[JJeffers09]

I'm in agreement that most craft beer sucks, sadly. While Denny is right, I haven't tried them all and therefore don't have real numbers, I have tried many Maryland beers...and Derrick's numbers are pretty close. Some are simply only in business because they're a local brewery. I'd say it's about 25% God-awful, 45% drinkable, and 30% is very good. (*cough*flyingdogisone*cough*)

My default beer is Yuengling.

Someone on here mentioned Hamms, which has also become a staple for me. Brian, you owe it to yourself to put down the Coors and try and find some fresh Hamms. Very helles-like, and I'm pretty sure they're low-O₂. And Hamms is $12.84 for a 24-pack here in MD, so up your way...

I may need to get my eyes checked.  You could not have just mentioned Hamms and Helles together...

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[EnkAMania]

I may need to get my eyes checked.  You could not have just mentioned Hamms and Helles together...

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Back in the 80's I drank Helles amounts of Hamms

[denny]

One might be able to say that they don't like the flavor of American Macro beers, but the fact is they are a better made product than about 75% of the craft beer out there.


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I think your percentage is high.  I'd just say "better than many".  Unless you've tried them all, there's no way you could call out an exact percentage.

Correction: "...better made products than a vast majority of craft beer out there."

Ok, if that's what you want to say.  I can't say "vast majority" based on my experience.

[Big Monk]

One might be able to say that they don't like the flavor of American Macro beers, but the fact is they are a better made product than about 75% of the craft beer out there.


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I think your percentage is high.  I'd just say "better than many".  Unless you've tried them all, there's no way you could call out an exact percentage.

Correction: "...better made products than a vast majority of craft beer out there."

Ok, if that's what you want to say.  I can't say "vast majority" based on my experience.

Take out the fact that you may not enjoy the flavor. You would go on the record as saying that Budweiser is not a more consistent and well made product than a vast majority of craft beers? I'm not talking about exceptional craft here. They are the monitory to the vast majority in talking about.

[The Beerery]

Hamms started in the land of sky blue waters, Minnesota. My grandpa actually helped build the brewery. We can get hamms here for $14 a 30 pack. I don't like hamms as it has an earthy hop note or something that rubs me wrong. 


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[BrewBama]

I don't think it's limited to local craft breweries. I remember Michelob tasting like celery.


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[Phil_M]

Hamms started in the land of sky blue waters, Minnesota. My grandpa actually helped build the brewery. We can get hamms here for $14 a 30 pack. I don't like hamms as it has an earthy hop note or something that rubs me wrong. 

Fair enough.

I may need to get my eyes checked.  You could not have just mentioned Hamms and Helles together...

Someone on here described it as such, and I think it fits the moniker as well as could be expected from an American brewery. Nice grainy malt flavor, kiss of hops, not much else. I don't detect corn or other adjuncts.

I don't think it's limited to local craft breweries. I remember Michelob tasting like celery.

That brings up another point: How much sucky beer is the fault of the distributor? Here in MD they're pretty much the ones controlling the industry...and there are no regulations to make sure they're not screwing the consumer over. I've recently found that the issues with old, stale beer being on shelves in my area isn't limited to craft beer...

[JJeffers09]

I must be more aware of the cidery sharp flavor of corn syrup.  There is no real way of getting away from that flavor.  It seems like most Coors production beers push the limit of brewing/fermenting big and blending before packaging.  Hamms has got to be my least favorite brew.  I try to avoid anything that comes in a 30 rack.  It doesn't scream, "This premium brew is what you have been waiting for."

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[HoosierBrew]

I must be more aware of the cidery sharp flavor of corn syrup.  There is no real way of getting away from that flavor.  It seems like most Coors production beers push the limit of brewing/fermenting big and blending before packaging.  Hamms has got to be my least favorite brew.  I try to avoid anything that comes in a 30 rack.  It doesn't scream, "This premium brew is what you have been waiting for."

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Have you ever tried Shaefer's ?  It was always in the cheap 30 pack section. I've had a lot of s****y beers but it's the all time champ. Tasted like sour weeds, and that's being kind.

[Phil_M]

I have noticed a cidery thing, but had racked that up to staleness. The first pack I bought was delicious, crisp and dry. The second pack, still in my fridge, tastes like it sat out in the back of a truck for a while. No hops, that typical stale sweetness, and yes I also get that tart cidery thing. Maybe my tastebuds were off for the first pack? If so I need to find out how to make them "off" more often, might save myself some money...

[erockrph]

One might be able to say that they don't like the flavor of American Macro beers, but the fact is they are a better made product than about 75% of the craft beer out there.


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I think your percentage is high.  I'd just say "better than many".  Unless you've tried them all, there's no way you could call out an exact percentage.

Correction: "...better made products than a vast majority of craft beer out there."

