Jagger69
Three lullabies in an ancient tongue
I have been primarily a beer aficionado for many years and always delight in trying new varieties of the brewmasters' craft. Although I'll try almost any brew, I am basically a lager lover....not real fond of heavy stouts or porters or the other hoppy beers that seem to become popular with certain beer lovers on a come-and-go basis. I much prefer malt beers and ales as opposed to bitter hefeweizens and such. I also am not a fan of the fruity brews that have gained in popularity in recent years. They are interesting for a change of pace but I could never see myself to be a steady drinker of same. Pale, creamy and dark ales are fine as well since they are typically malty and full-bodied. To me, however, the main qualities that a beer needs to have in order to qualify as "excellent" is a bright and robust bouquet, a clear and vibrant look in the glass or mug emanating from a solid degree of natural carbonation that results in a foamy and structured head that doesn't dissipate quickly, a clean, crisp flavor that awakens the taste buds without overwhelming them and, most importantly, a nice clean finish that leaves no bitter or sour aftertaste and only leaves the palate only wanting for more. Fortunately, I know of many excellent beers that meet these requirements.
The purpose of this thread is to invite comments and suggestions for various brews for which you may have developed a preference. These can be either microbrews or mass-produced beers....matters not to me since I can easily find satisfaction in both depending on their individual qualities. The latest object of my affection is a regional brand from St. Louis called Kräftig. It's a really nice, full-bodied and clean lager brewed in the tradition of the German Beer Purity Laws known as Reinheitsgebot....one of only a select few of American beers to adhere to the standards (stupulates that beer can only be made from water, barley malt, yeast and hops). So many beers nowadays use corn, rice (it's on the Budweiser label), corn syrup, enzymes (to hurry fermentation) and "foam enhancers"....whatever those are!) I had to ask a friend of mine to bootleg some into Houston for me recently and I have been enjoying it for several days now. Although only in existence since 2011, it won two awards at the U.S. Beer Championships in Atlanta last year so it's definitely worth a try if you're a lager fan like me. Interesting sidelight: It is owned and brewed by Gussie Busch's youngest son, Billy. He is currently the only member of the iconic Busch brewing family who is producing his own product after the sale of Anheuser-Busch to InBev back in 2008. Good for him....his dad would be proud. Can't wait for it to be readily available in Houston because I could easily be a convert....at least for a little while. See more about it here if interested:
http://www.kraftig.com/
Any favorites or current infatuations any other like-minded beer lovers can offer are very welcome here! I'm always looking for new and interesting beers to try so hopefully we can all help each other out. Drink up! :beer: :glugglug: :beer:
The purpose of this thread is to invite comments and suggestions for various brews for which you may have developed a preference. These can be either microbrews or mass-produced beers....matters not to me since I can easily find satisfaction in both depending on their individual qualities. The latest object of my affection is a regional brand from St. Louis called Kräftig. It's a really nice, full-bodied and clean lager brewed in the tradition of the German Beer Purity Laws known as Reinheitsgebot....one of only a select few of American beers to adhere to the standards (stupulates that beer can only be made from water, barley malt, yeast and hops). So many beers nowadays use corn, rice (it's on the Budweiser label), corn syrup, enzymes (to hurry fermentation) and "foam enhancers"....whatever those are!) I had to ask a friend of mine to bootleg some into Houston for me recently and I have been enjoying it for several days now. Although only in existence since 2011, it won two awards at the U.S. Beer Championships in Atlanta last year so it's definitely worth a try if you're a lager fan like me. Interesting sidelight: It is owned and brewed by Gussie Busch's youngest son, Billy. He is currently the only member of the iconic Busch brewing family who is producing his own product after the sale of Anheuser-Busch to InBev back in 2008. Good for him....his dad would be proud. Can't wait for it to be readily available in Houston because I could easily be a convert....at least for a little while. See more about it here if interested:
http://www.kraftig.com/
Any favorites or current infatuations any other like-minded beer lovers can offer are very welcome here! I'm always looking for new and interesting beers to try so hopefully we can all help each other out. Drink up! :beer: :glugglug: :beer:
