Why is it that American lagers have such a yeasty taste?
For example, tonight I bought (don't be real hard on me, the pipeline is slim) some of that new-fangled Bush Signature Copper Lager. It tastes like regular Bush to me. Same ol' crap, new color. Well, it is a bit stronger than the regular stuff. Still, that isn't the point. Like so many American lagers, I can definitely taste the yeast. At least I think that is what I'm tasting. I know in the case of Budweiser's beers I can always tell if it's a Budweiser product from the taste of the yeast. Everything under the Budweiser name tastes like Budweiser, or a variation of it.
Now, I've had some amazing lagers that were home-brewed with care. I never got any overpowering "yeast" taste from those. They truly were "clean" tasting. I got the malts, got the hops, maybe a hint of ester here and there. But not a big yeasty taste.
To wrap up this rap. Am I alone in noticing this? I ask because I sometimes notice flavors where other don't. For instance, Nottingham has a definite flavor I don't like. I learned to dislike it by brewing an ale with Nottingham at about 80F. It was overpowering and not enjoyable. After getting a handle on my temperature control, I could brew with Nottingham and keep its signature flavor under control. Still, I learned to notice it and despite brewing very acceptable beers with Nottingham, even the slightest trace of that particular flavor is offensive to me. It's still there when brewed at 66F, it just isn't easy to pick out. However, if you've ever tasted it in the 80F range it becomes something stuck in your head and you cannot ever recover from it. Thus, I don't brew with Nottingham anymore. It's a good yeast, but I ruined it for myself.
Back to the point. American lagers are not neutral tasting. They stink of the yeast they are made with. At least that is my assessment of them. In some way, I sort of wish I could just drink a darn beer again and not be so sensitive to the flavors. Being 21 and buying your first case of beer is bliss in a funny kind of way.
For example, tonight I bought (don't be real hard on me, the pipeline is slim) some of that new-fangled Bush Signature Copper Lager. It tastes like regular Bush to me. Same ol' crap, new color. Well, it is a bit stronger than the regular stuff. Still, that isn't the point. Like so many American lagers, I can definitely taste the yeast. At least I think that is what I'm tasting. I know in the case of Budweiser's beers I can always tell if it's a Budweiser product from the taste of the yeast. Everything under the Budweiser name tastes like Budweiser, or a variation of it.
Now, I've had some amazing lagers that were home-brewed with care. I never got any overpowering "yeast" taste from those. They truly were "clean" tasting. I got the malts, got the hops, maybe a hint of ester here and there. But not a big yeasty taste.
To wrap up this rap. Am I alone in noticing this? I ask because I sometimes notice flavors where other don't. For instance, Nottingham has a definite flavor I don't like. I learned to dislike it by brewing an ale with Nottingham at about 80F. It was overpowering and not enjoyable. After getting a handle on my temperature control, I could brew with Nottingham and keep its signature flavor under control. Still, I learned to notice it and despite brewing very acceptable beers with Nottingham, even the slightest trace of that particular flavor is offensive to me. It's still there when brewed at 66F, it just isn't easy to pick out. However, if you've ever tasted it in the 80F range it becomes something stuck in your head and you cannot ever recover from it. Thus, I don't brew with Nottingham anymore. It's a good yeast, but I ruined it for myself.
Back to the point. American lagers are not neutral tasting. They stink of the yeast they are made with. At least that is my assessment of them. In some way, I sort of wish I could just drink a darn beer again and not be so sensitive to the flavors. Being 21 and buying your first case of beer is bliss in a funny kind of way.
