New Glarus Belgian Red is Losing? Come On People, Wake Up!!

[meegs]

How can you people be allowing a brew as unique, delicious and meticulously crafted as NG Belgian Red to lose to Flying Fish? Let's get this one right. Check out the New Glarus website, http://www.newglarusbrewing.com/, if you're not familiar with the product and do whatever you can to get your hands on this incredible breweries great products!

[steveh]

I would have to agree along the same lines after the result of Capital Special Pilsner losing to Tupper's Hop Pocket Pils. I may be way off base, having not had the chance to try Tupper's, but any beer that boasts Hops in its name sounds like a typical over-hopped trend beer. On the other hand, I know Capital's Pils and its other German-style beers quite well. Capital follows styles, especially lagers, better than most other micros out there, and Pils' aren't supposed to follow the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale hopping recipe.

Tell me more about Tuppers, is it worthy of a winning Pils?

S.

[beer editor]

Tupper's Hop Pocket is certainly not a "one trick" beer, though I have a particular fondness in my heart for Capital.

Here's Michael Jackson's account of heated debate at the 2001 GABF before Tupper's won the gold:

http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-001620.html

Prosit,
Stan

[redlem]

I also am disappointed that NG Red did not advance as this is the most flavorful beer I have ever had, like a tart, sour cherry pie. I suspect the voters went with the unusual name and picked Flying Fish just for kicks.

I am also surprised that Ommegang advanced as I found it to be truely unremarkable with the overwhelming taste being alcohol. I have 3/4 of a bottle left in my fridge and I can see it sitting there for a while.

Tupper's sounds alot like Victory's Pils which is very hoppy and has a pearlescent appearance. It is best drunk near freezing temps otherwise the hops are too powerful. It may be brewed as a pils, but its taste and appearance say otherwise.

Some of the worst tasting beers I have tasted have come from Michael Jackson's beer club so take his recomendation with a grain of salt.

[beer editor]

A quick suggestion: Trying drinking Prima Pils a little warmer. That will allow the malt character to come through and balance the hops. [Full disclosure: I love Prima Pils and Hop Pocket Pils. Hop Pocket Ale is a nice beer, but finding hoppy ales isn't hard in the U.S. Finding a well done pils is much more of challenge.]

Prosit,
Stan

[Lew Bryson]

Yo, ho ho! Who laid it out on the line and called TWO upsets so far? Da Lew Man, that's who! Flying Fish AND Tupper's, I got the right to do a little dancing here...even though I did get slammed in that Brooklyn/Rock debacle.

Hey, don't get me wrong. I love New Glarus Belgian Red AND the Capital Special: been to both breweries, have had both beers (I've been drinking Capital since about 1989), and they're great. But...Don't knock Flying Fish Dubbel if you haven't had it. It's a really good beer. There are also a LOT of people out there who do NOT like the New Glarus. I don't agree with 'em, but I know they're out there.

And Tupper's Hop Pocket Pils is a definite pils, and not (as Stan says) a one-trick pony. This is every bit as much a "real" pils as is Stoudt's or Pilsner Urquell. Pilsners vary widely: see GABF categories that acknowledge this. Tupper's Hop Pocket Ale gets all the buzz, and the lion's share of the sales, but the Pils is my fave of the two.

Damn, Stan, this is FUN!

[steveh]

Regarding Jackson on Tupper's: At least I'm in some good company in my puritanism - provide the other judges were in the same league as Jackson. I'll have to search out the Tupper's and judge for myself.

S.

[wawood]

I have been rather underwhelmed by Capital's brews to date, and the Special Pilsner is no exception. Though I have not yet tried Tupper's, it is far more highly rated than the Capital by users of both Ratebeer.com and Beeradvocate.com.

[steveh]

I haven't read any of the reviews you've mentioned, and don't know which of Capital's beers you've tried personally, but I highly recommend the maibock, either dark or blonde doppelbocks, the weizen doppelbock (Kirby Nelson has just about nailed the Aventinus recipe), or the Autumnal Fire. Also suggested are their Oktoberfest (very good, but not great) and the Winter Skal (a great, robust, dark lager).

Their Annuals are all very good, traditional to style. I *would* stay away from Kirby's attempt at a traditional American, turn-of-the-century lager "1900" - he loves it, but I've never found it that appealing.

Unsolicited testimony - I have no connection to the brewery other than enjoying their beers.

S.

[Lew Bryson]

Steveh:

I definitely agree on Kirby's mastery of classic styles. Did you get any of the "Pre-Prohibition Doppelbock" that was made with 25% rice? Fantastic stuff, like a high-speed hammer.

I'm not surprised that Capital does not do as well on the beer rating websites. Those sites have a definite slant towards "bigger" beers: not always the classics.

[redlem]

Capital does not make a bad beer, my personal favorite is their Kloster Weizen, which I think has the best aroma and flavor of any wheat beer I have tried. Their Blonde Dopplebock is also excellent.

The one thing about ratebeer.com you should notice is this:
ratebeer.com + high alcohol content = great beer

[steveh]

Lew,
I didn't get to sample the Prohibition Doppelbock, and probably a good thing too as I don't do well with rice beer. I can take a minimal sip and get an immediate hangover! I discovered this while judging American style beer at a home-brew competition - someone was trying to duplicate Budweiser (yes, the St. Louis variety. No, I don't know why!) and I took about two tastes and started to feel sick. Bad physiology, or just smart physiology?

Redlem,
Did you know that Kirby came up with the Kloster Wheat recipe in a creative partnership with Randy Sprecher? Taste the Capital and the Sprecher wheats side-by-side and you'll taste the similarity.

To you both and to Wawood, I got the chance to scan over Beeradvocate's reviews on the Capital beers and I don't think I saw a negative opinion. They garnered an average 3.9 out of 5 stars for 16 total beers reviewed. But you're right, Old Dominion got some good reviews as well. Thing about OD is that, being a pub mostly, they had one heckuva lot of beers to review!

S.

[beer editor]

I started to a new thread (http://www.realbeer.com/discussions/showthread.php?s=&threadid=152) for those who want to talk about possible big beer bias.

Prosit,
Stan

[beerbastard]

Lew you nut.

There you go shamelessly promoting Fish water again. Have you got fish tattoo'd on your butt or something?

One of the things that i love about beer is diversity. It's great when you try a new beer or beer style for the first time and find it to your taste. That's why I'm interested in things like this Battle of the beers. Maybe the accountants at fish should try an actual Abbey eh?

[Lew Bryson]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by beerbastard
[B]Lew you nut.

"There you go shamelessly promoting Fish water again. Have you got fish tattoo'd on your butt or something?"

Hah? Someone needs a reality check here. I've dissed Flying Fish when they needed it (their bottled ESB, for instance), but the Abbey Dubbel is a good beer. And when someone from the OBP in Belgium comes over and tries Fish Dubbel and calls it a good dubbel, that just means a bit more to me than someone slagging a brewery because they manage to make money. Flying Fish's brewer, Jon Zangwill, has a barleywine in the tanks that's aging till next winter. Square that with "the accountants."

I don't back down on Flying Fish. Good beer, good brewery. Not everyone's tastes are the same, thank God.

Regards,

Lew

[beerbastard]

Just pulling your chain Lew.

I agree, everyone has different taste. Like I said; diversity is one of the great things about beer.

BTW. When did I "slag a brewery for making money"?

[kpo]

What really disturbs me is that Anchor Liberty beat out Bridgeport IPA.

Biridgeport IPA was the most beautiful IPA I'd ever tried, and Liberty, while quite good, is just *not* at the same level. Very frustrated with the results here.