My Tasting Ways Archives – A Night With The Hops

My Tasting Ways - Grading

Sep 232009

At long last the final installment of “My Tasting Ways” is here. Hopefully this series has given you a better understanding of how I do my reviews and what I mean when I write certain things. As I have been writing these posts, my evaluation process has continued to evolve and I think my abilities have become slightly more advanced as well. I will likely give updates on my means and methods as time goes on to keep everyone informed on what has changed.

Grading a beer is extremely subjective and I wouldn’t expect that everyone (or possibly anyone) share my views on beer. For me, it’s tough not to compare beers to each other. If I had a really good beer last week it may lower the grade for a beer that I am drinking today that might have graded higher if consumed in the opposite order. Without trying, I think that much of my grading is influenced by comparisons. The good thing is that the more beers I try, the more I have to compare to, and that leads to a more consistent personal grading system.

I am not to the point yet that I can grade a beer as a judge would, against its style and expected characteristics. Perhaps someday I will get to that point, but I have a long way to go and many beers to review to get there.

An A or A+ is tough to get from me (at least I think so). I have to really enjoy a beer to grade it that high. That is in part due to my thought that I do not want to give an A to a beer only to have one a month later that is significantly better and have no choice but give it the same mark. As time goes on that practice will surely change a bit, but now you know why there are a lot of B’s out there right now.

To the other end of the spectrum, D’s and lower are really, really hard to get from me right now. There are not many beers out there on the shelves that deserve that low a mark. A beer would almost need to have something wrong with it (which happens more often with home brewed batches) to fall that far. There might not be such a thing as a bad beer, but there are certainly some that are worse than others!

Now that you know how I grade (at least as of today) take my scores for what they are — just my opinions. Hopefully some of the reviews will get you to try the beers for yourself. I only ask that you let me know what your grade is when you do!

My Tasting Ways - Overall Impressions

My Tasting Ways 1 Response »

Sep 162009

Since there was a little extra work involved with getting the yeast to start eating, any thoughts of transferring the (soon to be) beer to a secondary fermenter tonight will have to wait. I am anxious to keep the process moving, but I am willing to be patient knowing what the payoff will be. Bubble away my little beasties!

We are past the (more) complicated parts of “My Tasting Ways” and can move on to something is probably more simple, but that can be even more difficult to put into words. Recording my overall impressions can incorporate other pieces of information about the beer (special ingredients, straying from style, etc.), but it really comes down to how much I enjoyed it and why.

I guess the most basic level of knowing how much you liked a beer (or not) is if you would drink it again or even better, if you would pay to drink it again. Another fundamental question might be if you would drink more than one. That is really what it boils down to, but wanting to have a better understanding of why I would have a beer again is the reason that I began to write all of this down.

For me the most influence to my overall impression of a beer is probably from the flavor and the mouthfeel. Sure aroma is there as well, but an enticing aroma only gets me to the first sip. It has to be a good experience from there to get me to crave that brew and think forever fondly of it!

My suggestion to anyone would be to at the very least make a note of the name of a beer if you drank it and really enjoyed it. Even better would be to write a few things about it to help remember that experience. You do not have to spend the time and effort to do a full blown evaluation (I will do my best to take care of those for you), but even a few general notes will be beneficial to your continued (and future) beer enjoyment.

The descriptions of my impressions are better now than they were in the beginning and I expect them to keep improving. Was it the hop flavor I enjoyed most or was it the balance between the sweetness and the warmth? Was it the deep roasted aroma or was it the hint of vanilla in the flavor and the smoothness? Those are the answers that will help me get a grip on what I look for in a good beer.

Onward to continue my quest for the (my) perfect beer!

My Tasting Ways - Mouthfeel

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Sep 092009

Every time I use the word mouthfeel the computer tells me that it isn’t spelled correctly (you know, that little red squiggly line appears underneath). I do know that it is indeed a word since http://dictionary.com tells me it refers (as you would expect) to the tactile sensation a food (or drink) gives to the mouth.

