Why are some beers awesome on tap and rubbish in the bottle?

[Dave70]

Case in point, went for an overnighter on the bikes with a mate to Tamworth last Friday ( via Gloucester, over Barrington Tops and along the gloriously named Thundebolts Way if you're interested) and wound up drinking and eating at the Longyard Hotel.
The closest thing they had to an interesting beer on tap was Squires One Fifty Lashes, and it was facking delicious. Unlike the six pack version I took away from the bottle-o back to the hotel room that tasted like a poorly attempted clone. Not total crap, just bland-ish, you know?

Certainly not the first time I've encountered this, so what gives?

 

[Weizguy]

The supply chain for bottled beer is usually longer and more tortuous.

I love Murray's beer on tap, but it often loses a lot when I get a bottle from the bottlo. I prefer to drive the 10-15 minutes to the brewery. Maybe get a growler while I'm there.

 

[mmmyummybeer]

As Les said and some more possible reasons.
Better storage of kegs such as at cooler temps not exposed to light, quicker turn over of kegs so fresher beer, lower dissolved oxygen level in kegs therefore less diacetyl and oxidation, The bar tender could also have played with the gas setting or used a gas mix that may have changed the profile slight. Have had the same experience with beers in kegs, along with drinking one beer fantastically then they have changed the keg and the beer went to crap. Generally I recon the person in charge of the kegs tends to more knowledgeable about looking after beer than the person in charge of restocking the bottles.

 

[QldKev]

You only need to take one look at 1st choice up here. And their great big wall of beer than gets hammered by the sun every day. I've noticed a huge difference with fat yak. I think all as above, but also they get sanatised differently. Bottles are heat pasterised to give them a longer shelf life, where kegs are only UV treated.

 

[slash22000]

I really need to try 150 Lashes somewhere other than Darwin. There are bars with it on tap, but it just tastes like the same old VB "bitter nothing" to me, yet everybody talks about how good it is. Maybe it's just abuse in transport?

 

[Dave70]

You only need to take one look at 1st choice up here. And their great big wall of beer than gets hammered by the sun every day. I've noticed a huge difference with fat yak. I think all as above, but also they get sanatised differently. Bottles are heat pasterised to give them a longer shelf life, where kegs are only UV treated.

Is that so.
You'd think pasteurizing an alcoholic beverage packed in a pretty much sterilized enviroment would be kind of superfluous, but I think this alone would have to account for a notable difference in the flavor, at least in lighter bodied, hoppy ales or lagers.


Makes sense, I cant really tell the difference between Old on tap, or from the stubbie. Or from an ashtray.

 

[bum]

I really need to try 150 Lashes somewhere other than Darwin. There are bars with it on tap, but it just tastes like the same old VB "bitter nothing" to me, yet everybody talks about how good it is. Maybe it's just abuse in transport?

I find it the same in Melbourne.

In JS pubs.

 

[Nick JD]

The solution to this problem is to drink delicious crafted beer at home and bourbon and coke at the pub.