Regional rating bias

I'll give you an example of regional rating bias: those North Carolinians really like to overhype Hop Drop.

 

I stand corrected. My point was not a GABF recap. Columbus took the gold in Imperial IPA and bronze in American IPA.

Just trying to frame the discussion with the idea that 2/3 of an industry sanctioned event seems to hold an opinion that there is more happening in the IPA world than what's happening on the coasts. Particularly since all the IPA winners are in the Midwest.

Category: 54 American-Style India Pale Ale - 279 Entries
Gold: Breakside IPA, Breakside Brewery, Milwaukie, OR
Silver: Heyoka, Half Acre Beer Co., Chicago, IL
Bronze: Bodhi, Columbus Brewing Co., Columbus, OH

Category: 55 Imperial India Pale Ale - 135 Entries
Gold: Creeper, Columbus Brewing Co., Columbus, OH
Silver: Hop 15, Port Brewing Co., San Marcos, CA
Bronze: Pliny the Elder, Russian River Brewing Co., Santa Rosa, CA

 

I think we all know that Ohio is making good beers, but I just wanted to add some clarity and fact to your comment. When you said GABF winning IPA, i just thought you meant GABF winning IPA.

For clarity:

Breakside took a Gold in the American IPA section and a bronze in the American Strong Pale Ale category (aka IPA #2) and Barley Browns took Gold in the Fresh Hop Style (aka IPA #3)

Category: 17 Fresh or Wet Hop Ale - 34 Entries
Gold: Fresh Hop Pallet Jack IPA, Barley Brown’s Brew Pub, Baker City, OR
Silver: Fresh Hop Superpower IPA, Comrade Brewing Co., Denver, CO
Bronze: Acequia IPA, Bosque Brewing Co., Albuquerque, NM

Category: 54 American-Style India Pale Ale - 279 Entries
Gold: Breakside IPA, Breakside Brewery, Milwaukie, OR
Silver: Heyoka, Half Acre Beer Co., Chicago, IL
Bronze: Bodhi, Columbus Brewing Co., Columbus, OH

Category: 53 American-Style Strong Pale Ale - 134 Entries
Gold: Scepter Head, Draught Works, Missoula, MT
Silver: Fire Eagle, Austin Beerworks, Austin, TX
Bronze: Breakside Wanderlust IPA, Breakside Brewery, Milwaukie, OR

 

Eh, whatever. I like plenty of Texas beers just as mush as anything I have had from other parts of the country. Bad beers are made in Texas, just like bad beers are made everywhere else. Not going to stop me from thoroughly enjoying Saint Arnold 20th Anniversary Barleywine, Live Oak Hefe, Real Ale Coffee Porter, or Lone Pint Yellow Rose...just to name a few excellent regional beers in my area.

 

The best is in the west!

 

True, but part of my point was that perhaps what you observed is that the westerners have a different or narrower definition of good beers than the easterners and mid-westerners, rather than a reason to think more good beers are being made in the west. There are regional variations in tastes.

 

While I agree with your fundamental point, I think it's exactly reversed. I only moved out here 14 years ago, but even then, expectations were higher here. It's just ingrained. A beer that BA's have a low opinion of, Mac N Jacks Amber, is the single best selling brand in Western Washington. It's a decently solid amber, and has been the "gateway" beer for a lot of people, much in the same way Fat Tire was, just without the cult.

While true that, especially with IPAs and variants, we tend to be a bit harsher crowd, we (collectively), drink more of the other styles. In other words, we actually drink, or at least try, more of everything, and, being a more mature market, aren't automatically impressed by every new thing.

 

All relevant, but as usual in these questions, in the absence of statistical data our observations are evidence, but not confirmatory or supportive of a unique conclusion. Much of what you say, using different beers as examples, could be said of the greater Philly or SEPA area as well. And much of both sets of observations, mine and yours, could be a result of freshness as well. Truck transportation of bottled beer across the continental US has a small but noticeable effect from the vibration, etc. so there are still good reasons beer is best consumed "fresh and in sight of the brewery."

 

As mentioned upthread, I will restate it simplier - I think there are more East Coast BA members reviewing on this forum than any other region. Any way we can get math on at least this part of that theory?

For over a decade there have been a series of awesome craft beer distributors working my state (and its laws) that really have cracked open the floodgates for bringing beers from all regions and especially those Belgians. Arizona does sample from everywhere - a shout out to all their hard work in bringing us variety!

 

Since it seems focused on IPAs, I'll keep my opinion on this topic to them. I've lived in Tacoma, WA - 7 years and in Boston, MA - 10 years. 100% agreed that on average there is more ingrained beer culture and access on the west coast. I'd even concede that local shelf beer is not only way more accessible, but of a higher quality than their average east coast counterparts - probably leading to a tougher rating scale. However, I have tried a pretty good sampling of the "upper echelon" and highly BA-rated IPAs. I think there is a difference, but more regional and not east vs. west. I think WA, OR, and CA have a more similar beer culture, beer expectation, and rating scale to each other than Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Florida do to each other. There are definitely some higher rated IPAs (in the top 250) out there that I scratch my head and ask why - both from the east and west. But the very top beers are there for a reason. I think on average, the rating system levels out any inflated or deflated regional ratings. The best of the best are accurate.

 

Maybe people on the Left Coast are just crankier.

 

Beers should only be rated when drunk on tap at the brewery

 

For someone who says travel can be eye opening you certainly made a myopic statement.

Do you honestly believe that people one this board who review beers, biased or not, do not seek out regional beers when they travel?

 

I think this is a major reason why beer is more likely to travel east rather than west-

Population Density Map

 

LG

Right, because everyone travels just for beer. You'd never say, go to a wedding in some place like Philadelphia where you're on a tight schedule that prohibits you from seeking out better beer. You wouldn't be limited to just Yuengling and bud at the wedding reception. Nope, stuff like that doesn't happen and couldn't possibly be what I was referring to in my post. And that certainly wasn't my experience the past two days.

In all seriousness, maybe I should have clarified that BEER travel can be eye opening. I honestly didn't think I needed to be that explicit. I'll be sure to talk down more in subsequent posts.

 

Could the local bias be as more a freshness issue. I have had a few west coast beers (especially IPA's) that are nothing like the reviews. I assume that is old beer and will not review them.

 

I haven't read all the posts yet (will later) but I concur w/ the OP's theory. There are very few beers from other regions that have lived up to the hype for me (and a lot that have just left me scratching my head), whereas I feel like I'm regularly finding under-the-radar gems around here that don't get the appreciation they deserve, even locally. And I really hope it stays that way.

 

Hey, cut me some slack. I'm only one person and there are only so many hours in the day.