There are many happy-hour discussions that go on within the mybeerbuzz Friday Happy Hour team, and a topic that always seems to come up again and again, is Beer Style. My friend Tom suggested that there are styles of beer that people enjoy with every sip, but also beer styles that challenge the palate…so I thought I’d check in with all of you to see what you think.
It’s amazing to me to hear what styles people love and what styles people hate, especially as their “hates” overlap my “likes” and their “likes” overlap my “hates.” It’s also fun to see where people are willing to bend their boundaries and challenge that dislike in a positive way….and this is today’s topic. What styles of beer do you find challenging, what is it about that style you find to be “difficult,” and have you been able to find a brew in that style that you do find something redeeming about??
Of course I’ll be happy to go first…and while this is a fairly broadly stroked beer “style,” my “challenging style” is the traditional American Lager. Now I know this may sound too easy…but hear me out…
American Lagers or American Adjunct Lagers are an all too common beer-tradition in the states. Walk into any bar and ask for nothing more than a “beer” and 99.9% of the time you’ll get an American Lager. Whether it be Bud, Coors, Miller or something else…In most parts of the US the word “beer” equals an American Lager. (Ironically enough if you walk into a bar in the Mid-Atlantic and eastern states and ask for a “lager” you’ll get a Yuengling).
Lagers have always been a challenge for me and I’m not sure why…so lets figure it out together. Whether it comes from an actual flavor, feel, smell or other sensory input or whether it comes from a bad association of what “beer taste” meant to me in my pre-craft beer days, I still struggle with Lagers… But purely in the name of “science” I actually have a can of traditional American Lager in front of me…so lets see what gives…
I won’t give up the specific brew I’m tasting, but I will say it’s a pretty solid example of the style American Lager. Color is a pale golden straw hue, and the look is decidedly filtered and carbonated. The aroma is a crisp malty light caramel with something else (more later). The body is light and somewhat watery and the finish is crisp & clean….and the taste….well let’s just say…”Let the Challenge Begin.”
It’s not so much of a “dislike” feeling the overall impression of this beer invokes, but a somewhat unnecessary feeling. There's nothing particularly pleasing about this beer, so my immediate reaction is that this drink is unnecessary…or not worthy of the limited belly space I may have. Now I know that sounds silly (and perhaps a little beer-snobby), but in simpler terms, why not leave room for a beverage you actually enjoy instead of filling up with one you don’t. Why fill your belly with lunch meat, when lobster is available (this of course assumes you love Lobster and don’t really love ham.)
But why is this beer a challenge to me when more American Lagers are sold in the US than any other style…..what the hell is wrong with me? So lets taste it again…new glass, fresh pour…here we go. So there “IT” is. I mentioned above “something else” in the aroma…and it’s there again. Ultimately I think it’s the aroma and flavor of caramel malts that I find so unappealing. It’s a sweetness…make that an odd sweetness that seems out of balance in a beer. Where’s the delicate sweet malt / bitter hop balance that I crave? Where’s the complexity or interesting depth that I enjoy? They’re simply not there…and in their absence that malty sweetness becomes what my palate perceives as a sickeningly-sweet almost artificial/chemical taste….and that’s unfortunately what lingers on my palate and challenges my taste buds.
Now I know “American Lager” is a pretty broadly brushed stroke, so let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater here. Knowing that I am challenged by Lagers, my friends (especially Tom) have taken on the challenge to find some that I DO actually enjoy…and I’ll say they have been somewhat successful. While it’s fun to hear what beer styles people dislike and why, the whole point of this article is to break out of that funk, figure out what you don’t like about that style, and maybe challenge your palate to find an example brew you DO like.
For me the answer lies in identifying what I DO like in a beer and sampling some other examples of lagers. Stepping outside of the technical definition of American Lager I actually have found a few examples of both locally/fresh lager-styled beers, and more complex lager-styles that I do enjoy. First off my thanks to Guy Hagner for pushing my lager-boundaries (and brewing some great German-styled lagers that I find really pleasing) and to Leo, Darrel, Bob and all the guys at the Lion Brewery for pushing out some really interesting/complex seasonal lagers that I enjoy. Their talents combined with some interesting lager-styles that gain complexity, body and flavor, have not only made for some really belly-space worthy beers but also a great learning experience for me. Challenging beer styles can and should create an opportunity to learn more about beer and possibly even an opportunity to find a new beer you really enjoy….so get out there and start experimenting.
Challenging beer styles are not a dead end and you should never think of them in that way. Think of it as an intersection and not a dead-end…and choose to turn left or right rather than making a beer-style U-turn. Love what you drink and drink what you love…but always keep an open mind.
Have you hit a crossroad in your beer-style challenge? Whether it’s a sour ale, a dark stout, a smoky-Rauchbier or even a sweet Lambic…let us know. What beer style challenges you and why? And perhaps more importantly, did you find a way beyond that challenge to experience a new style and new flavor that you may return to in the future?? Click on the comments below and join in the discussion!
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