This is TOTALLY a "general discussion." Talkin' about beer.

[Atman]

I live in Connecticut. I used to live in Florida, and I recall the excitement when my rocket-scientist NASA father would come home with cases of Coors, smuggled into the state sealed in cases of rocket parts. The allure of "forbidden beer" overrode the actual quality of the product, although I do say, the original, real Coors wasn't as bad as the shit they peddle today. But I digress.

I'm talking about Yuengling, that crazy ol' Pennsylvania beer loved and hated by so many.

It's been a big deal here, Yuengling is now available in Connecticut. I remember trying a can of it five or six years ago, and it was horrible. Absolute pisswater. But it was in a can (never drink beer from a can) and it had been smuggled in, so proper refrigeration was probably not considered. But this new stuff, what they're selling now...damn! The "Traditional Lager" is good! Amber, rich flavor. At least in the bottles. I've had it on tap, too, and it is even better. My usual go-to beer is Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, but Yuengling Traditional Lager, at $3 less per six-pack, is pretty damned tasty.

Now grab your popcorn, and lets discuss BEER!

[malthaussen]

1. I had the lager from the bottle once...

... but it must have been skunky, because it was awful. Mind you, I'm not big on lager anyway.

But their Black and Tan is good.

-- Mal

[Atman]

3. I like a lager or even pilsner, at least during the summer months.

A lighter beer is more refreshing under the hot sun while your playing volleyball or hiking around naked. Oh, wait...anyway, I'm usually one of those snotty craft-brew guys, which is fun and easy around here because we have some great local breweries. But for OTC beer, Yuengling isn't too bad. I'm surprised. At dinner time, though, I'll go for a Luginitas or Sierra or whatever the local brewmaster recommends. We have one of the country's best brew pubs right here in our tiny little town. Ten fresh-made beers made on premises, plus twenty "guest brews" on tap.

[GusBob]

2. I am very particular about my beer.Used to be a big yuengling fan

but you hit on a key to this brew: It has to be served very cold, and in bottles. If it passes a certain temperature the flavors changes to skunk. This is the reason I stopped drinking it, was unable to finish bottles in warm weather

Now my flavor is Stella Artois, pricey but retains flavor. Also easy on the stomach and the head. I know Yuengling is 'Americas Oldest Brew' but those Belgians been doing it for 600 years now

Cheers

[tkmorris]

4. A bit odd that you like SNPA and Yuengling Lager as well

From a beer flavor standpoint, they are almost opposites. The SNPA has a significant hop infusion, riding a background of caramel malts. Take away the hops and SNPA is a completely different animal altogether. The Yuengling on the other hand has no hops whatsoever that I can detect. It's all a brown-bready maltiness and that's it.

I'm generally not a fan of beers that don't put hops forward on the palate but when it comes to inexpensive American mass-produced beer very few of them have any detectable flavor to speak of so in this sense Yuengling is certainly an upgrade over say, Bud Lite.

As long as we are talking about beer have you tried Sierra Nevada's seasonal offering Celebration Ale? If you like the Pale Ale you'll almost certainly like it as well. It comes out every year around Thanksgiving and I can usually find it in the stores until the New Year. I look forward to it far more than any reasonable person shoud.

[Atman]

6. I tend not to like "seasonal" brews.

It's Autumn in New England. They're even putting Pumpkin Spice into our gasoline and lobster rolls. I don't want cinnamon and pumpkin and shit in my beer. SNPA is always an honest brew, but I tend to like IPAs or Pale Ales anyway. But they're not always the best choice, especially when playing volleyball or summer sports. In the winter, when I'm snowboarding, I hearty pale ale always fills the bill! I'm just sayin', this "new" Yuengling lager is dark in color, has some actual body to it, and doesn't suck nearly as much as I remember.

BTW, I have both SNPA and Yuengling Traditional Lager in the fridge. I go for the SNPA when I want to relax and enjoy a beer. I grab the Yuengling when I just want a cold beverage to go along with dinner.

[tkmorris]

12. I'm totally with you on the typical seasonals

Pumpkin does not belong in a beer. Nor any of the other nonsense they often employ to make these one off special editions. That's why I do like the Celebration Ale as it doesn't do any of that. My understanding is that the only reason it is seasonal is that it is "wet-hopped", which is to say it uses fresh hops as opposed to the normal dried hops. This has to be done within days of the crop being harvested or the hops lose their flavor and as such it can only be produced in a short window in the Fall.

I am totally with you on having different beers for different situations though. As it happens I have both Yuengling and SNPA here at the moment. The SNPA is a mainstay but the Yuengling was purchased for those situations when a Pale Ale is a bit much as you say, and that was the best option Costco had at the time.

