Beer Poll VI - Wars (and beers) begin and end with handshakes

[looooob]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Obviously, the first thing you should be doing is getting rid of the crap - bud light, anything coors, it's all trash taking up spots that could be served by better beers, even stuff that everyone has had (Wild Rose, Big Rock, Okanagan Spring, Howe Sound Brewing, Fernie BC - speaking of fruit beers, where's What the Huck?). Cabin Brewing just won Alberta Brewery of the Year and isn't represented, despite being local. There's Alley Kat, Blindman, Grizzly Paw... lots of Alberta options to take those spots that a lot of people will have had and they actually stand somewhat of a chance.

When we do get to the craft beers on the list, I have a few nitpicks.

(Yellow Dog) Play Dead IPA
(Driftwood) Fat Tug IPA
(Steamworks) Flagship IPA
(Backcountry) Widowmaker IPA

These four are different, but they're close enough that you don't need all of them. I would pick only one beer to represent "the lower mainland BC IPA." Actually, I wouldn't pick any of the above in that category - while they're all quite good (except the Steamworks which is the definition of mediocre craft beer), because the Four Winds Juxtapose is simply a better example of the type. It's distinctive, it's more accessible even to people who don't love hoppy beer, and it's available fairly widely in Calgary (Co-op) so more people are likely to have tried it than something like Yellow Dog or Backcountry. Actually I recall Backcountry's own staff saying that Four Winds was the best brewery in BC, which is an odd thing to say in your own restaurant, but hell... they're rght. It is. It might be the best brewery in the country.

I would also say, the fact that there are no Rogue beers anywhere is a weird choice. The Dead Guy is maybe not the best example of its kind, but it is a staple, and I suspect just about everyone's had it at some point.

This is a weird one because it's nowhere near their most popular beer. Jerkface, I believe, has the title, at least in terms of most taps, followed by Ruby Tears. The benefit of those is that there aren't many beers of either type on the list already.

Lastly, at the moment, this poll is going to end up being the "best beer that's not dark beer" poll. Which is fine, because I think a minority of beer drinkers like dark beer anyway, but, you know, asterisk.

agree with much of your post- Cabin is represented though- I managed to get Super Saturation listed (depending on the day I'm not even sure its my favorite, but figured it had as a good a chance as any (slim) to succeed!

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

I think Sunshine Rain is the best thing they do, objectively (despite not being an IPA person first and foremost) but I also love Pipe and Slippers. Unfortunately, one is an IPA which there are already plenty of in the list, and the other is a Wheat Porter that no one will have tried. So Super Saturation is a good pick.

[Shin Pad]

Rainier is my go to beer. It is cheap and just as good as any lager out there IMO. Also I really like Kokanee and Dos Equix

[BurningYears]

Phillips - Hoperation
Phillips - Citricity

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Shin Pad

Raaaaaaaaaaaainieeeeeeeeeeeeer is my go to beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeer. It is cheap and just as good as any lager out there IMO. Also I really like Kokanee and Dos Equix

fixed

[Cain]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

When we do get to the craft beers on the list, I have a few nitpicks.

(Yellow Dog) Play Dead IPA
(Driftwood) Fat Tug IPA
(Steamworks) Flagship IPA
(Backcountry) Widowmaker IPA

These four are different, but they're close enough that you don't need all of them. I would pick only one beer to represent "the lower mainland BC IPA." Actually, I wouldn't pick any of the above in that category - while they're all quite good (except the Steamworks which is the definition of mediocre craft beer), because the Four Winds Juxtapose is simply a better example of the type. It's distinctive, it's more accessible even to people who don't love hoppy beer, and it's available fairly widely in Calgary (Co-op) so more people are likely to have tried it than something like Yellow Dog or Backcountry. Actually I recall Backcountry's own staff saying that Four Winds was the best brewery in BC, which is an odd thing to say in your own restaurant, but hell... they're rght. It is. It might be the best brewery in the country.

I would actually say that Fat Tug is quite different than most IPA's (especially the steamworks listed here, I'm not as familiar with the other 2), and honestly disagree on the steamworks opinion. I'm a huge IPA fan, and quite the snob unfortunately, but the steamworks flagship IPA is a great bargain IPA and quite good overall in my opinion. I buy this routinely as a safe fallback. Will be interesting to see how the poll shakes out in whatever form it eventually takes.

[kermitology]

Originally Posted by troutman

I don't know why people drink fruit flavored beer - why not go the full distance and have a cider?

