BEER

[wayfriend]

... it's carbonated. (burp!)

[Orlion]

... it's carbonated. (burp!)

Unless you're like some friends of mine who tried their hand once at making beer

Right now in Ohio, there's a craze for a 'new beer' called Yuengling.


It's been around for a while, just not in Ohio. People who traveled to Pennsylvania and West Virginia would often come back with cases of this stuff... and now people don't seem to be drinking anything else!

It's all right, the regular and light remind me of Miller Lite... only more so. What's pretty good, though, is their 'Black & Tan', which, I hope to try an actual one one of these days. I hear tell that they are delicious.

[Vraith]

That is one of the standard "on tap" beer brands in bars around my home. I find them drinkable but not special.

[Menolly]

The black and tan is supposedly the best of the Yuengling, but it doesn't compare with a self pulled black and tan.

[Zarathustra]

Right now in Ohio, there's a craze for a 'new beer' called Yuengling.


It's been around for a while, just not in Ohio.

Yeah, I'd say it's been around for a while .... It's the oldest operating brewing company in the United States (1829 ... says it right on the label ). There were older ones, but Prohibition drastically reduced the numbers of breweries in the U.S. so that most of those no longer operate. Even with the craft beer boom, I don't think we've caught up with the number of breweries we used to have pre-prohibition.

Personally, I can't get past Yuengling's "dishwater" taste. I'd actually prefer Miller Lite.

10 ...

[Orlion]

You know what, Z? I think you've hit on exactly that one thing I find annoying about any Yuengling that isn't Black & Tan... hence when everyone else is drinking the version I had pictured, I'd prefer a Beck's... or even a Killian's Irish Red! *gasp!*

Tried a Blue Moon winter brew the other day. It's like a regular Blue Moon. Yep. If you swish it around in your mouth for a few minutes, you get the hint of some festive seasoning, but that's it.

[Menolly]

Orlion, you really, really should pour your own black and tan.

[Vraith]

Heh...both off topic and continuing my former...I etalked to my friend [his name is yuengling] it's simply drinkable, [the darker are more drinkable, but less special, if that make sense...] he agrees, nothing special, he agrees, and like me, only with more personal investment since it turns out he is actually related, really really really hates that even the company [in its ads] pronounces the name as "Ying Ling."

[Orlion]

Orlion, you really, really should pour your own black and tan.

Well, that doesn't seem tough at all! To the beer shops!

[Menolly]

Be forewarned it takes a practiced hand to add the Guinness so the layers form properly and it doesn't foam too much. Watch The Guinness Guys attempt to see how not to do it.

[step one: use bottled versions, or tap if you have it, only. never canned
step two: pour over the spoon way, way slower, down the side of the glass (like adding the syrup to an egg cream), to attempt to prevent over foaming]

[Orlion]

Be forewarned it takes a practiced hand to add the Guinness so the layers form properly and it doesn't foam too much. Watch The Guinness Guys attempt to see how not to do it.

[step one: use bottled versions, or tap if you have it, only. never canned
step two: pour over the spoon way, way slower, down the side of the glass (like adding the syrup to an egg cream), to attempt to prevent over foaming]

Fah! I am a chemist! A practiced hand is necesary to avoid death! (That and luck, as in the case of that explosion during the infamous physical chemistry lab). Thanks for the tips, I'll definitely not fall into the "get cans cuz theyz be cheapz, yo!" trap.

[Menolly]

Then let us know what you think once you've tried it.

[Orlion]

Then let us know what you think once you've tried it.

First attempt. I avoided making a mess, but also failed to get the two layers. The mixed beverage (Smithwick and Guinness Draught) was quite satisfying and helped enhance an evening of listening to Gustav Holst's Planets suite whilst reading the poesy of Alfred Lord Tennyson.

All ready, this Black & Tan is better than the Yuenling in taste and in point of fact that instead of one beer, I now have three beers to chose from when imbibing the adult beverage.

[Obi-Wan Nihilo]

Without beer, we'd probably still be living in caves.

An interesting documentary, detailing the hidden importance of beer:







BTW, some choose to drink A BEER, while others choose to drink...

[Menolly]

Then let us know what you think once you've tried it.

First attempt. I avoided making a mess, but also failed to get the two layers. The mixed beverage (Smithwick and Guinness Draught) was quite satisfying and helped enhance an evening of listening to Gustav Holst's Planets suite whilst reading the poesy of Alfred Lord Tennyson.

Practice will make perfect.

All ready, this Black & Tan is better than the Yuenling in taste

My point exactly!

and in point of fact that instead of one beer, I now have three beers to chose from when imbibing the adult beverage.

A point I hadn't considered.

[Orlion]

Finally got a Great Lakes Brewing Co. Taster's Pack and tried the Dortmunder Gold that I haven't had for so long and had such a bad experience with.

