Comments on: Beer styles continue to befuddle… http://www.beerscribe.com/2009/08/10/beer-styles-continue-to-befuddle/ Dedicated to the art, complexity, and business of beer... Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:23:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Eliot Butler http://www.beerscribe.com/2009/08/10/beer-styles-continue-to-befuddle/comment-page-1/#comment-598 Eliot Butler Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:38:49 +0000 http://www.beerscribe.com/2009/08/10/beer-styles-continue-to-befuddle/#comment-598 I have also been confused about porters versus stouts-I was originally "taught" that porter was distinct from stouts (not including imperial stouts!) by virtue of being heavier/higher gravity but have heard/seen/read/tasted many contradictions to this in my twenty years in the beer world. I have also been confused about porters versus stouts-I was originally “taught” that porter was distinct from stouts (not including imperial stouts!) by virtue of being heavier/higher gravity but have heard/seen/read/tasted many contradictions to this in my twenty years in the beer world.

]]> By: Andy http://www.beerscribe.com/2009/08/10/beer-styles-continue-to-befuddle/comment-page-1/#comment-597 Andy Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:33:21 +0000 http://www.beerscribe.com/2009/08/10/beer-styles-continue-to-befuddle/#comment-597 And thanks to you good folks at the various Dane locations for brewing good beer I have long enjoyed (including a decidedly not traditional yet delicious Tri Pepper Pils...) And thanks to you good folks at the various Dane locations for brewing good beer I have long enjoyed (including a decidedly not traditional yet delicious Tri Pepper Pils…)

]]> By: Eliot Butler http://www.beerscribe.com/2009/08/10/beer-styles-continue-to-befuddle/comment-page-1/#comment-596 Eliot Butler Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:30:04 +0000 http://www.beerscribe.com/2009/08/10/beer-styles-continue-to-befuddle/#comment-596 Thanks for the compliment Andy- good luck completing the book. Thanks for the compliment Andy- good luck completing the book.

]]> By: Andy http://www.beerscribe.com/2009/08/10/beer-styles-continue-to-befuddle/comment-page-1/#comment-595 Andy Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:04:30 +0000 http://www.beerscribe.com/2009/08/10/beer-styles-continue-to-befuddle/#comment-595 Hi Eliot and welcome. Well for one in my book I abandon any view that a British pale ale actually exists. To my view there is no distinction to be drawn between BPA's and Bitters (of any stripe). And while modern IPA's have more of everything, that wasn't always the case. As to the pilsners, I'm not sure I agree fully with Ron but I don't think your take is quite definitive either. Although I believe I had an excellent German version at your Wausau pub a month or two back when I was in town... Cheers, Andy Hi Eliot and welcome. Well for one in my book I abandon any view that a British pale ale actually exists. To my view there is no distinction to be drawn between BPA’s and Bitters (of any stripe). And while modern IPA’s have more of everything, that wasn’t always the case. As to the pilsners, I’m not sure I agree fully with Ron but I don’t think your take is quite definitive either. Although I believe I had an excellent German version at your Wausau pub a month or two back when I was in town…

Cheers,

Andy

]]> By: Eliot Butler http://www.beerscribe.com/2009/08/10/beer-styles-continue-to-befuddle/comment-page-1/#comment-594 Eliot Butler Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:59:04 +0000 http://www.beerscribe.com/2009/08/10/beer-styles-continue-to-befuddle/#comment-594 I look forward to seeing how you make sense of the confusing world of beer styles. American brewers definitely add to the confusion-and I don't consider this a bad thing at all! I would say an APA is hoppier than a stardard British pale-see Seirra Nevada and Anchor Liberty for two original definitive versions. IPAs have more of everything than an IPA-(gravity, hops, etc). As far as Pilsners- the Czech versions are hoppier and a bit bigger than the German style. I look forward to seeing how you make sense of the confusing world of beer styles. American brewers definitely add to the confusion-and I don’t consider this a bad thing at all! I would say an APA is hoppier than a stardard British pale-see Seirra Nevada and Anchor Liberty for two original definitive versions. IPAs have more of everything than an IPA-(gravity, hops, etc). As far as Pilsners- the Czech versions are hoppier and a bit bigger than the German style.

]]> By: Jim Dorsch http://www.beerscribe.com/2009/08/10/beer-styles-continue-to-befuddle/comment-page-1/#comment-593 Jim Dorsch Fri, 14 Aug 2009 02:00:17 +0000 http://www.beerscribe.com/2009/08/10/beer-styles-continue-to-befuddle/#comment-593 I suppose Michael Jackson introduced many of us to beer styles back in the '80s. In the World Guide, he tied styles to geographic areas, history and cultures. This was useful and appropriate. Michael (who posted above, not Michael Jackson!) mentioned two uses for styles. I would add that rigidly defined styles are useful for homebrewers to learn how to hit specific flavor and analytical targets when they brew a beer. Unfortunately, this mindset seems to have leaked into other realms of the beer world. I suppose Michael Jackson introduced many of us to beer styles back in the ’80s. In the World Guide, he tied styles to geographic areas, history and cultures. This was useful and appropriate.

