Interesting comparo

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Thursday Apr 19, 2007 12:20 pm

At a craftbrewers meeting at the local HBS the store owner gave us two commercial beers to blind taste side by side.

Both were very pale & dry, one was ever so slightly cloudy than the other, the slightly cloudy one also had a very slight extra bit of bitterness on the finish - they were extremely close, like if they weren't side by side you wouldn't be able to pick the difference.

the beers in question?

the slightly cloudy one was Coopers Pale Ale

the other one, wait for it...

Pure Blonde! I shit you not!

rwh · Post by **rwh** » Thursday Apr 19, 2007 12:56 pm

I've always thought Coopers green was overrated and Pure Blond is one of the worst beers I've ever tasted. Coopers red, on the other hand, is glorious.

buscador · Post by **buscador** » Thursday Apr 19, 2007 7:06 pm

drank a pure blonde the other day
it was bought for me while i was outside
just wouldnt think they could be alike!!??

have to give that a try, but dont want to drink another pure blonde
what to do?

b

geoffclifton · Post by **geoffclifton** » Thursday Apr 19, 2007 7:55 pm

On a similar note when I brewed up last night, after de labeling, simmering and inverting all the cans (5) I had a Coopers Australian Pale Ale which was marked "SPARKLING" on the base. Now have to look at some new cans to find out but I'm wondering if one kit can might be labeled as more than one style but is the same kit?

Cheers, Geoff.

rwh · Post by **rwh** » Friday Apr 20, 2007 12:18 am

Actually, it strikes me to ask: what temperature were they served at? The pure blonde is a lager, and the pale ale is an ale (obviously). If they were both served ice cold I could imagine them tasting similar, but warm them up a bit and I would bet that the ale would fare much better. There's nothing worse than a warm lager, and a cold ale is just a waste.

Pale_Ale · Post by **Pale_Ale** » Friday Apr 20, 2007 9:48 am

rwh wrote:I've always thought Coopers green was overrated and Pure Blond is one of the worst beers I've ever tasted. Coopers red, on the other hand, is glorious.

I don't think it's possible to overrate Coopers Pale Ale. It is one of the best beers in the world IMO. It's everything a commercial beer should be - well-balanced, unpretentious and value for money! Not to mention one of the best sessional beers - maybe it's because I drink it alot,but it doesn't seem to affect me in the morning like other beers.

On the other hand Pure Blonde is a mediocre beer without character but I would say there are far worse - read:VB

drsmurto · Post by **drsmurto** » Friday Apr 20, 2007 10:01 am

CPA vs an american inspired diet beer. Pffffffffft!

Agree with PA - CPA is a top beer that i could sit on all day.

Agree with rwh - serving temp is all important. My partner drinks the pure blondes and when i pinch one it needs to be damn near freezing to make it ok. CPA improves as it warms up, as does the sparkling.

Blind tasting is very tricky, the eyes are much more involved in tasting that most people would think. You couldnt mistake a CSA tho, the extra oomph would be hard to miss.

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Friday Apr 20, 2007 11:27 am

laser temp was something like 7*c, so in between ideal for either of them

So this begs the question, were we shit at beer tasting or is the bias against PB/For Coopers more brand oriented than actual taste oriented?

Pale_Ale · Post by **Pale_Ale** » Friday Apr 20, 2007 1:25 pm

Ash wrote:laser temp was something like 7*c, so in between ideal for either of them

So this begs the question, were we shit at beer tasting or is the bias against PB/For Coopers more brand oriented than actual taste oriented?

LOL It's a question worth thinking about IMO

That said, I would like to think I can discern between CPA and Pure Blonde. I drink alot of CPA so I'm fairly certain I could tell it apart from anything like Pure Blonde.

Boonie · Post by **Boonie** » Friday Apr 20, 2007 3:16 pm

Pale_Ale wrote:
Ash wrote:laser temp was something like 7*c, so in between ideal for either of them

So this begs the question, were we shit at beer tasting or is the bias against PB/For Coopers more brand oriented than actual taste oriented?
LOL It's a question worth thinking about IMO

That said, I would like to think I can discern between CPA and Pure Blonde. I drink alot of CPA so I'm fairly certain I could tell it apart from anything like Pure Blonde.

CPA is alot more bitter IMO.......and nicer

I had a Schooner of Pure Blonde and it was nicer than a bottle. Always is for some reason, could be the temperature it is served at.

CPA has a very distinctive stronger smell to it too, whereas Blonde is a light smell. IMO smell is the major factor in beers as taste is very much affected by smell.

Quote from a website

"Many flavors are recognized mainly through the sense of smell. If you hold your nose while eating chocolate, for example, you will have trouble identifying the chocolate flavor, even though you can distinguish the food's sweetness or bitterness. This is because the familiar flavor of chocolate is sensed largely by odor. So is the well-known flavor of coffee. This is why a person who wishes to fully savor a delicious flavor (e.g., an expert chef testing his own creation) will exhale through his nose after each swallow."

This is why I like aroma hops......sorry, a little bit off topic there.

Smell = Taste