Texture is often an important factor for what we like in food. Even something that tastes good can be unpleasant if it has the consistency of slightly frozen Vaseline. Sure, I don’t really know what that would be like, but it doesn’t sound very appealing. The point is that mouthfeel is something you may not think about often (usually overshadowed by flavor), but it definitely weighs in on your choice of beer. It has become increasingly important to me as I have better identified what it is I enjoy in a beer.

We all probably have an idea of what we prefer in the mouthfeel of a beer, whether aware of exactly what it is or not. For example, most of us are probably looking for a lighter bodied beer when outside in hot weather and perhaps a more full bodied beer during the winter months. Choosing the beer that is perfect for a given situation can be made easier when you know its characteristics like the consistency, the carbonation level, the creaminess, and the amount of warmth.

The body of the beer is tough for me sometimes because I think it’s easier to determine when compared directly with other beers (hooray for samplers). I am confident that I know the difference between a beer with light body and a full bodied beer, but all of the points between can be tough to pick out. Medium seems to be where the beer goes for me when it doesn’t fall to either end of the spectrum.

Carbonation is very similar to body for me in that the in between levels are still hard to pick out. There is a lot of ground between low levels of carbonation and high (for me). The carbonation does sometimes give the beer qualities that remind me of other beverages. Lots of carbonation with bigger bubbles drinks somewhat like a soda and some with many smaller bubbles can have the feel of a champagne or prosecco. Some that are a bit flat with a good deal of warmth can even drink very much like a port.

Creaminess, astringency (puckering), and warmth are usually pretty obvious, but still very subjective. It s not always the case, but creaminess can often come along with fuller bodied and more viscous beers while astringency and some bite can show up with really high levels of carbonation. Warmth is very noticeable to some and not as much to others, but it for sure becomes more prominent (when present) as the beer warms closer to room temperature.

For me, evaluating mouthfeel has helped to identify certain characteristics that I really enjoy in a beer and even a few that I could do without. That knowledge has been very beneficial when standing in the beer aisle trying to decide what I am in the mood for. Even when I cannot decide on a flavor (which is often), I know (for example) if I am in the mood for a heavier beer with some warmth or a crisp lighter bodied beer. That is the type of information that I am glad to have!

My Tasting Ways - Flavor

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Sep 022009

A bit of business to take care of before moving on. If you haven’t given yourself a chance to win some free beer glasses (courtesy of Stella Artois), check out Monday’s entry. You have until the end of the day on Friday to enter!

When it comes right down to it, the beer’s flavor is what we are most concerned about when choosing a beer (or at least choosing one a second time). I haven’t met anyone yet that just sits a pint in front of them because the color goes with their outfit or because they use beer as aromatherapy. Though maybe the latter would be something to look into?

Describing flavor is very personal as each individual has a different impression of flavors and/or overall taste. I have no idea what caramel or vanilla tastes like to anyone but myself. That is why I expect that many of you will disagree with some of my reviews and comments on a beer’s flavor. One of my goals in this process is to figure out what characteristics I like or don’t enjoy so much in a beer and I encourage everyone else to do the same.

Channeling my inner Zane Lamprey

There are a few things about flavor that I think we all have to agree on, such as what tastes our tongue can identify. We all can pick out bitter, sour, salty, and sweet to varying degrees. Beers will have all of these tastes in different amounts. Each of those elements of flavor are picked up on different parts of the tongue, so it is important that the beer travels around the mouth when evaluating flavor. With some reading (see Charlie Papazian and others) I have started to understand why those tastes are present in any given beer, but I still have much learning to do.

Bitterness and sweetness are probably the most commonly prominent of the four. Hops contribute most often to bitterness, but they also can provide some level of (floral) sweetness. Malt influences sweetness the most, but sometimes roasted malts can seem somewhat bitter in flavor. By-products of fermentation like esters and diacetyl (butterscotchiness) can also contribute to sweetness in a beer. The interplay and balance between sweetness and bitterness is very important to the overall flavor of a beer.

