:P
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Post by Darb »

Shake that 'horta fringe', baby ... like a 20's 'flapper' dress. :clap: :lol: :cry: :lol:

God, I miss Trek trivia.

Romulan Ale anyone ? :wink:
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ChoChiyo
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Post by ChoChiyo »

Bring it on!

Heh heh.
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Post by Aunflin »

I always kind of liked Guiness, though my beer of choice ATM is Czechvar from the Czech Republic. I think it's one of the best beers I've ever tasted, though Negra Modelo is still one of my favorites.
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Post by Darb »

I like Czechvar - it's a fine czech pils (forgive my spelling, i'm feeling lazy), but because of the green glass and cross atlantic transit (often in container ships) it often arrives tasting of cardboard (oxidization) or a faint whiff of skunk (light and/or tempstruck). Getting it on draft is usually a better bet than bottles ... and if you can get a good sample that hasn't suffered from travel, it can be really tasty. Ditto pilsner urquell.

I happen to like Stella Artois, which is similar in style, albeit from Belgium.

The negra modelo (ditto again on spelling - I'm lazy and leaving soon) is nice, and is based off of the "vienna lager" style, which shares some similarities to oktoberfest, albeit it's a bit lighter and drier. It pairs nicely with pizza, as does pilsner.

Anyway, that reminds me ... I'll have to get around to entering & reviewing Michael Jackson's books on beer (no relation to the pedaphile pop singer of the same name) :P

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Post by Aunflin »

Yeah, I have noticed the "skunky" flavor at times, though on suprisingly few occasions.

BTW, have a great weekend! :)
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Post by mrdude »

I too actually had trouble with guinnes the first time I tried it. I still don't drink them strait but I do enjoy the occasional black and tan now and again, something about light ale with that black malt, just makes my insides tingle.
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Post by Darb »

OK, pop quiz. Which layer floats on top in a black and tan, and why ?

No fair googling. :P
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Post by Darb »

BTW, I just dug it out and entered it into our database ... here's Michael Jackson's homepage

It's a good site for beer geeks. :thumb:
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Aunflin
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Post by Aunflin »

mrdude wrote:I too actually had trouble with guinnes the first time I tried it. I still don't drink them strait but I do enjoy the occasional black and tan now and again, something about light ale with that black malt, just makes my insides tingle.
That just reminded me of the grossest beer I ever tasted...

My friend's dad was making what he called a "Black & white:" Guinness mixed with Busch N/A...horrible stuff... :shudder: But I politely drank it... :slap:
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Corporal Cheeseburger
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Post by Corporal Cheeseburger »

Now and then, when I have the extra funds, I'll get some Pete's Wicked Ale. I especially like the strawberry blonde. Anyone else like Pete's?

I remember the Horta episode, Devil in the Dark, right?
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Post by mrdude »

Brad wrote:OK, pop quiz. Which layer floats on top in a black and tan, and why ?

No fair googling. :P
I know which one, but I couldn't tell you why, either to do with density or...
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Post by Corporal Cheeseburger »

Mr. Dude, after my sixth one, I do, and it's because I'm pretty well spiffed!
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Post by Kvetch »

good response!

as to brad's sherlock, I've no idea because I've never heard of the second ingredient
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Corporal Cheeseburger
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Post by Corporal Cheeseburger »

I'm really looking forward to that new Budweiser Select! It's supposed to hit the stores on Februay 21st.
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Post by Aunflin »

Brad wrote:OK, pop quiz. Which layer floats on top in a black and tan, and why ?

No fair googling. :P
The Bass Ale floats on top while the Guiness stays on the bottom because its denser than the Bass...or something like that.
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Aunflin
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Post by Aunflin »

Corporal Cheeseburger wrote:I'm really looking forward to that new Budweiser Select! It's supposed to hit the stores on Februay 21st.
Personally, I don't find it that palatable. I've seen it in the stores here in St. Louis for a while now (I guess AB is using STL as a test market or something--the factory is about ten minutes from my house), and I bought some to try it out. I found it drinkable, though nothing compared to a good import. But that's just my opinon--everyone's tastes differ... ;)
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