Complexity vs. simplicity?

[_CJ]

I was down at Bristol Brewing a while ago, and they have a new double IPA on tap with some ridiculous number of differing varieties of hops. I wasn't really impressed with the beer at all, but it got me thinking about complexity vs. simplicity.

I'm thinking about it this way....with a basic color palet, you can mix yellow and red to come up with a striking orange, but if you start to mix in other colors, it just comes up brown. I have always prefered simple, clean, and striking beer to super complex.

What's your opinion of the quest for complexity these days? A delightfull rainbow of flavors, or a puddle of mud?

[Jeepindog]

One of the most, if not *THE* most, striking feature of a beer is clarity. A crystal clear, (referred to as bright,) beer tends to make someone take notice. When it is that clear and *NOT* filtered, then you really have something. Complexity in flavor is what craft- and homebrewed beers are all about. An interesting grain bill, hop profile, yeast strain, fermentation protocol, additional ingredients like adjuncts or spices, etc, all combine to make a brew more complex. Sometimes that complexity is only noticeable at the proper serving temperature or in the right type of serving glass. That's why there are so many different types of glasses- it's not just a marketing ploy. In Belgium each brewery has its own glass, sometimes a different one for each beer. An ice cold beer will mask a lot of its flavor. A freshly poured beer will not develop its bouquet. Proper temp, as intended by the brewer, and allowing a freshly poured beer to breathe for a few minutes will bring its complexity out. Allowing some CO2 to come out of solution and "exhale" the aroma can greatly enhance the perception of the beer.

[Snotty]

I like both and think both can equally as good or bad. I have two very simple beers and some moderate and some very complex.

Now if I can just get the buggers clear...

[denverd0n]

The very best beers I've had have been relatively simple. The "complexity" comes from the proper blending of sweetness, bitterness, and hop flavors. It does not have to come from a long list of different malts and hops.

I've tried God-only knows how many beer recipes over the years, and went through a phase sometime back when every beer I made had to have at least five different types of malts and four varieties of hops. When I brew nowadays, about 80% of the time, it is a very simply pale ale that consists of two-row, crystal, and one variety of hops in three additions. It still has plenty of complexity to its flavor.

[Jeepindog]

An interesting grain bill, hop profile, yeast strain, fermentation protocol, additional ingredients like adjuncts or spices, etc, all combine to make a brew more complex.

If it's not done right, then it results in liquid junk. It's all about balance and relationships. Someone list three beers that are known to be complex, and we'll look at them individually.

[Snotty]

If it's not done right, then it results in liquid junk. It's all about balance and relationships. Someone list three beers that are known to be complex, and we'll look at them individually.

Fiund this out with Crystal! To much = bad!!!

[1BGDOG]

I think the Bristol Double IPA ( from the Edge city series) has like 27 different hops in it. A decent beer but come on.....

[jwjeep1]

I don't think a 12% alcohol beer is a double either. It is a decent beer though.

[Jeepindog]

I think the Bristol Double IPA ( from the Edge city series) has like 27 different hops in it. A decent beer but come on.....


I think it is an interesting beer, but not a double IPA. It's very hoppy, but overly sweet, and not in a malty-sweet way, either. Kind of like the XXX Warlock. Way too cloyingly sweet. Tastes like a mouthful of sugar and alcohol. Bristol does make a consistant beer, though! :flipoff2:

[_CJ]

I enjoyed the 1.5 IPA at Bristol far more than the 2.0. The 1.5 is kind of like a double Red Rocket. 8%, nice aroma, and not too heavy or sweet. Much cleaner than the muddled up double IPA. I think I'm supposed to call it ummmm, bright or crisp or something?