HOLLYWOOD
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Greatest Beer Thread Ever!
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GunnyFreedom
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Aye, I know Boston Lager is not as heavily hopped, but the ones that do it to me do it in half a bottle. I can drink a 6 pack of Boston Lager without the effect. Lagers are my favorite by far, and I've never had one put my head in a vice that hadn't gone skunky.
I am less a fan of ale, but some I like. Newcastle Brown Ale is commercial mass produced but I like it. If I can't find what I am looking for I'll fall back in Newcastly since everyone has it. Not a fan of Heinekin, but it doesn't crack my head unless it's skunked.
As as to the IPAs that do it, the craft beers are more likely than mass produced to do it, so sadly, the better the IPA the more likely I will have a sledgehammer to the back of my head. Sierra Nevada I've had once a good while ago and it didn't hurt me, but you can never tell from a sample size of one. Could have been an anomaly.
And I love Gunness Stout.
HOWEVER you certainly rang one bell. Piney/citrus. I do believe there is a strong correlation between piney/citrus and the headaches. I am now recalling specifically an IPA I drank that was over the top with the pine-citrus and I was in agony within ¼ bottle. And the correlation I think holds. I am also guessing that craft IPAs are more likely to heavily lean on this variety than commercial? Would explain why the craftier the IPA, the more likely it seems I'll be destroying my liver as much with ibuprophen as I am with the alcohol.
I am less a fan of ale, but some I like. Newcastle Brown Ale is commercial mass produced but I like it. If I can't find what I am looking for I'll fall back in Newcastly since everyone has it. Not a fan of Heinekin, but it doesn't crack my head unless it's skunked.
As as to the IPAs that do it, the craft beers are more likely than mass produced to do it, so sadly, the better the IPA the more likely I will have a sledgehammer to the back of my head. Sierra Nevada I've had once a good while ago and it didn't hurt me, but you can never tell from a sample size of one. Could have been an anomaly.
And I love Gunness Stout.
HOWEVER you certainly rang one bell. Piney/citrus. I do believe there is a strong correlation between piney/citrus and the headaches. I am now recalling specifically an IPA I drank that was over the top with the pine-citrus and I was in agony within ¼ bottle. And the correlation I think holds. I am also guessing that craft IPAs are more likely to heavily lean on this variety than commercial? Would explain why the craftier the IPA, the more likely it seems I'll be destroying my liver as much with ibuprophen as I am with the alcohol.
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GunnyFreedom
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More I think about it, the more I think that's it. The more piney citrus it is the more likely I'll end up in agony.
Skunked beer will do it too, but IIRC skunked beer gives lots of people headaches.
Skunked beer will do it too, but IIRC skunked beer gives lots of people headaches.
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Origanalist
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It's baaaaaaack!!
Yeesh.....
Origanalist
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Aye, I know Boston Lager is not as heavily hopped, but the ones that do it to me do it in half a bottle. I can drink a 6 pack of Boston Lager without the effect. Lagers are my favorite by far, and I've never had one put my head in a vice that hadn't gone skunky.
I am less a fan of ale, but some I like. Newcastle Brown Ale is commercial mass produced but I like it. If I can't find what I am looking for I'll fall back in Newcastly since everyone has it. Not a fan of Heinekin, but it doesn't crack my head unless it's skunked.
As as to the IPAs that do it, the craft beers are more likely than mass produced to do it, so sadly, the better the IPA the more likely I will have a sledgehammer to the back of my head. Sierra Nevada I've had once a good while ago and it didn't hurt me, but you can never tell from a sample size of one. Could have been an anomaly.
And I love Gunness Stout.
HOWEVER you certainly rang one bell. Piney/citrus. I do believe there is a strong correlation between piney/citrus and the headaches. I am now recalling specifically an IPA I drank that was over the top with the pine-citrus and I was in agony within ¼ bottle. And the correlation I think holds. I am also guessing that craft IPAs are more likely to heavily lean on this variety than commercial? Would explain why the craftier the IPA, the more likely it seems I'll be destroying my liver as much with ibuprophen as I am with the alcohol.
That's a damn shame Gunny. But bourbon is always good in my book too.
And I love Gunness Stout.
I've always said, If I lived in Ireland I'd weigh about 400 lbs and I'd have to be wheeled to the pub on a hand truck
Sounds like you should stay away from "American Pale Ales" especially those brewed on the West Coast as the Cascade Piney/Citrus hop note is pretty much considered part of the style's flavor profile.
And yes, the smaller "craftier" Brewers are more likely to (over)use that hop variety or similar cousins Centennial and Columbus.
Someone else said earlier in the thread that BALANCE is the most important thing and I couldn't agree more.
Re: Heineken, it's ALWAYS Skunky, (Industry euphemism: Euro-note), it's only a matter of degree
It's baaaaaaack!!
Might go good with some Boone's Farm *perhaps I'm dating myself).