That's the great thing about beer though isn't it? There is a whole universe of flavors out there and while we all have different opinions on what is best at any given moment there is no shortage of options for even the most jaded beer aficionado.

[MNBrewer]

5. Definitely an ALE guy, myself.

Lagers are "ok", but ales are where it's at!

[Xipe Totec]

7. Six Point makes very good beer that happens to be in cans. Baxter does too. nt

[Atman]

8. I can't ever recall having a good beer from a can.

Convenient beer, yes. Good beer? Meh. The aluminum does something to the taste. I imagine the manufacturing process doesn't help.

[cali]

13. Heady Topper is the top rated beer in the country.

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/27039/16814/

[Xipe Totec]

20. Have you had beer from either of the brewers mentioned above?

[lame54]

9. I stand with Adolph...

still great beer despite the politics

never drink beer from a can is a snob statement

you can keep your micro-brews - they blow - and I've had many (many, many, many) so I'm confident in my opinion

I hate when I go into a bar and all they have are micro-brews

just give me a fucking beer

[Atman]

17. I equate Coors to bottled water.

On a really hot summer day, you can chug a Coors in a couple of gulps. No flavor, no body, no nothing...carbonated water. Although, I'd choose it over a Miller, Michelob or a glass of warm piss any day.

[lame54]

18. you'd choose a glass of warm piss over water?...

to each his own

[Atman]

19. No. But over Coors, maybe.

[aikoaiko]

10. I'm a Champagne of Beers guy

[IMG][/IMG]

[Atman]

15. I used to LOVE Miller!

When I was 17 living on the beach and the local snack bar sold it for $2 a pitcher on Wednesday afternoons. Haven't drank one since, and have no desire to.

[freebrew]

11. Make your own...

it's easy and you can make whatever type you want.

Craft beers have too much hops, it's wasteful and drives up prices for us 'home-brew' folks.

As for drinkable product, Guiness makes some good ales, but everything from Europe is pricey.

Anchor is still one of my faves. But...don't laugh...I've been drinking Busch beer since I was 5, 1956.(Thanks Grandparents, RIP). I still find it palatable and it doesn't bang my head like other mainstream beers(Bud).
If you can't tell, I'm a St. Louis boy. Never did see the desire for Coors, we called it weasel piss.

Ranier was decent back in the day. Olympia was almost drinkable if it was freezing.

Today's microbrews seem to all want to taste like IPA. In fact, IPA wasn't made to taste good, it was made to last from England to far off lands.

Everyone's taste is different, so I respect that SOME people even like an orange in their beer(EEEWW).

Oh well, keep drinking, I've got 65 bottles to fill next week. 8% Irish Red Ale. Gotta wash bottles now.

[NRaleighLiberal]

16. I just started with some Mr Beer recipes - got a kit for father's day.

I like the dry irish stout it made (got the "higher test" recipe). Now I want to try a coffee porter.

[NRaleighLiberal]

14. such a personal taste thing. We are stout/porter only drinkers

my saying - "if I can read through it, I'll pass"!

It's been quite a journey - drinking awful Old Milwaukee in grad school during games of Spades, up through Anchor Steam and Liberty, through Smuttynose Ellie Brown - but we've settled on the dark stuff as our favorites - Ten Fidy, Bells Expedition. Echoes our tastes in wine too - huge zins and chardonnays. (not that I can afford those now!).

A favorite dessert- Rogue double chocolate with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

[madokie]

21. Pigs Eye Lean for me

Drummond brothers used to be my fav until I no longer can get it here in Ok.

[longship]

22. Olde Frothingslosh Pale Stale Ale! The foam is on the bottom.

[Atman]

23. I still have a six pack this stashed away someplace!

Loved to not drink it. Along with not drinking my Billy Beer.

[Initech]

24. No Yuengling here on the west coast, but there's no shortage of awesome beers to choose from!

Just in Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties we have:

The Bruery
Bootleggers Brewery
Alesmith
Stone Brewing Company
Ballast Point
Golden Road Brewing Company
Bay Hawk Ales
Taps Fish House
Pizza Port
Karl Strauss Brewing Company
Green Flash Brewing Company
Noble Ale Works
Hangar 24

And that's just for starters. I'm sure there's lots more that I can't think of at the moment.

[Throd]

25. Don't knock canned beer!

Beer cans are more environmentally friendly.

Even Samuel Adams comes in cans now, after the founder said he would never do so in a TV ad many years ago.

[SheilaT]

26. I love a good IPA.

And a good lager. I generally like the small breweries.

In August I visited my son in Portland, OR, and had some great beer there.