In your opinion (naturally) where are the best beers crafted?!
In your opinion (naturally) where are the best beers crafted?
I've got to tell you, I think Belgian beers are the cat's meow! What say you? And please describe the taste, thanks!
Answers:
It really depends on what you like, but definitely the United States! There are so many microbreweries that you can find excellent examples of pretty much any style you could want. While, for the most part, American breweries are lagging a bit on the Belgians, they've mastered and expanded on everything else. Don't get me wrong, there are several great examples of Dubbels and Triples in the US, but with the exception of Two Brothers 10, there aren't all too many quality examples of American lambics.
Even though the US lags in certain types, though, they're the best at others. I mean, even the Sahti at Goose Island, (Sahtis are generally home brewed in Finland,) was excellent, as good as the ones I had IN Finland. You'd be hard pressed to find a better stout than Three Floyds Darklord or Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout, (actually, I could keep going, but all the ones I'd name are American...) and the varieties are just unbelievable. Americans have redefined and perfected the IPA, and the variety of hops Americans use in them is mind-blowing.Don't even get me started on Barley Wines...
So, in synopsis, due to the excellent variety and top-tier execution of those varieties by so many different breweries, the United States wins with Belgian coming in a close second, mostly because of its strongs, krieks and lambics and geuzes.
Watch out for Canada, though. Especially when it comes to stouts, they know how to do their thing. (Check out Scotch Irish's Tsarina Katarina, Dieu du Ciel's Peche Mortel and St. Ambroise's oatmeal stout.) They just haven't entirely warmed up to their hops yet, but it's coming :)
Edit: I originally posted this without describing tastes, so I'm editing it a bit.
The types of beers I've named here and examples:
Sahti: A Finnish beer, traditionally brewed at home, that includes juniper berries in addition to, or sometimes in the place of hops. The juniper allows for a floral, berry tartness, some examples even have similar properties to white wine.
Example: The best one of these that I've had in the US was, as I metioned, at Goose Island.
Lambic: A beer produced by spontaneous fermentation (meaning it's exposed to wild yeast). These beers are quite sour, and the accompanying flavors really depend on which one you're drinking. Lambics can also be brewed or blended with fruit.
Examples: Unblended: Cantillon Iris, Drie Fonteinen Lambiek
Fruit: Cantillon Rose de Gambrinus, Boon Framboise
Note: Jolly Pumpkin brewery in Michigan makes some wicked beers using wild yeast.
Kriek: A lambic fermented with sour cherries. These will often assault your palate, but in such a nice way. They tend to be red in color and, when true to the style, quite acidic and sour. There is a clearly defined cherry flavor.
Examples: Kriek de Ranke, Two Brothers 10 (american)
Geuze: a blend of an older and a younger lambic.
Stout: A dark beer, often comprising notes of coffee and chocolate. Some Stouts are actually brewed using coffee beans. They tend to age well in bourbon barrels, which produces (obviously) a bourbony flavor, along with brining out hints of coconut and vanilla.
Examples: Kentucky Breakfast Stout, Stone Imperial Russian Stout (Imperial essentially means a significantly higher alcohol percentage)
Examples brewed with coffee: Three Floyds Darklord, Dieu du Ciel Peche Mortel
India Pale Ale (IPA): Is a beer first made by the Brits (as someone previously pointed out) and adapted by the Americans. While many claim the British ones are becoming more and more watered down, the Americans tend to use powerful hops making the beers quite bitter, piney, floral, and/or citrusy depding on the variety of hop used.
Examples: Town Hall Masala Mama, Bell's Two Hearted, Bear Republic Racer 5
Examples of Double IPA (higher alcohol percentage, overall just kick your butt) Three Floyds Dreadnaught, Bell's Hopslam, Bear Republic Racer X
American Barleywines (There's also an English version that I'm not too familiar with yet): A very strong and thick beer, often sweet, fruity, or hoppy. These tend to age quite well.
Examples: Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, Rogue Old Crustacean, Anchor Old Foghorn, 3 FLOYDS BEHEMOTH BLONDE! (one of my favorite beers ever. nice and cinnamony. mmm.)
Okay, hope that helps :) Yeah... I didn't have much to do tonight.
<3 Lexx