Sour and salty are (generally) not the taste profiles that a beer wants to have. They can be present because of carbonation, minerals, or possibly even contamination.

The perception of any of these (bitter and sweet included) can be influenced by other factors as well. If you are in a room with an overwhelming aroma (pizza, for example) or if your nose happens to be a little stuffed up your ability to pick out individual flavors can be hindered. What you are eating or have eaten (pizza, for example again) also plays in. It is important to have a clean palate to really evaluate a beer’s flavor properly. I don’t really keep crackers on hand, but if you have something bland like that it’s a good idea to have one before drinking, especially between different beers.

Flavor contributes the most to the overall score of a beer judged in a sanctioned AHA/BJCP competition (20) and it factors in the most for my final grading. Of course you may not agree with my impression of the flavor of a given beer, but as long as we are all drinking good beer and trying new ones when we can I am more than OK with that.

My Tasting Ways - Aroma

My Tasting Ways 1 Response »

Aug 292009

Whereas appearance accounts for the least number of points (3) when a beer is judged in a sanctioned AHA/BJCP competition, aroma provides the second most (12). Much more than the appearance, the aroma gives a lot of information as to what you can expect in the flavor of the beer. For me it also has been a difficult part of the evaluation process as I struggle at times to pinpoint exact components of the bouquet. I suppose I just need to continue practicing!

Of course evaluating the aroma comes down to identifying characteristics of the malts, hops, and other aromatics (fermentation by-products, fruit, etc.) in the beer. The struggles that I have is that it is somewhat the equivalent of doing a blind taste test. You are looking at a glass of liquid trying to recognize things like currants or butter or coffee or molasses or vanilla. It can be difficult to pick out certain aromas when you really don’t know what coriander or cloves smell like to begin with. Even if you make yourself familiar with the smell of items like those listed above in their whole form, there will still be aromas and combinations that may stump you.

I think that the components of beer aroma generally break down to those from malts, esters, and hops. Malts and grains often give off some sweet, roasted/toasted, caramel, or chocolate aromas (among others). Esters from the yeast fermentation tend to provide fruit-like aromas such as apples, bananas, and berries. Hops (for me) can be easier to pick out when they are out front and dominant, but much more difficult when they are subtle. They can give off a wide range of fragrances from flowers to fruits to herbs to spices. Certainly this is a lot of potential information to process, so you can see where it might be a struggle sometimes to pick out the more delicate parts of the overall bouquet.

It’s pretty important to take in the aroma of the beer shortly after pouring since it has been agitated during the pour and the aromatics have been released, becoming more noticeable at that point. That may contribute to my struggles since I tend to be writing things down instead of getting to the aroma right away. I also inhale the aroma multiple times even though it seems that if I don’t get it after the first few, I just don’t get it. I have read that after about three or four sniffs of the beer, your sense of smell is pretty dulled. So I guess the advice would be to inhale deeply on those first two.

I hesitate to refer to beer as having an odor when I do evaluations since that word is generally reserved for beers that may have defects. That applies to homebrews much more so than what you and I will buy off the shelves, but we probably all know of a few beers that have had skunky (light-struck) aroma.

Though it is a part of the evaluation that may have some answers that are more correct than others, you still can only smell what you smell. The important thing is that the aroma provides a preview (hopefully a good one) of the flavor and is not a step to be skipped. For me it is definitely a good thing, since evaluating the aroma of a beer means that in moments I will be on to tasting!

My Tasting Ways - Appearance

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Aug 262009

I cannot say with certainty that it is the least important part of evaluating a beer, but appearance accounts for the least number of points (3) when a beer is judged in a sanctioned AHA/BJCP competition. Since I use the BJCP as a guideline for my own beer evaluations, I trust that allotment of points is for a reason.

