Diversify the top ranked brews

If the top 250 here represented a more or less even distribution among different styles rather than being IPA/RIS-heavy, who cares?

 

Can't agree more with this. A tasty beer is going to resonate more in the ratings, and RIS and IPAs can have really good flavor profiles.

That being said, Weihenstaphaner Hefeweissbier is in the top 250, and for good reason! It is my personal bar for what a what a beer should taste like.

 

the top 250 has ruined the trading forum

 

It's only ruined the trading forum for those of us, like me, who don't have access to exclusive beer. Folks in Iowa or northern Vermont probably bless the Top 250 every day of their lives because they can get virtually anything they want by trading what is mostly easy for them to get.

 

There is something that rubs me the wrong way about deciding that IPAs and Stouts are a "fad" because they dominate the top 250. While there is a chance of that there is also the chance that these beers simply appeal to more people's tastes, at least those that are seeking out good beer. I don't know which it is, but the whole (or at least a large portion of the) point of this site is to compile popular opinion and make is accessible. . . Wanting to intentionally diversify the top list seems to negate the idea of collecting and disseminating honest reviews. Just a weird stance to hold, like an affirmative action for taste buds.

 

I don't think the styles are a fad. I would hope it's a fad to only be able to disern quality from the most blatant, over the top, in your face flavors possible. It's not IPAs and Stouts that dominate the top 250, it's IIPAs, Imperial Stouts, and American Wilds. There's a very obvious reason for this and it's the same reason many people who first get into spicy food go full bore to the hottest extreme before recognising the true qualities that make spicy good.

 

Nope. Exactly the opposite. Is there an AAL that deserves a 5 rating? I haven't had one yet, but that doesn't mean someone doesn't, or won't, make one. And when I come across it, if I think it deserves a 5, I'll give it a 5. There are plenty of bbl-aged stouts out there that are just plain boozy messes, that probably deserve a score of 1-2, but because it's rare, they get rated 4+. Judge things against like things.

 

Unless one is a beer tasting judge (and I know there are some on this site), ratings are inevitably going to be influenced by people's personal preferences, which includes their stylistic leanings. Some might say that is part of the point of having a community that allows anyone who can click a mouse to rate any beer they want to.

And as long as people's individual style preferences are part of the rankings, any list that includes all active beers on the site will be more heavily populated by popular styles. As others have said, the best thing to do is to see the Top 250 for what it is--a popularity contest--rather than an objective comparison of which beers are "best". The individual style lists are also influenced by popularity and personal preferences, but at least those preferences are normalized to some degree, because a person who likes or doesn't like a particular style is theoretically going to have the same preconceptions about every beer in the list, rather than just some of the beers.

 

Simple solution is to make a separate top 250 for the best beers that nail their style. The bigger boozier beers generally have more flavor and will blow you away more often then a very good wheat beer that is dead on for the style.

 

OP, you have to understand, this is not a definitive list of the top 250 beers in the world it is a of the the top 250 beers rated by mostly like minded beer advocate members

As other posters have said, look at the rankings by style to get a fuller picture.

 

You really shouldn't get wrapped up in rankings, and if there is one list on this site that exemplifies that more than any other it's that one.

Use it as a guide that might point yourself some direction, but don't beat yourself up over it. I love a lot of other styles that will probably never be a part of it, so keep in mind of what you enjoy and leave it as your own little secret

Also note, that often the rankings are changing constantly now that they allow quick ratings from only a few users to get on to the list.

Find the diamonds in the rough... they are not that hard, that's half the fun. Good luck!

 

Why can't someone like IPAs because they like the taste, like me.

 

Seeing beers that i've had on the top 250 gives me confidence, and that confidence makes me more attractive to women.

"What is right is not always popular and what is popular is not always right." Albert Einstein discussing IPAs and IMP stouts vs Lagers and Pilsners.

 

Pilsners ARE lagers Einstein.

 

I'd like to see at top 250 list where every style is represented with at least the top 5 cadidates from each style included out of the 250. Even if the lowest 5 out of the 250 are American Adjunct lagers (or pick the lesser desireable styles). A one stop shop list to see what all of the best candidates are from every style, around the world etc.

 

Just look at the top lists for each style?

 

Yes but then you have to click on various style links. One list that represents every beer style. Sort of like state representation in American politics.

 

I was quasi with you until you started badmouthing skirt steak. That's crazy talk. Skirt steak is the food of the gods.