Ray Daniels (Twitter link), known in the craft beer world as the founder of the Cicerone Certification Program, recently posted some  comments that Boston Beer Company’s founder Jim Koch made in the trade publication Craft Business Daily (subscription required) that basically amount to Koch damning canned beer.

The initial thread, as reported by Beer Pulse, began yesterday afternoon when Ray tweeted:

Jim Koch (Boston Beer) says they’re working on beer in cans, but “the plastic absorbs some of beer flavor”.From @CraftBizDaily

— Ray Daniels (@Cicerone_org) July 17, 2012

and then:

Koch: “You can’t put the same beer in cans that you put in a bottle.”Agree when I taste Torpedo in can. From @CraftBizDaily

— Ray Daniels (@Cicerone_org) July 17, 2012

As expected, this touched-off a flash of commentary and outcry from all-over the craft beer community. it seems like there are a lot of opinions on the matter, and not a whole lot of facts, studies, or evidence one way or another.

Beer Pulse reached out to the Produce Development Manager at Sierra Nevada (who recently started canning their flagship Pale Ale),  Bill Manley, who had this to say:

“I respectfully disagree with the notion that there is a flavor difference between our bottles and cans. We’ve done extensive (exhaustive?) sensory and analytical analysis that suggests otherwise. In hundreds of double-blind trials we’ve found no statistical or analytical difference in flavors. There is literally no difference between the beer in the can and the beer in the bottle. Occasionally they come from the same bright beer tank.

The plastic argument also doesn’t hold much water with our lab analysis. The plastic lining in cans can scalp flavor but crown liners can scalp as much, or more, than can liners. The plastic under a crown is more dense than can-liners and can have a far more detrimental effect on flavor, specifically hop flavor. Our research shows little-to-slight deviation in longevity and hop aroma trials over extended aging. In fact, it gives a slight edge to cans at 120 days.”

Sierra Nevada obviously didn’t jump into canning their products without extensive research and development, and we’re pretty sure that a savvy businessman like Jim has done a fair share of research himself. Where does that leave the craft beer drinker? Who do you believe in the escalating bottle vs can debate?

We would encourage you to dismiss any preconceived notions or prejudices one way or the other and trust your palate above all else. I doubt that educated craft beer drinker would pass-over a beer that they would like to drink simply because it is canned, but if you prefer Sierra Nevada Torpedo from a bottle then that’s how you should drink it.

The ironic thing about this whole debate for us is that for years the craft beer industry mocked Bud-Miller-Coors because they spent so much time, effort, and marketing money focused on packaging. Vortex bottles, wide-mouth cans, punch-top, pull-tab, and mountains-turn blue labels were the only things that made one light lager different from another. Now that canning lines are becoming a possibility for craft breweries let’s hope that the movement will spur some advances in canning technology that are more than marketing gimmicks.

Most importantly, it is the beer that’s inside that counts. Be it a bottle or a can. Pour your craft beer into a glass and enjoy how it tastes ! Ray Daniels attempts to bow-out of the discussion with a tweet that cuts right to the heart of the argument:

I don’t care where a great beer comes from and obviously they can come from cans.But stupid to ignore differences.

— Ray Daniels (@Cicerone_org) July 18, 2012

Where do you land on the great can debate of 2012?

• Source: Beer Pulse – Sierra Nevada on the cans vs. bottles debate