BA Group Think or Clueless Masses?

It would be perfectly fine by me if the number scores for reviews were completely taken away. Let the content of the review speak for itself. Rolling Stone use to not give star ratings for albums, and you had to read and comprehend the review. Which, even if you did not agree with, was well written. For many years (decades?) now they give a star rating and about a paragraph review (sometimes only 3 sentences) and call it a day. Blah. People are too wrapped up in the score, and don't bother to care about the content. Which should be the opposite...IMO at least. But then, how would people know what hyped beer to stand in line for next if the score wasn't over 4.4?

 

That sort of thing made Robert Parker a fortune.

 

Yea idk I don't buy the stuff but if I ventured a guess I would say its a buck or 2 more a 6pack of Bud. The other "good" local craft that gets caned (not the same brewer as the swill) IPA is normally $8-$10 in the store for a sixer.
I also don't want to make it seem this is what is bought most because it's not. College kids typically buy a 24 pack of Natty or something of the sort for getting drunk. However when they want to look a certain way or have a pack of craft to take to a pregame thats when they grab the swill.
Theres alos people drinking good craft around too so i'm not trying to peg the whole campus in any sort of light, just sharing what iv'e seen in the past two years or so.

 

Why they'd know by reading the reviews or by social media type info they get from their friends and other people. Instead of BA review/ratings numbers they'd make up their own numbers and/or words and use those with lots of them having different meanings for what they were saying.

Personally I'd not like to see the numbers taken away since with well over 100,000 beers in the database I can use the number as a first level filter for identifying beers that might be worth my time to read the reviews and then use that to decide whaich beers might be worth my cash.

 

One would think, yes. But it's local. Support Local is cool now. One could also ask where they get money for the latest iPhone, for shopping at Whole Foods, etc. that is trendy and normally out of reach of someone on a student's budget. Farm to table man. Support Local. Like, keep the money local and stuff.

 

Just a bit of hyperbole and sarcasm. I understand why people like the ratings numbers, and know there are many more ways to hype up any release. Personally I would much rather read reviews than look at scores. I would rather read Rolling Stones review of Plastic Ono Band while they compare that to the latest Joni Mitchell or Paul Simon release (none of which they gave a star rating for) than their star rating of the latest Jack White release with barely a paragraph written. I personally don't get very much info from a general rating. That is all I was trying to get across.

 

I run into these sort of things in upstate NY when visiting family. One above average brewery in the Glens Falls area and a lot of very bad beers at other breweries/brewpubs. But, people like hanging out at brewpubs and the atmosphere is usually convivial. It's about having a good time not about chasing the hottest beer or IPA with the most hops crammed into the dry-hopped (which is another issue altogether). There are plenty of times I'll choose mediocre beer with a fun crowd over a craft beer bar with a bunch of neckbeards bragging about who was first in line for the latest release.

 

Also, they have all credit cards and the idea of a student budget is pretty nonexistent these days.

 

Not for me... my beer consumption is usually limited by the depressingly small amount on the debit card.

 

You know those wine and whiskey sites? Most here would be that "sheep" you are talking about. Enjoy some of it but just don't have the knowledge or palate for it, but enjoy the atmosphere and fun that surrounds it.

I was at Founders a while back with my brother in law and step son. My step son only likes "the closest thing to Bud Light" so he had that and my brother in law and me had CBS. Not a big deal, we all had fun and enjoyed ourselves.

Most people don't take beer as seriously as everyone on this site. It's supposed to be fun so just enjoy what you like, let others do the same and who gives a shit about the rest.

 

Lots of good answers and I think the two best are>>>>>>>>>>>>Local breweries attract locals and they will hang out and drink the beer no matter what. Also, IMO there is a little biased because of the whale and 250 ratings on BA, but that is to be expected, not really anyones fault...

 

I enjoy going to every little brewery I can find. Does everyone make world class beer? No but it is an excuse to get out and travel a little bit and explore cool places and treat some friends and family to a drink or two. Plus I have rarely had a "bad" beer. I live 10 minutes from Kuhnhenn but ever since this new place called Brooks opened I have been going there. It has better service even when very busy and has a great projection screen to watch the game. Beer is not bad either.

 

Sure it's fun having a face melting 3 Floyd's DIPA but I'd trade those in everyday for going to the local brewpub literally a 5 minute walk from my house on a summer night with friends watching a baseball game.

Sure there beer isn't great but its fresh. Also there is something to be said that I am helping a local realize his dream of opening a brewery instead of some big headed brewer who could care less.

 

You mean "couldn't care less"

I can't stand when I see that mistake. Its a quirky pet peeve of mine. I'm sorry.

 

Went in to a local Greenville brewery a few months ago, 8 beers on tap, I had 2 flights of 4, not one beer among the bunch that I would have purchased a pint of, and I gave it a fair shot, because the girl pouring the beer was cute, but couldn't get past the mediocrity...but people were coming in and out of there, getting growlers filled, and just raving about the beer.

I think its a combination of it being a local thing/new fad/lack of beer knowledge, but I swear they could have been serving tepid bathwater out of one of the taps, and some homer would say how good it is

 

If the beer sucks and the patrons are groupthink sheep . . . why were YOU there?

 

Been in that situation many times. Everyone else there likes the Emperor's new clothes. Don't you?

 

I thought you were describing the brewery by my house. Everything is kind of meh aside from one that's remarkably average. The staff is all people that don't know much about beer. If you ask any question about the beer they can't explain anything about it. The food is average at best. It kind of reminds me of a chain restaurant that also has some micro brew beer. The thing is that it's always packed. It blows my mind. I'll stop in every once in a while just to see if they have improved quality, but it's always the same. I actually heard one of the staff describe one of their IPA's as the skunky one.

On a side note there is a restaurant (also local) that is practically a Denny's, but they have higher prices. It has about 150 items on the menu, sub par beer selection, sub par wine selection and it's always packed. I can't figure it out. I went one time and ate my bland food and said never again.

I like the eat locally drink locally thing, but if the product sucks I'm not going to do it.

 

Umm, just drink what you like? I don't like grapefruit juice, so I don't drink it. Problem solved. I don't rate beer and seldom review ratings. So the beer was average for the average drinker. That's probably 65% of the craft beer these days. Look at hamburgers for example. You have McD's, say a Chili's type place, or a hamburger joint with good beef and a grill. Then you have Kobe beef, hand ground and seasoned, char grilled over hardwood charcoal. Cooked medium rare with caramelized onions. They are all hamburgers. People eat all of them. What do most people eat? What do average people eat. What do you eat. Start there.