I tried Shiner Cheer last week. While seemed like a ok beer it was way too sweet for me. I don't really see all of the buzz about it .
Winter Beers...
- Thread starter cyfanatic
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I tried Shiner Cheer last week. While seemed like a ok beer it was way too sweet for me. I don't really see all of the buzz about it .
Does this mean they change the recipe each year? Or they just can't create the exact same flavor? Interesting...
I've heard the exact opposite. People often say "it tastes different this year" but the reality is that it never changes but the average craft beer person is so use to drinking hop bombs, they think it has.
I do tend to drink more stouts and porters when it gets cold out, but I guess I haven't made the switch to winter beer mode.
I enjoy Shiner Cheer for a change of pace, and Tallgrass Buffalo Sweat is one of my favorite stouts out there. New Glarus always puts out some solid winter brews. Snowshoe should be in soon.
I enjoy Shiner Cheer for a change of pace, and Tallgrass Buffalo Sweat is one of my favorite stouts out there. New Glarus always puts out some solid winter brews. Snowshoe should be in soon.
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Just found this about Sierra Nevada Celebration
In answer to your questions. We decided to put “Fresh Hop Ale” on the label this year to help clarify what Celebration is for consumers who may not have had the opportunity to try it before. Celebration ale is, and always has been, an American IPA brewed with the first, fresh hops of the growing season (i.e. fresh hop ale.) The beer has been in production since 1981, and in its current form (recipe) since 1983. It was one of the first legitimate IPAs brewed in the “American” style and has never contained any spices; only hops, water, malt and yeast. Despite nearly 30 years of (roughly) the same recipe, we get lots of complaints each year from people who are expecting a spiced holiday “Winter warmer” style of beer. And oddly, we also get lots of emails from people telling us how delicious the spices we used tasted…specifically nutmeg and cinnamon. As I’ve said, this has never been the case. No spices are or were used in the beer. We chose to highlight Fresh Hop Ale to clue people in on the real nature of the beer so folks know what they’re getting into.
We use a blend of Cascade, Centennial and Chinook hops to create an interesting citrus, pine and (kind of) spiced flavor, but all of the higher tones in the beer come from hops and yeast esters. The beer does change from year to year, but that is only because it relies so heavily on hop flavors, and hops can vary wildly from year to year and even from field to field.
Our Harvest Ale was really the beer that launched the wet hopped ale trend. Although some breweries use terms interchangeably, we take pride in noting the differences between wet-hops, fresh-hops and standard hops. Wet-hops being the green, un-dried hops fresh from the fields within 24 hours of picking, (used in Northern hemisphere Harvest and Estate Homegrown Ale) and Fresh Hops being fast tracked…picked, dried and shipped within 7 days of the fields. (Celebration Ale and Southern Hemisphere Harvest with hops from New Zealand.) The hops in Celebration, specifically with the first batches, can be very different than the hops used in later brews. We do our best to blend batches into a consistent flavor but as with any craft product there are definitely variation from batch to batch and from year to year. That said the recipe remains constant.
In answer to your questions. We decided to put “Fresh Hop Ale” on the label this year to help clarify what Celebration is for consumers who may not have had the opportunity to try it before. Celebration ale is, and always has been, an American IPA brewed with the first, fresh hops of the growing season (i.e. fresh hop ale.) The beer has been in production since 1981, and in its current form (recipe) since 1983. It was one of the first legitimate IPAs brewed in the “American” style and has never contained any spices; only hops, water, malt and yeast. Despite nearly 30 years of (roughly) the same recipe, we get lots of complaints each year from people who are expecting a spiced holiday “Winter warmer” style of beer. And oddly, we also get lots of emails from people telling us how delicious the spices we used tasted…specifically nutmeg and cinnamon. As I’ve said, this has never been the case. No spices are or were used in the beer. We chose to highlight Fresh Hop Ale to clue people in on the real nature of the beer so folks know what they’re getting into.
We use a blend of Cascade, Centennial and Chinook hops to create an interesting citrus, pine and (kind of) spiced flavor, but all of the higher tones in the beer come from hops and yeast esters. The beer does change from year to year, but that is only because it relies so heavily on hop flavors, and hops can vary wildly from year to year and even from field to field.
Our Harvest Ale was really the beer that launched the wet hopped ale trend. Although some breweries use terms interchangeably, we take pride in noting the differences between wet-hops, fresh-hops and standard hops. Wet-hops being the green, un-dried hops fresh from the fields within 24 hours of picking, (used in Northern hemisphere Harvest and Estate Homegrown Ale) and Fresh Hops being fast tracked…picked, dried and shipped within 7 days of the fields. (Celebration Ale and Southern Hemisphere Harvest with hops from New Zealand.) The hops in Celebration, specifically with the first batches, can be very different than the hops used in later brews. We do our best to blend batches into a consistent flavor but as with any craft product there are definitely variation from batch to batch and from year to year. That said the recipe remains constant.
I haven't been in the beer section of a grocery store in a couple of weeks...are most winter beers out yet? I might have to stop and take a look on the way home from work today!
Good explanation from SN explaining the variation over the years. Makes sense, and just more proof that they're a true standard bearer for the craft beer movement.
Celebration is great. Founders Breakfast Stout is top notch. If you haven't had it yet, you're doing yourself a disservice.
With these "winter" type beers is it preferred to pour into a pint glass or just drink it out of the bottle?
Been looking for this since last year. My wife loves that stuff. Is it seasonal?
Are you in the Madison, WI area? I found it here when I drove through there a month ago.
http://www.stevesknows.com/ on McKee road
In case you were interested, "Brew Your Own" magazine has a good description of the variety of winter beers.
https://byo.com/stories/item/2258-winter-seasonal-beers
In short, English "winter warmers" are dark, full-bodied, sweeter, and aren't spiced. American winter/Christmas beers can fit in a huge variety of beer styles, but are generally all spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, clove, orange peel, etc. Belgian winter beers are also spiced, but the spice is much more subtle.
THIS. Now, I'll drink a stout on a 100° day too, but something seems more appropriate when it's freezing cold out :yes:
