SC - Beer (from whiskey thread)

[Philip & Susan Troy]

Tyrca at aol.com wrote:

> I disagree with Lord Robert, and agree with Alasdair.  My husband brews beer,
> and has definite ideas about what good beer tastes like, and even coaxes me
> to taste his new creations.  But every time I do, I give him the same answer
> again, it tastes like beer.  And he already knows that I do not like that
> bitter cringy taste at all, and never will.  I see no reason to force a
> fellow gourmand (as I hope we all are) to keep sampling something that he has
> dutifully tried, and does not like.  There are a world of things he can drink
> without partaking of beer, and besides, it leaves more beer for those of you
> who want it!
> 
> Tyrca

I ask for forgiveness in advance; what I have to say may sound harsher
than I intend.

Until you have figured out specifically what it is about beer that
bothers you, and have determined that that characteristic is inherent to
all beers, then you are unnecessarily limiting your horizons if you
simply refuse to experiment with an open mind.

What you describe as a bitter cringy taste is by no means present in all
beers. Most contain a noticeable flavor of hops, but the range is
extremely broad, and many beers contain a level of hops such that the
bitterness is _more_ than balanced by the sweetness of the malt, some
acids that are a product of fermentation, the flavor of any fruit that
might be present, and any esters that may be present, especially in
ales. Most period ales contain few or no hops. Even the period German
beers contain fewer hops that their modern counterparts.

Now, you certainly do have the right to refuse to experiment until you
find a beer that you enjoy, and I will respect your choice. On the other
hand, to condemn a product out of hand without having experienced it
properly (and a few bad experiences, or even twenty or thirty, don't
really constitute a fair cross-section, given the number of varieties
that exist), is wrong. The truth is that you have yet to find a beer you
have liked. That is not even close to being the same as saying beer is
vile. I hope you realize that this isn't specifically aimed at you,
since I don't think you used that word.

The rest of the truth, though, is that the technical term for people who
condemn groups of foods or beverages, without having given them a fair
chance, is not gourmand, but pill, and is the kind of behavior most of
us grow out of when we are still children.

Again, please understand this is a general rant, and not aimed
specifically at Lady Tyrca 

Adamantius, wearing his best asbestos drawers... 
______________________________________
Phil & Susan Troy
troy at asan.com
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