beers on the down trend.

In the past 4 years there has been an explosion in U.S. craft brewing and an expansion of existing brewers offerings

http://www.businessinsider.com/alchemist-craft-beer-market-boom-bubble-outlook-2013-12

 

That beer still belongs near the top of the list.

 

And its corollary: Flavor lies in the taste buds of the beer-holder.

 

The other problem with Sculpin is the cost - it's overpriced on both coasts.

 

Not sure about "fading into the crowd," but both Westy 12 and Abyss will always be classics.

 

Correction/Edit: expect to start seeing fresh OVERPRICED sculpin everywhere.

 

Ah, the lost diversity!

 

Not so sure. Both the Pliny's are still near the top. Westy 12 is still incredibly hard to get but is dropping. I think at least for IPA's, increased availability = greater risk of older/stale beers being consumed (and thus lots of lower ratings).

Why isn't Victory's Storm King as high as it was in early 2000's? Probably because it was one of only a small handful of imperial stouts being brewed back then compared to what can be found now-adays (and the barrel aging improvements to the style as well).

 

My thoughts are that it's not that most of the beers aren't as good as they were, (that may be the case in some) but that we beer geeks are always looking for the newest, more extreme beer, and the older ones are just old hat at this point.

 

I really don't think Westy is on a downtrend. It's still the excellent beer it's always been, quads just aren't the buzziest style right now, and it's falling as a result. It's definitely still one of, if not the, best quads out there.

Hopslam, on the other hand, is getting taken down by beers that are genuinely better than it, IIPAs that would blow the doors off anything (besides Pliny) that was brewed back when Hopslam was borderline revolutionary. The same can be said for Storm King and imperial stouts (though I still maintain that it's one of the best hop-forward versions of the style, and it is still very unique). Dark Lord's fall is both a combination of worse batches being brewed and much better RISs being brewed; the only reasons it is still relevant are the barrel-aged variants and the fanfare of Dark Lord Day itself.

I also think that KBS is falling off (or should be); it just doesn't hold up to many of the other great barrel-aged stouts (and even non-BA versions), adjuncts or not having recently drank it alongside CW Sixteen, Sump, and BCBS. It's still a good beer (probably even a great one), but I think a lot of its astronomical ratings are due to its relative rarity.

Before I had it on tap, I would've said Pliny the Elder, but it's completely worth its place after the beautiful experience that that was.

 

Don't know if it's all about hype.

 

I just bought a four pack of Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock to have as it gets colder - who cares if people don't talk about it. I just care how it tastes.

 

I live on the west coast, and Sculpin is a better value than Hop Stoopid (which is often included in any "best bargain" thread). This is before even considering that Sculpin is rated much higher than Hop Stoopid.

 

Barrel Aging is not necessarily an improvement, but it does impact the rarity factor.

 

if you like it drink it. the end.

 

not to mention Grapefruit Sculpin was incredible

 

/end thread?

 

end website? we're here to critique beers.

 

IMO: Hopslam, Nugget Nectar, Westy, Pliny

 

if you have had St Bernardus Abt 12, Westmalle Triple, and Chimay Blue, you know what Westy 12 tastes like.