Ok, if that's what you want to say.  I can't say "vast majority" based on my experience.

I don't know if I'd say "vast majority", but in my area we have a glut of new breweries opening up and more than half of the ones I've tried are serving beer with obvious flaws, or just lackluster ones. Diacetyl is the big one, but I've had cheezy-hopped beer, inappropriately fusely/estery beers, every beer tastes the same (i.e., same base malt and yeast strain for everything), etc. There are plenty of good ones out there, but it's a coin-toss for me when I try beer from a new brewery.

I can't say I enjoy the flavor of most of the mass-market American lagers out there, but they do a much better job at QC than most craft breweries. I am very glad that we have Yuengling in my area now, and I won't hesitate to crack a tallboy of PBR every now and then.

[yso191]

I was just whining about this to my wife and a couple of friends.  Within the span of about six months Yakima has or will have four new breweries for a total of eleven.  Yakima has a population just shy of 100,000.  Ten years ago there was one brewery.  I love the idea that Yakima would become a Beer Mecca of sorts, but here is the problem:  the new start-ups apparently don't think temperature control during fermentation matters.  And one of the newer breweries actually pumps beer from the fermenter into an open cattle trough on a shelf so that they can gravity fill kegs.  I am friends with two of these brewery owners from before they had breweries.  It is really difficult to navigate the "So, what do you think of the beer?" question.

So, should you find yourself in Yakima, go to Bale Breaker & Bron Yr Aur (better yet, contact me and I will give you a beer tour).   I also have high hopes for the soon-to-open Varietal Brewing Co.  There are a couple of others that are making significant changes that I have hope for.  And there are another ~3 that are OK, but nothing interesting.

[JJeffers09]

I was just whining about this to my wife and a couple of friends.  Within the span of about six months Yakima has or will have four new breweries for a total of eleven.  Yakima has a population just shy of 100,000.  Ten years ago there was one brewery.  I love the idea that Yakima would become a Beer Mecca of sorts, but here is the problem:  the new start-ups apparently don't think temperature control during fermentation matters.  And one of the newer breweries actually pumps beer from the fermenter into an open cattle trough on a shelf so that they can gravity fill kegs.  I am friends with two of these brewery owners from before they had breweries.  It is really difficult to navigate the "So, what do you think of the beer?" question.

So, should you find yourself in Yakima, go to Bale Breaker & Bron Yr Aur (better yet, contact me and I will give you a beer tour).   I also have high hopes for the soon-to-open Varietal Brewing Co.  There are a couple of others that are making significant changes that I have hope for.  And there are another ~3 that are OK, but nothing interesting.

It's a shame.  It takes away from what should be a beautiful thing.  Take the Munich and Bavarian breweries.  Each have something wonderful going on.  A unique but delicious twist on their styles.  That's not to say they are all show stoppers either.  However I have never tasted a brew that completely missed the mark the 2x I was fortunate enough to travel. Then we take the regional spins here in the states and there are some seriously poisonous brews out there.  Too many brewers would benefit from talking to most of us here about their brewing process...

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[JJeffers09]

I must be more aware of the cidery sharp flavor of corn syrup.  There is no real way of getting away from that flavor.  It seems like most Coors production beers push the limit of brewing/fermenting big and blending before packaging.  Hamms has got to be my least favorite brew.  I try to avoid anything that comes in a 30 rack.  It doesn't scream, "This premium brew is what you have been waiting for."

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Have you ever tried Shaefer's ?  It was always in the cheap 30 pack section. I've had a lot of s****y beers but it's the all time champ. Tasted like sour weeds, and that's being kind.

Never.  But if it is worse than Milwaukee's best I'm out...

The funny thing is my kids brother fresh out of his frat house loves Hamms.  I frequently remind him it is s*** beer, and he frequently tells me he's thirsty for a real drink he will reach for some Rye.  When he's right he's right I guess.

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[HoosierBrew]

I must be more aware of the cidery sharp flavor of corn syrup.  There is no real way of getting away from that flavor.  It seems like most Coors production beers push the limit of brewing/fermenting big and blending before packaging.  Hamms has got to be my least favorite brew.  I try to avoid anything that comes in a 30 rack.  It doesn't scream, "This premium brew is what you have been waiting for."

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Have you ever tried Shaefer's ?  It was always in the cheap 30 pack section. I've had a lot of s****y beers but it's the all time champ. Tasted like sour weeds, and that's being kind.

Never.  But if it is worse than Milwaukee's best I'm out...

The funny thing is my kids brother fresh out of his frat house loves Hamms.  I frequently remind him it is s*** beer, and he frequently tells me he's thirsty for a real drink he will reach for some Rye.  When he's right he's right I guess.

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Yeah, makes Milwaukee's Best taste like Urquell. That bad. It was undrinkable even in college.