[sharkz]

Doug, thats quite a haul. Bourbon County is among the tops on my list of beers to taste. I love bourbon aged beers!
 
Working on planning a trip to Chicago for the fall. Hopefully I can fit Goose Island onto my schedule.

 

[Emlost]

There are some ways to gain experience with identifying production flaws other than the Cicerone program.  One is by looking for a local group that is conducting the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) classes and signing up for them.  You don't even need to take the BJCP test at the end but just attend the classes which always include an off flavor/aroma identification session and you also get to taste beers that are considered to be classic examples of the various styles.  There is however usually a small fee to participate as they have to purchase the beers that you taste.  As a bonus you'll learn about the process of brewing the beer.
 
The buttery (diacetyl) off flavor is actually related to how long the beer is allowed to ferment on the yeast rather than too high fermentation temperature.  All yeast produces diacetyl and also re-absorbs it given enough time to do so.  Too low of a fermentation temperature actually increases the time it takes the yeast to reabsorb diacetyl.  You usually encounter this when the brewer is inexperienced if a brewery is rushing the fermentation to produce more beer to meet demand.
 
A fermentation temperature that is too high will increase the yeast's production of esters (fruity flavor/aroma).  Some of which can be unpleasant at higher temps.
 
Was that too much information?  I'm not sure if anyone here is really looking for this kind of technical info.
 
 

 

[daigo]

Good info there, Emlost.  Especially for setting me straight on the diacetyl. 

 

[Eee Pee]

Quote:

Was that too much information?  I'm not sure if anyone here is really looking for this kind of technical info.

Share away, man, more info the better. 

 

[Emlost]

I attended a Siebel Institute seminar on off flavors like 15 years ago and it was an eye opening experience.  What they do is take a very bland beer like Miller and present you with 6 samples of it, if I remember right, that are each spiked with one of the major off flavors and one sample that is unadulterated. 
 
It was one of those moments when I realized that a lot of the beer I'd been drinking were not being produced the way they should be.
 
It also teaches you that everyone's palate is different and most people have one or two off flavors that they have trouble perceiving and one or two that they are hyper sensitive to.  Mine were the solvent like flavors which I really can't detect at all and Diacetyl (buttery) and Aldehyde (green apple) which I swear I can sometimes smell from the glass of the person standing next to me.
 
I've got to tell you that being able to recognize off flavors can be a bit of a curse because of how many beers have some type of flaw.  It also makes you really appreciate a well crafted beer where there is balance between the various flavors and no off flavors.

 

[keanex]

Quote:

I attended a Siebel Institute seminar on off flavors like 15 years ago and it was an eye opening experience.  What they do is take a very bland beer like Miller and present you with 6 samples of it, if I remember right, that are each spiked with one of the major off flavors and one sample that is unadulterated. 
 
It was one of those moments when I realized that a lot of the beer I'd been drinking were not being produced the way they should be.
 
It also teaches you that everyone's palate is different and most people have one or two off flavors that they have trouble perceiving and one or two that they are hyper sensitive to.  Mine were the solvent like flavors which I really can't detect at all and Diacetyl (buttery) and Aldehyde (green apple) which I swear I can sometimes smell from the glass of the person standing next to me.
 
I've got to tell you that being able to recognize off flavors can be a bit of a curse because of how many beers have some type of flaw.  It also makes you really appreciate a well crafted beer where there is balance between the various flavors and no off flavors.

I never had a problem with heavily hopped IPAs until someone described one as onion. I forget the hop that causes this but one of the varietals or blends causes an onion like flavor to me which I found most prominently in Founders Double Trouble which ruined the beer for me.

 

[Emlost]

A friend of mine who is the brew master at Fatheads here in the Cleveland area describes certain hops as garlicky.  Definitely not a desirable quality in your beer.  And this is someone who knows about hop flavor having won the IPA championship in 2010 and 2012 not to mention GABF silver medal in 2010 and bronze in 2011 to mention a few.
 
I really like the piny and resinous hop varieties especially Simcoe, while I'm not a big fan of Citra which has come on the scene recently.

 

[Il Mostro]

Strand Brewery Black IPA is pretty effin' wonderful, straddling Porter & IPA.  A beer that starts arguments over what it really is.  And that's fine.  Had it at their tap room and brought a couple of growlers home for the next day.  Absolutely delicious whatever you decide to call it. Also notable, in the bottle, is Ballast Point Sculpin -- pretty much perfect IPA. Picked up my quota of Pliny The Elder last week -- always a treat. I am so happy to live in California, ground zero for good IPA.

 

[Deep Funk]

For today I drank a beer called La Chouffe...

 

[Ultrainferno]

Quote:

For today I drank a beer called La Chouffe...

Those are getting very popular!

 

[Locknar]

I've been all about the Belgian beers lately. Quality > Quantity! My current favorite is La Fin Du Monde (The End Of The World). Great beer (9%) and great name for a band.
 

J

 

[Ultrainferno]

Quote:

I've been all about the Belgian beers lately. Quality > Quantity! My current favorite is La Fin Du Monde (The End Of The World). Great beer (9%) and great name for a band.
 

J

That's a Canadian Beer, no? Belgian Style

 

[Deep Funk]

The Springtij from Texel is also very tasty. 
 
La Chouffe has been a favourite for a while but I only drink it if my stomach is up for it. On a light stomach it gets to you fast...

 

[Locknar]

Quote:

I've been all about the Belgian beers lately. Quality > Quantity! My current favorite is La Fin Du Monde (The End Of The World). Great beer (9%) and great name for a band.
 

J

 


Quote:

That's a Canadian Beer, no? Belgian Style

 
Thanks for clearing that up for everyone. Let me rephrase: "I've been all about the Belgian STYLE beers lately", particularly "La Fin Du Monde", which is from Canada. Will that suffice?
 

J
 

 

[Ultrainferno]

Well I didn't mean to be a pita but there do is a difference between Belgian Style Beer and Belgian Beer
I wish I could try your american/canadian beers here in Belgium, not that we need more beer, but I'm sure each country has some very nice ones