It probably is far less important than the aroma, flavor, mouthfeel, and overall impressions of a beer, but is still a necessary step in evaluation. Recording a beer’s appearance really breaks down to color, head, and clarity. I would suggest any of those items might be pretty darn important as a source of a beer’s appeal to an individual before getting to taste it.

Color may seem the most obvious, but it been difficult for me to accurately describe at times. It is common for me to ask The Wife, “What color is this?” when doing my beer evaluations. I know what I see, but struggle at times to know exactly what color or shade it actually is. Fortunately (for me) some colors like amber, copper, straw, gold, and dark brown are pretty common and help me get by during many reviews.

An old favorite shows a good ranges of colors.

You may not think so, but judging a beer’s color can be very subjective. The type of lighting in the space can affect what you see the color as. Natural lighting can make a beer appear differently than incandescent or fluorescent light will. The color of the wall in the room you are in is also a variable when determining color. The general suggestion is to hold the beer up with a white paper (or ceiling in my case) behind it to take outside colors out of the equation.

The head on a beer is a desirable outcome (see “Pouring”). A beer should have it, but a lack of head (and trail) could be a glassware issue (soap residue, etc.) and is not necessarily an indicator of something wrong with the beer.

For me documenting the head starts with the height measured in (my) fingers, which provides a consistent description. Retention is next and a slower dissipation rate is often (but not always) an indicator of a quality brew. Any trail remaining on the glass should be noted as it, along with the head, can gives hints as to what to expect in flavor and mouthfeel. Describing the color of the head can be even more of a struggle for me than the beer itself since my ability to distinguish off-white from cream from light beige needs some work.

Clarity I could handle pretty well from the beginning and is, if nothing else, an immediate indicator of a filtered or unfiltered beer. I will hold the beer up to a light for a little assistance as condensation on the glass can blurry the vision a bit. Good clarity is something many see as appealing, but many others also look for cloudiness in their beer. I don’t discriminate!

Appearance is a valuable step to judging beer in/against a specific style since the color, head, and clarity are mostly consistent. The color tends to fall into a specific range, the head has a certain height and thickness, and the clarity is almost always the same. At home, appearance gives a slight hint to what the beer will taste like. Or at least what we think it will taste like.

My Tasting Ways - Pouring

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Aug 222009

How you pour a beer is as important to the beer drinking experience as having the correct glass to pour it into. As mentioned in “Glassware,” achieving a head on the beer is desirable and a clean glass is important to its formation and retention. Any soap or grease or left over whatever will adversely affect the head of your beer even if you pour with perfect form.

Why is the head important? It is meant to enhance the aroma of the beer you are drinking. The bubbles hold on to all of the hoppy, yeasty, malty goodness in your brew allowing enjoyment of that bouquet while you drink. If the bubbles are gone, much of the aroma is gone with them.

Generally the way to pour (as I understand it) starts with your glass at a 45-degree angle or so. Pour the beer to the middle area of side of the glass until it is about half full. Agitation of the beer is important to release those aromas, so don’t hold the bottle too close to the glass. From there, straighten the glass and pour directly into the middle to form the head you are looking for. If you are dealing with a beer that has yeast sediment in the bottle, be sure to pay attention during the pour unless you want that is the glass. Suggestions on how tall the head should be varies (by person and style of beer), but one or two fingers high is a good guideline.

Again deferring to the late beer guru Michael Jackson, here are his additional suggestions on pouring per the beer style:

Pouring an ale
·   A gentle, steady pour down the side of the tilted glass will stop the beer from foaming excessively.
·   Steepen the angle and pour more directly to avoid the beer being too flat. Aim for one “finger” of foam.
·   Too much creaminess will rob the beer of its appetizingly bitter character. The hop oils will migrate from the beer itself and hide in the head.

Pouring a stout
·   Pour stout slowly, to allow the head to develop. If it grows too quickly, stop for moment.
·   A two-staged pour will make for a denser, creamier, more solid head, which will suit the coffeeish flavors of the stout.
·   A bottled stout will have a rockier, less rich head and a more natural flavor than the “draft” versions containing a “widget” (nitrogen capsule).

