I’ve been a craft beer drinker for 20 years, back when they were called “micro brews”.  Over those years, I’ve continued to expand my beer horizons with my tastes evolving over time.  I even tried brewing my own beer about 12 years ago and have continued to do that off an on with some batches great and some more sink-worthy (but those beers made some of best bratwurst I’ve ever had).  While I certainly have preferences for certain styles of beer (I’m a hard-core hop head), I try to keep an open mind about all beers. Over the last few years I’ve started dipping my toes in the Belgian waters which is a whole new world. While I still don’t like the banana and clove taste you get from certain Belgian yeast strains, I have found a number of Saisons and Quadrupels to be world class beers. Really the only beer styles I have a hard time keeping an open mind about are fruit-flavored beers and rauchbiers. Rare is the fruit-flavored beer that doesn’t taste like kid’s cough syrup.  Most I’ve had let the fruit dominate the beer and not serve as a complimentary flavor.  The handful of rauchbiers I’ve had were like drinking liquid beef jerky.  While that may sound like a good thing, in this case it wasn’t.But really, I’m a hop head. I don’t think I’ve ever had a beer that I considered “too hoppy”.  I love IPAs and Double/Imperial IPAs.  I enjoy drinking seasonally, with lighter beers in the summer and darker, stronger beers in the winter months.  This approach is also good because, in general, fresh beer is better.  I also try to find the right beer for the situation.  There are times when you don’t want a big high-gravity beer or a hop bomb.

Hopefully I can bring some entertainment to you here and look forward to interacting with you on the site.  You can get in touch with me directly by any method below.  If this was meant to be a one-way communication, I wouldn’t be here.  I want to hear what you like, what you don’t like, what beers have you tried lately that impressed you, etc. We all have different tastes and preferences.  Oh, and that part about there being no beer in heaven? I chose not to believe that. Prost!

Twitter: @MetsFanVI and @brewmaniacs
E-mail: cigarjoe@gmail.com

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