Michael (who posted above, not Michael Jackson!) mentioned two uses for styles. I would add that rigidly defined styles are useful for homebrewers to learn how to hit specific flavor and analytical targets when they brew a beer. Unfortunately, this mindset seems to have leaked into other realms of the beer world.

]]> By: Andy http://www.beerscribe.com/2009/08/10/beer-styles-continue-to-befuddle/comment-page-1/#comment-592 Andy Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:21:17 +0000 http://www.beerscribe.com/2009/08/10/beer-styles-continue-to-befuddle/#comment-592 Hello everyone and thanks for chiming in on this little break from the book. @Michael I've written similarly here and in past books and generally agree. In putting together this project, I think I've come to a slight corollary to rule 2. Hopefully without sounding too relativistic, beer styles are what we make of them, not so much as individuals but as a society (however that is defined). If we expect a certain style to taste a specific way and there are enough versions (or a powerful singular example) of it to have created that shared perception, that is perhaps the most important service and definition of a style. And while nerds such as Ron, myself, and others can geek out over historical numbers, this is probably a really out-dated way of looking at styles. While relying heavily upon styles as I define them (with touches of history where properly flushed out by Ron and others, but mainly directed by this collective approach) in my new book, I focus more on grouping beers by common flavors and how novice drinkers will achieve better success than memorizing style histories. Cheers, Andy Hello everyone and thanks for chiming in on this little break from the book. @Michael I’ve written similarly here and in past books and generally agree. In putting together this project, I think I’ve come to a slight corollary to rule 2. Hopefully without sounding too relativistic, beer styles are what we make of them, not so much as individuals but as a society (however that is defined). If we expect a certain style to taste a specific way and there are enough versions (or a powerful singular example) of it to have created that shared perception, that is perhaps the most important service and definition of a style. And while nerds such as Ron, myself, and others can geek out over historical numbers, this is probably a really out-dated way of looking at styles. While relying heavily upon styles as I define them (with touches of history where properly flushed out by Ron and others, but mainly directed by this collective approach) in my new book, I focus more on grouping beers by common flavors and how novice drinkers will achieve better success than memorizing style histories.

Cheers,

Andy

]]> By: Ron Pattinson http://www.beerscribe.com/2009/08/10/beer-styles-continue-to-befuddle/comment-page-1/#comment-591 Ron Pattinson Wed, 12 Aug 2009 06:46:06 +0000 http://www.beerscribe.com/2009/08/10/beer-styles-continue-to-befuddle/#comment-591 Scottish beer styles. They don't really exist, either. All that 60/-, 70/-, 80/- nonsense. I'm in Scotland currently looking at records in the Scottish Brewing Archive. Maclays brewed a 54/- Mild and a 54/- PA. Scottish beer styles. They don’t really exist, either. All that 60/-, 70/-, 80/- nonsense. I’m in Scotland currently looking at records in the Scottish Brewing Archive. Maclays brewed a 54/- Mild and a 54/- PA.

]]> By: Ron Pattinson http://www.beerscribe.com/2009/08/10/beer-styles-continue-to-befuddle/comment-page-1/#comment-590 Ron Pattinson Wed, 12 Aug 2009 06:43:16 +0000 http://www.beerscribe.com/2009/08/10/beer-styles-continue-to-befuddle/#comment-590 I know the feeling. I couldn't find anything that definitively differentiated Old Ale from Barley Wine. Except that Old Ale is usually dark. My list of British beer styles is pretty damn short: Pale Ale Mild Strong Ale Porter Brown Ale And as for Czech Pilsner, that doesn't exist at all. Apart from Pilsner Urquell. I know the feeling. I couldn’t find anything that definitively differentiated Old Ale from Barley Wine. Except that Old Ale is usually dark.

My list of British beer styles is pretty damn short:

Pale Ale
Mild
Strong Ale
Porter
Brown Ale

And as for Czech Pilsner, that doesn’t exist at all. Apart from Pilsner Urquell.

]]> By: Gareth http://www.beerscribe.com/2009/08/10/beer-styles-continue-to-befuddle/comment-page-1/#comment-589 Gareth Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:32:16 +0000 http://www.beerscribe.com/2009/08/10/beer-styles-continue-to-befuddle/#comment-589 I got a kick out of this "beer style" the other week - Big-Ass Pilsner. I got a kick out of this “beer style” the other week – Big-Ass Pilsner.

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