Pouring a pilsner
·   Bottles may take less than seven minutes prescribed for a draft, but a real pilsner must have a blossoming head.
·   A soft, sustained carbonation further enlivens the golden color with a consistent rise of small bubbles (known as the “bead”).
·   The head should rise, almost like a soft ice cream, above the rim of the glass. This brings forward the hop aroma and holds back bitterness to the finish.

Pouring a wheat beer
·   Beers containing yeast have high carbonation, so an especially gentle pour is required. The Belgians wet the glass to control the head.
·   In Bavaria, wheat beer is typically served with a huge head, especially if it is a bottle-conditioned example. Some yeast is included in the pour.
·   If the beer is deemed insufficiently cloudy, the last few drops may be rolled in the bottle to loosen the remaining yeast sediment. This is then added to the glass.

Pouring is actually one of the things that I do differently than all of the recommendations suggest. Since I am trying to develop an ability to detect aromas in beer, I need some additional help in picking them out. Many times I pour quite vigorously and mostly down the center of the glass to really agitate the beer and open up the aromas more than they would be otherwise. I don’t always pour that way, but I would rather err on that side than pouring with no head at all.

As a bonus for your viewing pleasure, here is a video showing how to pour a “proper pint” of probably the most well known beverage to go into a pint glass.

My Tasting Ways - Glassware

My Tasting Ways 6 Responses »

Aug 192009

It’s not that I am at all above drinking beer from a bottle or can (see Old Chub review), but proper glassware is very important to the overall beer drinking experience. When I started this whole beer evaluation thing I read quite a bit about types of beer glasses to help me get a handle on it all. There is a lot of additional information out there, but here I will let you in on what I do and the rules that I play by.

High quality beers deserve a glass. As a comparison for the fermented grape juice drinkers out there (myself included), how many of you drink straight from the wine bottle? (Maybe you shouldn’t answer that.) An unfiltered beer is very similar to a wine with sediment in it. If you don’t want the particulates to come with the beverage, it really needs to be poured into a vessel. I am not saying that you should bring your favorite pilsner glass to the beach or to a back yard BBQ, but it’s worth the extra effort when the opportunity is there.

Appearance and aroma are very important to the enjoyment of a good beer. As with food, looking good and smelling good can affect the perception of taste. I would be willing to guess that most of us are more likely to eat or try something if it looks and smells enticing. When a beer is still in the bottle or can, you don’t get the bonus of using the senses of sight and smell. For me there have been many times where I have enjoyed a beer much more served in a glass than the same beer straight from the bottle. You inhale as you take a drink and the aroma adds to and can alter your sense of the flavor.

One of the big dogs.

Though I probably go further with my beer glassware at home than most will want to, it is all still very basic.

I keep my glasses for beer clean. I hand wash them and let the glasses air dry to avoid soap residues and whatever might be on the drying towel from staying with them. That stuff can affect the head retention and alter the taste (which will be highlighted in the “Pouring” installment coming next in this series). Also, most of my beer glasses are just that – beer glasses. They are not for soda or milk or juice, though an occasional glass of water may be served in one.

It is best to have the glass be close to the same temperature as the beer you will be pouring into it. I am not the best at thinking that far ahead about my beer choice so a room temperature glass for me is pretty common. Though we have all pulled a frosty mug out of the freezer to enjoy a beer at some point in our lives, it’s not the best idea if you want the most flavor from your beer. The ice on the glass waters the beer down and does the same with much of the taste.

I didn’t go out and buy any glasses when I decided to start recording beer evaluations. I guess that I had accumulated to many types over the years to be more than enough for what I need. As far as what I have and make use of at home on a somewhat regular basis:

Mug/Steins (one wider with dimples, one more narrow)
Pint Glass (someday to be an imperial pint glass)
Oversized wine glass / Snifter
Sampler glass (one of those from a brewery tour)
Wine/champagne flute
Ommegang glass (almost a tulip shape)
Pilsner glass
Weizen glass
Stange (something slender and fairly close to one anyway)

A few tools of the trade.

