|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
Posting here on suggestion of inmate. I'm not much into wine, but there are other things.I'm just getting into pale ales-hick! I like Arcadia and Sierra Nevada, so far.
Right now, I'm tasting a Tire Biter Ale. Not that great. I bought it 'cause it was labeled "bitter" ale. Guess they were reading challenged at the store. The label says it's a Kolsch, whatever that is.The two bottled ESBs I'm familiar with are Fuller's and Arcadia. I much prefer the Arcadia. Seems to me the ESBs are more yeasty than the Pale Ales. Not too great if I'm having more than one--or two. Yeast begins to rise, urp!
And how come I've yet to find a bottled bitter ale close to what I've had on tap in London?
Any recommendations for Pale Ales or ESBs?
Follow Ups:
Lots of other suds lovers out there. For now, sticking with Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Some of the mentioned brews I'd like to find, not likely around here though.I'm trying to get into wines now. A bit easier on the waist line, I hope.
lagunitas ipa and maximator,wolavers organic pale ale,
Sierra Nevada is a particular hoppy pale ale. If you want to get a bit more hops into an ESB at a budget price get some Red Hook which is OK and the Sierra and blend them in your mug. Half and Half or Black and Tan is an old English custom. What I recently tasted and thought was very nice and very true to form was a Belgium style ale made in NY state. Sorry I can't remember the name but it is a $4 to $5 a 750ml retail and really up there with Chimay. The ales made by the Trappist monks and a few in England are the finest brews I have ever had and do improve with age like fine wine. Hardy's is a treat. I do love the Sam Smith's and like the fine Jamacian brew Dragon Stout which drinks like a Taddy Porter. Best buy might be Pete's Wicked Ale. Also there are some great hard apple and pear ciders out there on tap that are a refreshing break in the middle of an ale tasting. I was in the wine business and when I would take trips to the wine country in Ca. I would return to Texas with beer I couldn't get here. Now a lot of them are available here and there are bars with 50+ brews in keg and hundreds in bottle. The first brewmasters were women, because it is liquid bread. I like pumpernikle myself.
David Thatcher
The brewery in New York is called Ommegang, and their beers are very good if you like belgians. Of course if you are interested in Pale Ales (my favorite!), then you don't want the ommegang beers.
Try Red Seal ale or Acme IPA from North Coast Brewing in Mendocino Ca, they are truly world class. And their Rasputin imperial stout is better than Samuel Smiths!
carter in orlando
Here's a link to a WI microbrewery that has excellent offerings. Hop Hearty Ale and Dan's Best Bitter would be of particular interest, if you can locate them.
If your in the Northeast there are several favorites to look for.Yards brewery in Manyunk, PA. They make great, hoppy English style ales. The bottled stuff hasn't impressed anywhere near as well as the cast conditioned stuff. Lots of great, small bars in the Philly area have it on tap.
Flying Fish Brewery in Cherry Hill, NJ. More nice English ales and happy hoppy brews. Flying Fish is pretty good in the bottle, too.
Stoudt's Brewery (somewhere several hours to the west of Philly) is just a great small brewery. I've only had their offerings in bottles and it NEVER fails to impress. Their brewer is a very talented soul. One of these days I hope to make a trip to their brewery to sample their offerings on tap.
Oh yeah, the Middle Ages Brewing Company in Syracuse (sp?) NY. I sampled two of their offerings in a brewfest in Upstate NY serveral years ago and was absolutely blown away. One was the creamiest ESB that has ever crossed my lips. Lordy, lordy, lordy it was fabulous! Needless to say they were out of samples long before the rest of the exhibitors.
I'm still looking for some place in PA or NJ that stocks the Middle Ages stuff. It was REALLY lovely.
From England: Speckled Hen ESB. Its pretty special even in a bottle.Yeah, ESB's are a wonderful thing...
Deschutes' Mirror Pond Pale Ale. Very hoppy, may be the best brew I ever had?Pretty much anything by Deschutes is very good (the Cascade Ale is only OK), although the Mirror Pond and their Black Butte Porter stand out. The Bachelor ESB is nice, although for some reason my wife has a problem with the name . . .
as well as the other beers they produce. Some of the best beer you can get in a bottle IMHO.Of course I brew my own (Smoky Chocolate Porter bottled just last weekend - yummy I hope).
Enjoy,
Bob
ESB = extra-special bitters. A bitters is a bitter ale, it comes in many strengths, from weak strong to special to extra-special. ESB is pretty strong usually. Bitter ales are brewed with lots of hops and very lightly malted barleys.A pale ale is less hoppy, and usually not that strong. IPA stands for
India Pale Ale, it was made originally for export, with more alcohol and hops, so it would last longer for shipment.A good ale is a good ale, "weak" is a statement of alcoholic strenght, they can taste really quite good, ditto the ESB.
If you don't like bitter beer, though, you may like Pale Ale better than an ESB :)
JJ
I like a strong bitter beer or ale. There's some taste, though, in the bottled ESBs I've had that turns me off. There is a similar taste in the "Hen's Tooth Ale". I assumed it was the yeast. Maybe it's the hops or a kind of hops. Could be something else. Don't get that taste in the IPA type ales.
It could be yeast, it could be contamination (yeast that is), it could be "skunked" which is what you get when UV hits hop extract ...
JJ
Not sure. Reminds me slightly of butyric acid. Slightly rancid, I guess. Sour with an unpleasant background.
That's what sunlight damage sounds like. Heat can do it, and so can some kinds of chemicals that are allowed to get into beer before it's canned. Overcanning will do it too.
JJ
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors: