Really Strong Beer - Why?

[Sadfield]

I look at it this way,
If whiskey was only distilled to 25%, would it have that same intensity?
If wine was only 6% would it be able to carry off such a huge range of different flavours and subtlety?
Would port be the exquisite drink it is if the base spirit was 25% and wine at 6%?

Therefore if you make a beer into what is effectively a wine, does it have the ability to pack the same sort of punch as a bottle of chateaunuef du pape red?
I think the answer is yes, but with the added bonus that you don't need exceptional grapes, lucky weather and can make exactly what you want just by choosing base ingredients

Yeah, you just need exceptional hops and malts, that are equally terroir and weather dependent, with the added factor of skilled processing to make them usable. Wine is so basic with its single, pulped ingredient.

 

[phildo79]

Have a try of Vocation breweries Life and Death
Pride and Joy
Heart and Soul
All session hoppy beers

I've tried them. The fact that I have never bought them again, even though they are available in the supermarket, tells me they must not have been that amazing.

Also, Pride and Joy is a pale ale, not an IPA.

 

[prog99]

If you can find it then Amundsen Everyday hero session ipa is very good. It conveniently sneaks in under the Norwegian 4.7% cutoff so it can be sold in supermarkets

 

[dad_of_jon]

I've tried them. The fact that I have never bought them again, even though they are available in the supermarket, tells me they must not have been that amazing.

Also, Pride and Joy is a pale ale, not an IPA.

ah so lo-res from sixpoint - a take away in spoons and stone's goto ipa probably not going to work for you either.

 

[phildo79]

Unlikely to do so. I have given up. Doubt I will ever waste my money on one again. That doesn't particularly bother me as I am not the sort of person to shy away from a beer just because it is >6%. But for me it just doesn't work. So this is an example for the OP as to why people make "strong" beer. I wouldn't even dream of making a 4% IPA. Wouldn't waste the ingredients.

 

[jonnyq]

Strong beers are an acquired taste like any other form of alcohol your taste buds take time to attune to the flavors behind the alcohol.
An average glass of wine is 13% most people do not go overboard like drinking pints of wine.

 

[Drunkula]

most people do not go overboard like drinking pints of wine.

Nope. No wayyy, nooo. Never done that. Scooping it straight out of the fermenter with a pint pot. Nooooo.

 

[pms67]

I've tried them. The fact that I have never bought them again, even though they are available in the supermarket, tells me they must not have been that amazing.

Also, Pride and Joy is a pale ale, not an IPA.

Ok, each to their own I guess, they are the best beers on the shelf in my local co-op when I run out of homebrew, if my beers tasted like theirs I would be very very happy, I might never leave the house again

 

[jceg316]

My cousin had an accident which left him with no sense of smell, and now he only likes strong beers. He says it's because most taste is actually in smell, so IPAs are pretty useless to him, as are bitters etc. He loves Belgian ales because they have a big mouthfeel and he can tell "what's going on there".

 

[GerritT]

Stronger brews give you the opportunity to go loose with ALL THE HERBS and stuff.
It's more challenging to make a tasty <5% brew than a >8% brew.

But sometimes a good muscle relaxant needs its ABVs!

 

[kelper]

Acohol also adds to the mouthfeel, maybe that's why nablabs taste so disgusting - like wet cardboard.

 

[GerritT]

James Morton who wrote Brew says that alcohol is a flavour carrier?
Who am I to disagree

Some flavours dissolve in water, some in fatties like alcohol.

 

[strange-steve]

I started a poll where you can vote on your beer strength preference here so please have a look and cast your vote :hat:

 

[stigman]

I brew strong beers for a few reasons mainly 1. It can hide some flaws in your brewing process.
2. I have 3 kids and a missus that for some reason want me to do stuff with them, so I'm limited time wise.
And 3. I like to get pissed of an evening, plus 3 pints of strong ale looks to her like I'm not such a piss head.

currently have on keg a duvel ish Clone and a Belgian ipa with perle and Amarillo, both 9.2% HIC%

 

[MyQul]

Do you have a good mild recipe that you brew? I tried one and it's not very good, too thin and roasty, like a watered down dry stout...

As I say in my post for my Olde Albion, the key I've found is firstly to use a good English yeast and secondly to use as many tricks as you can to pack loads of body in

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/olde-albion-milde.80134/

 

[Hoppyland]

Stigman - aren't your reasons 2 and 3 just a little bit contradictory?

I do find this interesting, though, because there is something about strong beer that I just do not like. Maybe it isn't just about the alcohol level. I recall, back in the 1980s, having a brilliant idea. Or so I thought. Why not brew double-strength beer (8% instead of 4% ABV), condition it in a pressure barrel, and then dilute it 50:50 when serving. So I tried it a few times. Double malt, double hops - everything. I packed it in after about 3 tries. The 4% stuff tasted pretty good. The diluted 8% stuff did not.
I have no explanation for this. I was a very poor brewer back then, compared to now. The ingredients were pretty crap as well. But this does live in my memory - the difference seemed to be as great as it was unexpected.

 

[BeerCat]

Just for fun. I find most strong beers especially IPA's disgusting but there are some delicious ones out there.

 

[matt76]

I was just thinking, there are strong IPAs and Belgian beers, but are there many similarly strong (i.e. > 6 or 7% ABV) bitters?

After a moment's head scratching I thought of Adnam's Broadside, King Goblin and Fuller's Golden Pride..... are any of these particularly worth trying, or any other readily available ones worth a look?

(Not a fan at all of Hobgoblin but I don't automatically assume King Goblin is similar)

 

[dad_of_jon]

I was just thinking, there are strong IPAs and Belgian beers, but are there many similarly strong (i.e. > 6 or 7% ABV) bitters?

After a moment's head scratching I thought of Adnam's Broadside, King Goblin and Fuller's Golden Pride..... are any of these particularly worth trying, or any other readily available ones worth a look?

(Not a fan at all of Hobgoblin but I don't automatically assume King Goblin is similar)

if you like those then fullers 1645 and shepherd neame 1698 should be in your ballpark too.