My general rules are pretty straightforward. The beers that are very aromatic and have higher alcohol contents go in larger, more open glasses like the oversized wine glass. Good dark ales and the like often end up in the pint glass or mug. The lighter, more delicate beers go in more slender glasses (with the pilsner and weizen glasses being self explanatory). There are many beers that I am unsure about and I will reference Beeradvocate for a final decision since it has a really good list of what styles belong where. When in doubt, it probably is good to err on the side of a larger glass to help open up and enjoy the aroma of the beer.

How important is all of this? I have read (and I believe seen on a Three Sheets episode involving a “ski patrol”) that many, if not all of the breweries in Belgium have a specific glass that is to be used with their beer. They are chosen or designed to accentuate certain qualities in their brew. If it’s that important to breweries in Belgium (which make some of the best beer in the world), then I will take the time to at least grab a pint glass for my next beer.

My Tasting Ways - Storing

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Aug 152009

In the early stages of recording my beer evaluations I realized that it could become common to have as many as ten or more different beers in the house at one time. As a result, I did some research on how to store beer at home and quickly understood that it was an important part in the whole tasting process. This will spell out what I think I know and what I typically do.

Really the basics of beer storage are that heat and light equal bad things for your beer. As you know, Florida has a lot of both so I probably store mine differently than people would in more temperate climates. Basements aren’t all that common here and unless the garage is conditioned to be quite cool, that isn’t a good option either.

Ideally, it’s a good to store the beer at the temperature that you would like to drink it at. I have read that the late beer writer extraordinaire Michael Jackson suggested five different temperature ranges for serving and I tend to listen to what he had to say about all things beer. His recommendations are:

Well chilled (7 °C/45 °F) for “light” beers (pale lagers)
Chilled (8 °C/47 °F) for Berliner Weisse and other wheat beers
Lightly chilled (9 °C/48 °F) for all dark lagers, altbier and German wheat beers
Cellar temperature (13 °C/55 °F) for regular British ale, stout and most Belgian specialties
Room temperature (15.5 °C/60 °F) for strong dark ales (especially trappist beer) and barley wine

A room temperature of 60 degrees doesn’t happen anywhere in my house at almost any time of year, so I needed to find another option even for that. I ended up settling on three temperatures for my home storage. I have an under counter dual zone wine fridge that we built into our kitchen a few years back, so I am able to take advantage of some space in the side for whites (set at 54 degrees or so) and reds (right around 60-61 degrees). The other space I use is the regular old refrigerator.

With that setup, my methods are pretty simple. Any darker beers or beers with a higher alcohol content end up in the wine fridge on one side or the other. Lighter beers (in color and alcohol content) go in the regular refrigerator and sometimes I pull a beer out and let it warm a bit before opening it. It’s not a perfect system but it has some flexibility and it works well for me.

Even though cellaring and aging beer is something I have yet to get into, it is certainly worth a mention. Maybe when I work up enough will power to hold onto a worthwhile beer for a year or more before drinking it, I can revisit the subject with more expertise.

The same temperature rules apply as described above since storing at the optimal temperatures will ensure a longer shelf life for your beer. The only other opinion I have on long-term storage (having not really tried it) is that the beer should be stored in an upright position so any yeast will settle to the bottom and not somewhere in the middle of the bottle. Yeast collected in the middle will surely come out when you finally decide to pour that beer into a glass. Also, I would imagine that long-term contact with a cork (that some beers do have) would not help the flavor of the beer much. I guess when it comes down to it, I have never seen beer stored on its side in a store so I don’t think it should be done at home either.

My Tasting Ways - Buying

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Aug 122009

This is where I get to share with you what I think I know or at least my opinions on buying beer. Choosing which beer to buy is another process altogether and an ongoing topic of discussion for another day.

