Best Lessons You Have Learned From BA

I have three lessons:

1) Not to take the ratings here, or anywhere, too serious as they are just people's opinions about what they like. That is totally fine but I may not agree. I tend to not even look anymore until I am rating a beer.

2) Try all that you can, even if there are poor ratings. There are always personal outliers of beers that rate poorly but you love and vice versa with good beers that you may not like at all.

3) Another would be how to taste beer a bit more clinical rather then just a thumbs up or down. To think about what I'm tasting and what makes me enjoy it or not. I've also been able to broaden the way I would express what I taste in words a bit better then I used to for sure. Who says beer can't teach you vocabulary?!

 

I've learned a few great things from BA and from reading what others say in the forums:

• Freshness does make a difference with certain beers such as IPAs and lagers. I never knew how much so until I tried the differences.
• Enjoying from a glass instead of bottle or can the first time you try a new beer is key and sometimes the only way to enjoy certain beers.
• Try as many beers as you can even if the score some BA users give them are low. Your palate and taste is different than everyone else so you may find beers that you enjoy that 50% of others don't.
• Taking notes of all the beers that you come across lets you keep a detailed record on how well your palate has changed especially from drinking mainly macro beers to craft beer. Also it shows you which beer styles you tend to prefer and how you can venture more into that particular style.
• It's ok to dip back into a macro beer every once in a while. Some do it because it allows them to enjoy craft beer that much more, while others do it because no matter what you may have a special bond with that beer that can never be broken!

Cheers!

 

At least from BA Forums...

• Pilsners can be a thing of beauty

I personally was never a fan of them. I think it's something about the spiciness in the hops used.

But I think the fact that more experienced BA folk are just as likely to enjoy a well made lager as much (and probably more than!) a bourbon barrel aged imperial whale with maple cotton candy AND the fact that Firestone Walker & Russian River made a Pilsner as the kind of beer they like to drink... it made me give them another shot.

So far my favorite has been Cellarmaker Saazel Tov! I still wouldn't say it's my favorite style, but it's growing on me.

 

When I back in California I'd read all day about these amazing East Coast breweries and couldn't wait to get out here. Now that I'm here I can't wait to get back to the west coast.

What did I learn? enjoy what you have around you. Sure it's fun chasing whalez and dank sauce but at the end of the day there is so much good beer around you that there is no need to waste time and line UPS's pocket to try the latest and greatest.

I live 2 hours from treehouse and i'd trade that for a "shelf turd" Blazing World or Swami's any old day

 

How to stay on topic.

 

What do you have against evolution and innovation?

 

I would argue that Modern Times beers *are* evolved. They taste nothing like the classic grapefruit piney West Coast styles are normally known for. Then again, I haven't had an authentic NE IPA yet, so I don't know how they compare.

 

Check bottled-on or drink-by dates.
Everyone is a dick.
Don't be a dick.
Opinions are like buttholes.
My opinion is like a butthole.
A brewery either dies a hero or lives long enough to be acquired by a villain.

 

That was just a tongue in cheek comment; I think too much emphasis is placed on that sort of thing myself.

 

Palates may be legit, but I can't agree with those statistics about their opinions.

 

Oh, and if your local Wegman's gets a rare beer, it's kind of a dick move to buy it out entirely from a grocery worker when the beer guy isn't around (I didn't do this, just witnessed it).

 

They were relentless! Was pretty funny though.

 

That the beer community is full of people with very heavy opinions and your opinion only matter if the rest of population generally agrees with it.

 

This one took awhile, but:

Trading/chasing (generally) isn't worth it. The difference between the mega-sought after beers and those on the shelf are minute. The hype (and ratings increases because of the hype) is the only substantial difference.

 

I really can't calculate what I've learned from this website. Certainly (or unfortunately) a lot.
I can think of one specific post that influenced me more than any other singular post. It was by @TongoRad (sorry to single you out). Years ago, someone was asking for recommendations for a specific style, and he recommended some beers that were listed as that style, and others that weren't. That was an illuminating post. That one post kicked off an idea that caused me to embrace the fluidity between styles in a way that's probably beyond what TongoRad would approve of. Regardless, I'm very glad I read that post. My thanks to everyone who contributes here. There's quite a collective intelligence despite the knuckleheads (of which I am a member). Cheers!

 

You whippersnappers and your pens! I post everything on here with a quill and ink!!

 

Biggest lesson; Let that beer warm up a little !! Most of my life I was indoctrinated by the phrase "ice cold beer"

 

Price-point! Price-point! Price-point! To the tune, USA! USA! USA!

 

The importance of being fresh.

 

Learned a ton about lupalin shift and resetting my palate. I now make sure to buy unsalted crackers and water every time I buy hoppy beer.