Ramblings

I know I said I was going to comment on beer seasons next, but I've been getting some questions, so I just thought I'd just ramble today and, perhaps, answer some of them.

First off, my 1300th different beer is a Samuel Adams Cold Snap, appropriate for today. The label says it's an unfiltered white ale brewed with spices. Pretty good! The spices include orange peel, plum, pepper and colander. I thinks it's an A. I'll buy it again, soon.

When I taste a beer, I'm not necessarily judging it against other beers but more against the standard of the beer style. It's kind of like a dog show. The boxer is not judged against the collie but against the boxer standard. When I refuse to answer the question of my favorite beer (a previous post), the follow up I get is, well, what's your favorite beer style? Again, I am vague.  I will readily admit I prefer a beer that is balanced, but, I am more a malt head than a hop head. That is, very hoppy beers, generally, I rank lower than less hoppy beers.  BUT, beer styles are like people and music; there are good and not so good in all categories. Everybody has a different sense of taste, which is why I refrain from recommending a great beer. It may not taste great to others.

My wife and I are a mixed marriage, she likes grapes and I like hops. Still we get along. I tell her that beer is a much better bet. Wine is grapes, period. Sure sometimes other fruit is used, but, by and large, it's grapes. The taste of the wine, I'm told, is determined by the region of where the grapes are grown and the weather in that region at the time. Beer is water, barley malt, hops and yeast and then anything else you want to add! Chocolate? Dump it in. Fruit and/or vegetables? Add it. Want to burn the hops? Do it. Make it from wheat? Nice change! Add corn to raise profit margins? Accepted practice of the big boys. Nothing wrong with it, I guess, but it sure doesn't add flavor. Add spices? Yep. Beer ingredients are limited only by the imagination. Admittedly, I have wondered, "did anyone taste this before it went to market?".
But, someone must have liked it.

Finally, I was asked why I don't explain more about beer styles and beer term that I use.  That is what Google is for. If you are interested, seek out that which interests you. I don't want to bore the masses. A great source of that type of info is beeradvocate.com.   Cheers!