Controversial Beer Opinions Thread

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by Kraz, Feb 14, 2018.

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  1. jesskidden

    jesskidden Grand Pooh-Bah (3,071) Aug 10, 2005 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    The common wisdom in beer tasting (likely dating back to the era when few beers were over 5-6% abv, of course) was that one doesn't "spit out" beer. A Randy Mosher quote from an All About Beer article sums it up in one sentence:
     
  2. unlikelyspiderperson

    unlikelyspiderperson Grand Pooh-Bah (3,862) Mar 12, 2013 California
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    There's definitely an element of the trendy to hate thing but I think it's important to note that in many places (I feel like this is worse in places that had less developed craft production prior to neipa) craft beer shelves have become more than half neipa. If you don't really like the style that is an immediate frustration, but even as I enjoy the style and don't see any real problem with it I still find myself regularly annoyed or let down when I visit a brewery and it is nearly all they have on offer. Or when I see a brewery that I enjoy but have a hard time finding suddenly is everywhere, but only their new neipa. Add to that the traditionalists who are gonna be mad that it doesn't really taste much like any of the old world styles that the microbrew identity was partly built on. Then the folks who find the hype culture gross, or the hipster set it seems to have attracted annoying, or the perceived diminishing of technical brewing prowess some fear it invites. And it's not hard to see why neipa hating is a popular pass time.

    If I wanted juice I'd have a tiny bendy straw! Now get off all of our lawns!
     
  3. EmperorBatman

    EmperorBatman Zealot (717) Mar 16, 2018 Tennessee

    I enjoy NEIPAs often and I have to agree. I don’t care they made a bunch of variations on it with a somewhat different hop bill in each (it’s the grain bill that excites me about a beer anyway). At some point it just gets gatruitous. I get that it’s what sells, but by the same token it alienates enough beer fans that it’s a problem.
     
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  4. JimboBrews54

    JimboBrews54 Initiate (0) Apr 22, 2018 Michigan

    Hamm's is a good beer. Prove me wrong.
     
  5. drtth

    drtth Initiate (0) Nov 25, 2007 Pennsylvania
    In Memoriam

    That nice that he said that, he is after all an expert on brewing etc. but that's also a social convention not a necessity for evaluating the flavors of the beer. Back of the throat sensations exist with wines and whiskies as well but expert tasters/blenders do not need/use them to evaluate flavors. Swallowing is a plus, not a necessity.
     
    Squire likes this.
  6. IPAExpert69

    IPAExpert69 Savant (1,065) Aug 2, 2017 Pennsylvania

    Breaking news you won't get any push back on this site for that opinion. Get edgier, Natural Ice, for what it is, is a good beer.
     
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  7. BayAreaJoe

    BayAreaJoe Pooh-Bah (1,650) Nov 23, 2017 California
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Harrison8 likes this.
  8. drtth

    drtth Initiate (0) Nov 25, 2007 Pennsylvania
    In Memoriam

    One important qualification on this. It only holds true for trained, experienced and/or expert tasters.
     
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  9. JimboBrews54

    JimboBrews54 Initiate (0) Apr 22, 2018 Michigan

    How about any lambic or weird Brut combinations out there?
     
  10. papposilenus

    papposilenus Grand Pooh-Bah (3,208) Jun 21, 2014 New Hampshire
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    I wish it had ended right there.
     
  11. cavedave

    cavedave Grand Pooh-Bah (4,145) Mar 12, 2009 New York
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    What's funny to me is these old timers never said a word about how all WCIPA tasted the same, when pretty much every one was made from same small group of almost identical ingredients and the same process. They used terms such as palate scraper for the ones they loved, so keep that in mind when you read their criticisms, it could be simply they consider beers to be inferior that don't overwhelm and destroy taste buds, and have many subtle flavors.
     
  12. oldbean

    oldbean Initiate (0) Jun 30, 2005 Massachusetts

    I can't speak to wine but that's absolutely not the case with whiskey.
     
    SierraNevallagash likes this.
  13. drtth

    drtth Initiate (0) Nov 25, 2007 Pennsylvania
    In Memoriam

    Blenders don't swallow though.
     
  14. oldbean

    oldbean Initiate (0) Jun 30, 2005 Massachusetts

    Maximum haze IPA and maximum IBU IPAs are the same damn thing, arms-race beers that will wear out their welcome sooner or later.
     
  15. oldbean

    oldbean Initiate (0) Jun 30, 2005 Massachusetts

    They couldn't do their jobs if they did, but if you read pretty much any whiskey reviews, the finish is a hugely important part of the evaluation.
     
  16. cavedave

    cavedave Grand Pooh-Bah (4,145) Mar 12, 2009 New York
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    I love (if done well) everything from Bear Republic Hopsickle kind of WCIPA to Sloop Juice Bomb kind of NEIPA, and all in between, so I hope you're wrong.
     
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  17. drtth

    drtth Initiate (0) Nov 25, 2007 Pennsylvania
    In Memoriam

    Absolutely. A typical review will indeed include a focus on the finish as it is an important part of the review/evaluation.
     
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  18. islay

    islay Savant (1,187) Jan 6, 2008 Minnesota

    I encourage you not to ascribe ill intentions to those with whom you disagree. They can be making honest, heartfelt points; they're usually not trolling. I'm tempted to make a broader point about contemporary society and internet culture, but I'll stick to beer talk per this forum's title.

    That's the opposite of my experience. I heard a ton of complaints from "old timers" about West Coast IPAs tasting the same and otherwise knocking them. Sure, there were a lot of people bragging about drinking "palate wreckers" too. I actually think the ratio of naysayers to celebrators of WCIPAs was considerably higher than that of NEIPAs, at least until recently.
     
    thesherrybomber likes this.
  19. cavedave

    cavedave Grand Pooh-Bah (4,145) Mar 12, 2009 New York
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Call em as I see em. YMMV.
     
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  20. oldbean

    oldbean Initiate (0) Jun 30, 2005 Massachusetts

    I mean, it already happened with the IBU monsters, right?

    Also, I'm committing a bit of a No True Scotsman fallacy here, but when I say an "arms race" beer, I mean a beer that is brewed specifically to maximize one quality that is currently desirable in the market (high bitterness a decade ago, the appearance and consistency of milkshake today) and that is therefore not "done well" by definition.
     
    BBThunderbolt likes this.
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