There's a difference between fruit flavoured and fruited beer. For example, the Cabin Staycation is a fruited beer. What I love about that one is that it's so low alcohol. Super flavourful and crisp, but almost half the alcohol of a cider.

[MoneyGuy]

Problem with this poll is there are all kinds of beers that I’m sure are nice but I’ve had tried them so will have to abstain or guess based on names or hunts in the names. With pizzas I’ve at least tried pretty much all of them.

[Nyah]

Originally Posted by troutman

I don't know why people drink fruit flavored beer - why not go the full distance and have a cider?

I've recently gotten into Stiegl Radlers. I absolutely love the Citron and the Grapefruit ones with a slice of lemon or lime in it. They're my summer afternoon beers if I'm out in the sun. They're only 2.5% alcohol so they're nice & light. I find ciders way too sweet.

[FireGilbert]

Originally Posted by troutman

Pineapple Beer

Brilliant post. I meant to respond sooner.

Seriously though I am starting to think that pineapple does not belong in beer. I recently had a pine lime sour, a pina colada sour, and a tropical pale with pineapple and disliked them all. Something happened to the pineapple flavour in the brewing process leaving this like fake pineapple medicine taste in my mouth.

Go ahead and add citrus, stone fruit, or berries to beer, just no pineapple!

[PaperBagger'14]

Hey guys, sorry I'm pretty busy tonight so tomorrow the seeding poll will e ready! Stay tuned!

[loob job]

Kronenbourg 1664 and Yuengling are my two favourite beers.

[Boblobla]

Yuengling Lager is my go to when I am in the states visiting my inlaws.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by PaperBagger'14

Hey guys, sorry I'm pretty busy tonight so tomorrow the seeding poll will e ready! Stay tuned!

thank you for this.

[looooob]

Originally Posted by FireGilbert

Brilliant post. I meant to respond sooner.

Seriously though I am starting to think that pineapple does not belong in beer. I recently had a pine lime sour, a pina colada sour, and a tropical pale with pineapple and disliked them all. Something happened to the pineapple flavour in the brewing process leaving this like fake pineapple medicine taste in my mouth.

Go ahead and add citrus, stone fruit, or berries to beer, just no pineapple!

I've got a Pineapple Vanilla IPA in my fridge, I'm feeling there is an 85% chance I'm going to hate it but its the new release from Collective Arts and as much as I'm trying to go all local right now (I still have a smattering of a few of my favorite BC beers in the fridge too, but almost all Southern Alberta right now), I do make a point of trying at least one of each of Collective Art's new offerings

[PaperBagger'14]

Beer seeding poll is up! The rules are simple, top 4 beers will occupy spots 1, 17, 33 and 49 once the bracket begins. You only get 1 vote for the seeding poll (I wanted to allow 4 votes, but polltab wont let me). Security has been upped on the poll so it wont allow multiple votes from different browsers (looking at you...pizza). For ease of reading, refer back to post #1 for the list as the order was kept the same. Most importantly, have fun and discuss your favourites! Seeding poll closes friday at 8pm!

https://www.polltab.com/a7pCLmWUuE

The updated list is on the first page and I tried my best to keep it relatively unbiased. A few popular beers got cut, a few imports as well as some crafts. I used a highly advanced and proprietary logarithm to decide which got cut and which didnt, so dont ask to see it.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by PaperBagger'14

Security has been upped on the poll so it wont allow multiple votes from different browsers (looking at you...pizza).

Hold the phone. Explain please. This sounds legendary.

The updated list is on the first page and I tried my best to keep it relatively unbiased. A few popular beers got cut, a few imports as well as some crafts. I used a highly advanced and proprietary logarithm to decide which got cut and which didnt, so dont ask to see it.

The cuts make sense.

I'm voting Chimay for seeding.

[PaperBagger'14]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Hold the phone. Explain please. This sounds legendary.

There's nothing to it other than a post someone made towards the end of the pizza thread accusing him of such. Im just stirring the pot.

[PaperBagger'14]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Hold the phone. Explain please. This sounds legendary.

The cuts make sense.

I'm voting Chimay for seeding.

Where do I find some Chimay? There's been a few suggestions for it and I've honestly never heard of or seen it before.

[Jacks]

Originally Posted by PaperBagger'14

Where do I find some Chimay? There's been a few suggestions for it and I've honestly never heard of or seen it before.

Pretty sure I've seen it at Coop and at Willowpark.