Zymurgy's Top 50 list

A list is not flawed simply because you do not agree with it. Based on the metrics used there is no way you can argue with the results. This list is more useful to consumers than nearly any other list.

I have drank enough to develop my own palate, I can agree there is what could be considered a harshness to the bitterness but disagree that it is not balanced.

Sure there is a lot of shitty beer in stores but very few craft brewers have such a wide reach selling shitty beer. Saying SNPAs popularity is based on its availability alone and has nothing to do with quality is flawed logic.

 

Well, to be fair, the metrics used are batshit insane. Submitting 20 beers and counting them each identically is inanely useless, and knowing that it's really not surprising that the outcome is so bizarre.


And for the record, I don't really think SNPA is all that great. It's like Boston Lager in my mind, which is, "If there's no better beer around, sure."

 

How can you even praise beer like SNPA when you have access to Zombie Dust? Blasphemy!

 

I would certainly take Zombie Dust over SNPA any day but Three Floyd hates Michigan nearly as much as they hate being from Indiana

 

Obviously lits are subjective but I do find it curious/interesting/funny that Pliny the Younger is #48 on this list, but #1 on BA most popular (http://beeradvocate.com/lists/popular) and a 100 rating.

 

The list is based upon how many votes something gets. Far fewer people have had PtY and Heady Topper than PtE, Two Hearted, etc.
It isn't a poll based upon ratings - just how many "it's my favorite" votes something gets...and the voting is done entirely by relatively serious American homebrewers.
I'm not agreeing with it, in fact I find the lack of imports, lagers, sours, etc. almost insulting...but it makes sense.

 

If you have a fresh SNPA at the Taproom in Chico, it is deserving of the rating. Don't know where you are from or how old your samples are.

APA's like Zombie Dust and Daisy Cutter have plenty of bitterness. Some are where IPAs were not so long ago.

This made me laugh - " it's a matter of flavor balance and exploring new types of hops". I find many SN beers to be balanced. Citra hops were stuck at the 3 acre test plot until Sierra Nevada started to play around with them and used them in the Torpedo IPA. Then eveyone wanted those hops.

 

None sense, this was a popularity contest.

 

Can you give us an example of a poll that places the majority of the beers exactly where you think they should be placed? Or all they all flawed, weird and ridiculous?

 

I've had fresh SNPA a few times in Chico. Doesn't change my opinion of the beer overall. And a lot of SN's beers are excellent and better than their standard Pale for one reason or another. That's my point. And SNPA is not even in the same league as Zombie Dust, or even something like Red Chair from Deschutes.

Why are you and others getting so butthurt of my criticism of this poll? Why do I need to provide the name of another poll to validate my criticism of zymurgy's list?

Oh yeah, I don't.

We're talking 50 best beers in America. BEST beers. If Zymurgy's readers really think SNPA is the 4th best beer in America, they have a lot to learn.

 

Imports were just not in that link, but they are on the HBA page:
http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/pages/community/news/show?title=2012-best-beers-in-america

 

I think the contention and confusion is because the title is inaccurate. The title is "2012 Best Beers in America", yet the very first sentence of the article states "For the past 10 years, we've asked Zymurgy readers to share a list of their 20 favorite beers that are commercially available in the United States." Really the list should be titled "2012 Homebrewers Association's Favorite Beers". No more contention.

 

I'm sure we all have a lot to learn.

How did you develop such impressive knowledge, anyway? Probably you got a degree from one of the major brewing programs? Or maybe you teach? Or you've written a few books on beer and brewing? I'm sure you're BJCP certified. Or at least you've won a few national homebrewing awards, right? Let us in on your secret and perhaps some day we can all reach your standard of expertise.

 

You don't need "impressive knowledge" to know that SNPA shouldn't be #4. Just go look at the review section of this site (or the other beer review one.) Or just look at the winners of the national competitions in the past 4 years. SNPA is not usually among them.

Your comments are completely ridiculous. If you don't agree with me, that's fine, but no need to be condescending to another BA who offers a simple and valid criticism of a poorly-executed poll. Even if my bias was completely removed from this discussion, ratings don't lie. SNPA is not even in the top 15 pales on this site. Same goes for the other beer review website.

If SNPA is your #1 pale and/or your #4 beer overall, you should try more beer. That is all.

 

As always Kevin brings the common sense to the party.

Cheers!

 

The fact that Surly Abrasive insn't mentioned at all completely invalidates the list.

 

It’s not condescending for me to ask where you get your impressive knowledge. (Sarcastic, maybe, since I’m sure you realized that I was guessing you didn’t have any background, training, or experience worth mentioning.) What’s condescending is for you to suggest that people who don’t agree with your opinion “have a lot to learn.”
It’s a funny thing about beer: the more you learn about it, the more you understand how much you don’t know, and the less likely you are to expound on your opinions as if everyone who disagreed didn’t know what they were talking about and needed to learn more in order to reach your level of sophistication. Over and out.

 

HT will be on next year's list, definitely!

 

KBS at 37? Hell, I love Prima Pils too, but come on, that high?. Ranger? Dead Guy Ale? Even had Torpedo in the top #10. Just shows ones man's opinion, but I bet i could find 100 beers better than Ranger or Dead Guy without even trying hard.

 

Surprised to see Hop Stoopid and Yeti that low, and honestly surprised to see Sam Adam's on the list twice.