Tried this beer this week in St Lucia, it's pretty damn good
You're kidding, right??
1st tipoff: clear bottle
GunnyFreedom
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Well, you clearly seem to be the expert here; I would LOVE to find a rich lager that was extraordinarily hoppy, but avoids the Cascade hops that seem to be the headache-makers for me. Something like that might even become my go-to beer over my current go-to Boston Lager. Even though I have always preferred lagers, I'd be open to Ales and Pilsners too.
So I'm very interested in trying some of the hoppiest beers around that avoid the Cascade hops.
Origanalist
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Not too much, I remember the girls drinking that stuff.
Suzanimal
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In celebration, I will pick up some fancy beer at the store today. My husband usually hates it when I buy beer (I always get whatevers cheapest) but today I'll splurge. Any suggestions???
American Craft Beer Week
http://www.craftbeer.com/news-and-events/american-craft-beer-week/acbw-news
American Craft Beer Week
http://www.craftbeer.com/news-and-events/american-craft-beer-week/acbw-news
GunnyFreedom
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depends on what he likes. lagers ales pilsners, hoppy less hoppy, strong mild,
Suzanimal
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I know he likes the hoppy stuff (he always makes me try it, he's hoping I'll "acquire a taste for it" - it takes a whole box of wine to wash the taste of that shit outta my mouth) and dark stuff (he orders Guinness when he sees it on draft).
How about something not hoppy or dark?
GunnyFreedom
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I know he likes the hoppy stuff (he always makes me try it, he's hoping I'll "acquire a taste for it" - it takes a whole box of wine to wash the taste of that shit outta my mouth) and dark stuff (he orders Guinness when he sees it on draft).
How about something not hoppy or dark?
I'll leave it to francisco the expert to suggest a non-dark non-hoppy beer that a dark hoppy beer drinker might like
Suzanimal
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I don't want to spoil him.
I think I'll get something not dark or hoppy from Sweetwater, he's ordered that brand before and it's made in Atlanta - I remember that 'cuz he went on and on about it one night. See, I listen. He'll like it more if it's something I'll drink too.
Root
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Suz, I don't know what brands you have distributed nearby, but in terms of style I really enjoy Belgian Witbier or White Ale (pass on the Blue Moon). A Belgian Tripel would be another lighter colored, not too hoppy style.
A lot of craft brewers now sell 12 pack variety packs where you can get 3-4 different styles in one box. Let us know how you make you! Cheers!
A lot of craft brewers now sell 12 pack variety packs where you can get 3-4 different styles in one box. Let us know how you make you! Cheers!
Suzanimal
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I took your advice and bought a SweetWater "Tackle box" it has several different IPA's and some other flavors of beer. I'm pretty sure the man will enjoy the surprise and will enjoy making me taste all the crap in it.
GunnyFreedom
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I have had a standard informal foodstuffs arrangement with every woman I've ever dated: 1) neither can claim to hate something that they have never tried, and 2) neither can try to compel the other to eat/drink anything that they hate. It's always seemed to work perfectly.
TheGrinch
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I grew up a craft beer brat and am in the industry, so I can elaborate on this.
The difference between the more mass-produced brands and the smaller breweries is that once a brewery gets to a certain size, they begin have more of a mindset towards mass-marketability (meaning less offensive tastes that satisfy a broader range of palates). Fortunately, in the craft beer industry, this doesn't typically mean they go the McDonalds and macro-beer way, of cheap ingredients and fillers and too bland of taste... And in many cases, they still have beers that can satisfy those with "bigger" taste palates as well of course.
It is not cascade hops that are offensive to you. It is the american style pale ales, IPAs, even a lot of reds and some other styles, where they use an abundance of hops that are high in alpha-acids, which contribute to the perceived bitterness and hop flavor. However, there are plenty within these style categories that provide more flavoring hops (achieved by putting them in later in the brew) as opposed to too many bittering hops (typically higher alpha acid and put in at beginning stages of brew).
Perhaps it is the high-alpha acids that give you a headache, but it might also be because these styles are typically very unbalanced towards the hop side (this is because "hopheads" such as myself have acquired the taste to not even really be able to taste smaller amounts of hops). I know people who actually get headaches from too much on the hops, but still love balanced hoppy beers (meaning that it has plenty of malts, which typically provide any sweetness and body, but with specialty grains also account for a variety of non-hop flavors you find in beer, like coffee, chocolate, roasty or caramel notes).
A few great balanced IPAs that are so balanced I almost don't consider IPAs because they're not so hop-forward are Bell's Two Hearted and Dogfish Head 60 & 90 minute.
There are certainly also plenty of other style categories that may be far more up your alley, but I'll have to delve into that later. Continue to try beers, and let me and others know what you like and we'll get you on the right path to finding new great ones. Have you tried Belgians yet? I loved dealing in them, because they aren't offensive to anyone (why Anheiser Busch bought Goose Island), even if the fruity esters aren't everyone's thing.
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