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Asociación Civil Sin Fines de Lucro
(Personería Jurídica en Tramite) |
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The Quality of Beer |
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Charlie
PAPAZIAN |
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I have traveled the world tasting beers from both
large and tiny breweries. |
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There are countless beers that offer great pleasure
to beer drinkers. |
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I believe that it is essential that one realize that
different tastes and quirkiness breed uniqueness and admired character
and this is what establishes the value of many small breweries |
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Perhaps they brew beer with yesterday’s equipment,
another grade of malt, whole hops, and unique strains of yeast, but,
hey, really, beer is about flavor ! Isn’t it ? |
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One must realize that in general the beer industry regards “high quality
malt” as malt that does not “clog” or literally “gum” up the brewing
system with sticky betaglucans or malt low in protein. |
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Brewers
seek malt that is high in diastastic enzymes and also offers high yields
at lower cost. |
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These are a few of the demands at the top of the list
when beer industry accountants determine “quality malt.” Believe it ! |
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After these standards are met, the skilled brewer, to
their credit, manipulates what they have and produces a beer that is
consistent in quality and equal to yesterday’s production. |
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Now then, just because yields are not as great or protein content is a
bit high or the malted grain mash is a bit stickier than desired does
not mean that beer flavor must suffer ! |
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Indeed history itself reveals the fact that beer drinkers LOVED their
beers fifty years ago, one hundred years ago and one thousand years
ago. |
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They’ve always loved their beer ! |
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They loved
the flavor and the character of their beer, because the beers of any
time are that what people adore. |
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In this
fast paced world we live in now, where survival of large production
breweries is determined upon efficiency and stability of the beer -
diversity of flavor becomes secondary. |
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I have absolutely no doubt about this.
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What is
the real issue of “ beer quality ?” |
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I as a beer drinker do not seek cleanness of taste
and stability of beer. I seek flavor and diversity. |
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There are millions of others like me I’m quite sure. |
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We are in the minority, but we still are beer
drinkers with a thirst for beer. |
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It’s not about time of lagering. |
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It is not about hops, malt and water. |
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It is not about fermentation tanks: horizontal and shallow versus tall
and cylindrical. |
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It is not about one singular aspect being pitted against another. |
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It is about the culture of brewing that is predisposed to techno
stainless or retro-pitch-lined wood. |
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There IS indeed a difference. |
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It is in the minds and personality of the company and brewers. |
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They
convey this personality and subconscious technique to every process
throughout the brewery. |
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There are many beer drinkers who taste and buy
personality. |
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There are many beer drinkers whose imagination
dictates what they buy. |
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If money is king then you had better not forget the
imagination. - Not only the beer drinker’s imagination, but also the
brewer’s imagination mindfully influencing the perceived complexity of
flavor. |
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It has to do with something called pleasure, which by
the way there is not a machine that can quantify flavor.
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Make no mistake about it, when a beer buyer has paid
money for their favorite beer they are not thinking about the best malt,
hop product, yeast and fermentation. |
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They are imagining the personality behind the beer. |
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The personality they themselves have invented and
will taste. |
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Yes perhaps beer from a smaller brewery might not
travel great distances as well as one brewed in a high-tech facility. |
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Yes perhaps beer from a smaller brewery might not
travel great distances as well as one brewed in a high-tech facility. |
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Yes perhaps a beer must be enjoyed locally in order
to appreciate its finer points. |
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Yes perhaps the malt is local and does not have malt
specifications designed for large production breweries. |
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Perhaps the hops are age-enhanced and have developed
unique character. |
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The flavor is different than the multinational
quality brewed lager. |
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But does that mean it is inferior? |
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Does that mean that the techniques these brewers use
are any less admirable? |
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Ten years
ago I enjoyed beer served from a wooden barrel in a small farmhouse
brewery in the forested countryside of Estonia. |
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The malt was “half malted,” the brewery in
disrepair. |
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Unique aromas filled the brewery.
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Yet I will never forget how memorably delicious that
beer was. |
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Brewed locally for the small town in which it was
located, this brewery served pleasure and the tastes of the community.
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In my opinion its “quality” was no less than the
largest brewers in the world. |
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Have you ever had a cashew fruit?
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Unless you are in a tropical place when it is in
season, you have not. |
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The fruit does not travel. |
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It must be enjoyed within hours of picking.
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Because it is not stable, does not travel well, nor
been hybridized - mean that the cashew fruit is not absolutely and
uniquely delicious ? |
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Absolutely NOT ! |
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Because it has been left alone, even the flavor
qualities vary from tree to tree ! |
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What a treat ! |
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What diversity ! |
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What pleasure this brings to human individuals who
relish the world of flavor and taste. |
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The character of the finest blue cheese results from
the introduction of a menagerie of microorganisms. |
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Each type of cheese is processed differently
to produce exquisitely regarded character. |
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Age, complexity of ingredients and process often
result in complexity of flavor. |
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This is something that all humans inherently admire,
but perhaps we are being bred not to appreciate any more.
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What a shame to deny ourselves the pleasure of
diversity. |
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The world of the small brewer emphasizes flavor and
diversity. |
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The qualities vary – and this can be and usually is a
welcome treat to the beer drinker seeking pleasure. |
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“Quality” is a word thrown about too often by those
who really don’t wish to face the un quantified world of pleasure.
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Let’s get down to talking about what really matters.
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Perhaps it is the potential loss of pleasure, flavor
and diversity that beer drinkers have begun to mourn and miss?
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Small,
independent and traditional brewers products are vital in order to
create consumer confidence in beer. |
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My respect for the quality, flavor and diversity of
American and International small Craft Brewers continues to be
elevated. |
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Why? |
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Because 30 years ago I didn’t understand the
difference. Now I do. |
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Charlie Papazian |
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Boulder, Colorado USA |
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