BEER !

Beer’s great, I love it. I’m not a snob about it, but I know what I like and what I don’t and why.  In my opinion, we all should know the what and why (otherwise life is all a bit pointless isn’t it).  If your interested in beer please read on, if you’re not you’re probably looking in the wrong place.

Mass produced versus Small and niche.

Let me get this straight, there’s nothing wrong with mass produced beers if that’s what you like, there are some that I like too. Mass produced beers only work because people either: like them; are used to them and not interested in putting in the effort to find something else; or are simply scared of the unknown. I too succumb to these attitudes and will quite happily go for something I know well on occasion, rather than stress my pallet with something I don’t. 

Small and niche isn’t always better.  There are some beers that although popular, not necessarily bad drinks but just don’t appeal to my pallet (although sometimes there are horrible monstrosities that sneak through the net).  The good thing about the small producers is that they are innovative and small batches allow experimentation with tastes that the big boys simply can’t risk doing without trashing their heavily invested image. Investment in a new beer for a tiny four barrel brewery is relatively small in the scheme of things whereas a big boy brewer producing millions of litres a year, can little afford to get it wrong and have a beer that few want.

Dark Versus Light

There is no argument here, it's not one versus the other, its both in equal mesure. I love the whole gammate of beers, infact I haven't yet found a style I dont like.  Subtle session pales to beltingly strong dark imperials I like to try them all and judge each on its own merrit.  Quite regularly there's a beer I dont like, it doesn't appeal to me.  But that doesen't mean its a bad beer.  

So what is a bad beer ?

We're not talking beer thats gone off or brewing faults or other nasties, but beer that is simply overprocessed, that has flavours dampened down or removed, that has no character, a beer that is not about what it's made from or has no care about where its from.  There's lots out there, doesn't mean I wont drink them just means I'll try and avoid them. 

So that's beer in general.  More posts to come including: Beer Tasting, Beer styles, and reviews of beers I try.   

Leave a comment

Please note, comments must be approved before they are published