Quality is the Measuring Stick, not Crazy. Cheers for Session Beers. ps-still make crazy, I love it, too

Session Beer--  An enjoyer of a session beer can have several pints of them over a reasonable time in one sitting and still leave in a sober or close to sober condition.


I enjoy a well crafted session beer most of the time and the occasional ridiculous strength beer to expand the palate and imagination.  Through my personal experience, it appears that a large segment of enjoyers of craft brews places the supersomething beers on a different tier of existence than well made session beers.  It's no wonder some people look upon lovers of good beer as snobs.  We need high-gravity, super hoppy beers, but we also need to know how to make exemplary session-strength beers as well. 

I would propose a hypothesis that a high proportion of those who are constantly clamoring for superhoppy, superstrong, or superdark have, in fact, underdeveloped palates.  I should interject that I also enjoy superbeers.

I recently made a well bodied, but lighter version of my stout and I find it absolutely delicious.  It has enough roasty character to be tasted throughout a session, but it's not the black death against which many craft beer lovers would automatically compare it.  I can make black death, but that's the superlative, not an evening with a mug in hand.  One of my friends often falls prey to mass produced cheap beers, but asked me to bottle several liters for him to enjoy over Thanksgiving.  He and I both very much enjoy the coffee undertones and mouthfeel of the oats, flaked barley, and wheat.  This is a win, my friends, because I have not compromised quality and still pulled someone away from cheap beer.

Last night, I opened a bottle of my Hallertauer Amber which is slightly less than 5% alcohol, but balanced in favor of late hop additions.  It's absolutely fantastic and the hops are a present and pleasant flavor.  Again, it's a sessionable beer and it's wonderful.

One of the best beers I've had was a pilsner served at the bar at the Trump Towers in Chicago.  It had a light body which was thoroughly flavorful and a delightfully spicy hoppy edge.  Brewers of masterful lighter beers demonstrate infinitely more talent than those who can make a dime-a-dozen stout which oozes from the bottle or a beer which has been drowned in hops.  It's far more difficult to hide behind a more delicate beer than motor oil.

In short, we need our superbeers (I, too, am a fan), but we also need to make sure that we are able to appreciate them as part of a variety.  Imagine if the creator of the aforementioned heavenly Pilsner developed an IPA or a Stout...