In general I look to three types of places for beer: grocery stores, warehouses, and locals. Each has strengths and weaknesses and each has a purpose in my beer world. Searching around is a good way to find what available options are out there in your area. My bullpen consists primarily of one warehouse, one local, and two different grocery stores depending on what I am looking for.

Good selection

The grocery stores are convenient for me since there are 6 or 7 within a 5 mile radius of my house. I could leave during halftime of the game and be back with cold beer in time for the second half kickoff. They provide the standard fare (with a few gems now and again) at a decent price. Sometimes I just need a cold Labatt Blue after mowing the lawn to make things right.

The warehouses (wine, liquor, beer mega stores) bring a large selection at usually low prices. If you have family or friends coming into town for a stay or are throwing a party, this is where you go. The selection provides something for everyone and if you need more than just beer, it’s great for one stop shopping. Not too long ago, I stopped in to such a place with Cousin Adam and Melissa just after picking them up at the airport to be sure that they (and I) would be comfortable during their stay.

The local places are my favorite and I happen to have a pretty good one close by (though not as close as the grocery stores). Each place tends to have something that the others do not and there can be a level of knowledge with those who work there that other places can’t match. The service is often fantastic, especially if you make yourself somewhat of a regular. If you find a good local, keep going and good beer recommendations will come your way.

The Internet can also be an option for your buying needs. Though not my thing, online buying is an option for those who are looking for something they just cant find near where they live. Even beer-of-the-month clubs can be a way to try new beer since the decisions are often made for you.

Tough decisions to be made

There is no way to leave price out of this discussion. Volume and quantity of beer can be a deciding factor at times, but don’t scoff at the idea of paying a little extra for beer once and a while. I have a few points that may make you think differently about what you are willing to pay for your brew.

If you are a person that buys and enjoys wine at home (which I do), take a moment to compare what you are willing to pay for wine versus what you spend on your beer. For this argument we will use a standard 750ml wine bottle for the comparison.

If you typically spend $10-$15 on a bottle of wine, I ask you to consider what you could pay for an equivalent bottle of really good beer. A 22oz bottle of beer is quite common and can/will run you $4-$9 or so. That volume is equal to roughly 650ml. I recently purchased a 25.4oz Jolly Pumpkin La Roja for about $13. That may seem high for a beer, but that volume is almost exactly the equivalent of the 750ml that you get in a bottle of wine.

I believe this comparison is valid because many of the beers I am talking about have complex flavors and aromas and are consumed in a similar way to wine (at a more relaxing pace for example). In fact, the La Roja’s suggested glassware (via Beeradvocate) is a flute or an oversized wine glass. Paying wine-like prices for equivalent volumes of good beer that you will enjoy doesn’t seem crazy to me.

My second point to consider regarding the price of beer involves what you pay for drinks when you are out at a bar, restaurant, etc. I am not at all suggesting that you stay at home all the time drinking beer alone in the dark. However, sometimes you don’t feel like going out and relaxing at home with a good beer sounds appealing.

I am fairly confident that you will pay $3 or $4 or $5 plus tip at a bar for just a domestic beer (it may be less at some places). If that is true, why would you not consider paying $8-$10 for a six-pack or $6-$8 for a 22oz beer? If alcohol content is your thing, you can even end up with a two for one there as well. You know what you will end up spending during a night out at the bar so there is no reason not to consider spending a fraction of that for a relaxing evening at home (with or without friends).

I suppose this has all been a somewhat long-winded way of saying that it necessary to shop around to get good beer and do not let price be the thing that scares you away from giving new brews a try. Price is always a factor, but should rarely be the ultimate decision maker.

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My Tasting Ways - Grading

My Tasting Ways - Overall Impressions

My Tasting Ways - Mouthfeel

My Tasting Ways - Flavor

My Tasting Ways - Aroma

My Tasting Ways - Appearance

My Tasting Ways - Pouring

My Tasting Ways - Glassware

My Tasting Ways - Storing

My Tasting Ways - Buying

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