Turned out to be really good. A nice, balanced beer that is everything Miller and Yuengling want to be without all the terrible crap. The slight what I assume to be hoppy flavor (bitterness) is enough for a crisp beginning and a nice 'Cheerio' finish (what I know assume to be the barley).

Tonight, will be a lager that I've never tried before: The Eliot Ness. Then, depending on what I want to do, I'll either drink a Dortmunder Gold before it, or have a Burning River after. I'm going to pair the Edmund Fitzgerald with my last Guinness Draught... I feel that will provide a better comparison point then a porter with the other kinds of beer. I can tell the difference between a porter and lager & ale.

[Zarathustra]

Guinness is a what I like to think of as a "gateway beer." Being ubiquitous, it is often the first non-yellow-fissy-pseudo-pilsner that most people try. And it has a little more taste than most marco-swill.

Guinness's Foreign Extra Stout is actually pretty good. It has been brewed around the world for years, but has become just recently available in the U.S. More roast, more hops, more alcohol. About 7% ABV, I believe.

[Zarathustra]

Finally got a Great Lakes Brewing Co. Taster's Pack and tried the Dortmunder Gold that I haven't had for so long and had such a bad experience with.

Turned out to be really good. A nice, balanced beer that is everything Miller and Yuengling want to be without all the terrible crap. The slight what I assume to be hoppy flavor (bitterness) is enough for a crisp beginning and a nice 'Cheerio' finish (what I know assume to be the barley).

Tonight, will be a lager that I've never tried before: The Eliot Ness. Then, depending on what I want to do, I'll either drink a Dortmunder Gold before it, or have a Burning River after. I'm going to pair the Edmund Fitzgerald with my last Guinness Draught... I feel that will provide a better comparison point then a porter with the other kinds of beer. I can tell the difference between a porter and lager & ale.

Those are all great beers. Edmund Fitgerald is one of my favorite porters. Orders of magnitude better than Guinness. You've got the right idea starting with the lighter flavored beers and progressing on to the ones with more flavor. Telling the difference between porters and the others should be night and day. Pitch black with tons of roast is hard to mistake (most porters are ales, btw). Ales are usually "fruitier" than lagers, given the fact that they're fermented at warmer temps and utilize yeast whicih produce more esters (the chemical compounds that give fruits their aromas/flavors). Lagers will be crisp, clean, light. To "lager" means to age or to cellar (cold storage). They are fermented cool, and then aged or lagered for longer period in cool temperatures to mellow them out. They also use a different kind of yeast which doesn't produce as much esters. This is usually associated with a "clean" taste. Most of the world drinks lagers. Virtually all products by Bud/Coors/Miller etc. are lagers (imitations of pilsner, a subset of lagers).

[Orlion]

The Eliot Ness was pretty good, reminded me a lot of Smithwicks. I'll probably use it with the Edmund Fitzerald to make a Black & Tan eventually. Burning River is my least favorite. At first, I was liking it. It definitely has more hops than the lagers I was trying and a nice citrusy finish. Of course, it turns out the finish reminds me of Windex.

Guinness is a what I like to think of as a "gateway beer." Being ubiquitous, it is often the first non-yellow-fissy-pseudo-pilsner that most people try. And it has a little more taste than most marco-swill.

Guinness's Foreign Extra Stout is actually pretty good. It has been brewed around the world for years, but has become just recently available in the U.S. More roast, more hops, more alcohol. About 7% ABV, I believe.

That might be something to try. I'll get some Blackout Stouts (Great Lakes) if they haven't run out yet, then try some of that. Some very heavy beers I've been having lately.

[Zarathustra]

Blackout Stout is a Russian imperial stout. VERY intense. This style is one of the pinnacles of intense beer taste, right up there with barley wine. High alcohol, as much roast as you can pack into beer. Usually quite highly hopped (to balance all that malt sweetness). Another one of my favorites.

If you can get Bell's, their Expedition Stout is one of the highest rated imperial stouts on Ratebeer.com. One of the best in the world. Also, I love Stone's Russian Imperial Stout.

If you didn't like Burning River because of the hops, you probably won't like IPAs, which are even hoppier. Or maybe you just got an older bottle. The hoppier a beer is, the more important it is to drink it fresh. There are better pale ales out there. Burning River isn't one of my favorites. Stone's Pale Ale is amazing. Hops come in dozens of varieties, with widely different flavors and acid compounds, giving rise to different *kinds* of bitterness, some less harsh than others. Experiment, and see what you like.

Bell's Hopslam should be out in a few weeks, a double IPA. Look for it at end of Jan, beginning of Feb, and drink it fresh. You'll never have a beer experience quite like it. EXTREMELY hoppy and way too drinkable for 9% ABV.