Michael Jackson's World-Class Beers

From what I can recall, you were a member of the 'Chimay sucks, nowadays' club prior to starting that thread, but then came away from it saying "it's not really all that bad- kind of good, actually."

 

I know, not everything can be a helles or schwartzbier, but they deserve a little pat on the head every now and then as well.

 

You keep referencing a current list but there isn't one.
If you mean BeerAdvocate's current users' list, I'm not sure if there's anything to gain by equating the two.

 

The BA Top 250 Beers list is the list I'm referencing.
I'm not equating the two at all. Admittedly, I was not reading attentively, and missed the nature of the OP's question, but, nonetheless, in my response I was saying one list is relevant now and the other isn't - again, as far as the "top" beers go. That would be the opposite of equating.

 

As far as current top beers go, MJ's list is no longer relevant. As far as world-class beers go, it still is.

 

I really do think Saison Dupont deserves to be on there. It exemplifies the style perfectly, and is an elegant beer. Possibly a "cuvee dry-hopping" version should be considered more authentic, since for a long period all Saison Dupont was dry-hopped. Apparantly the dry hopping was replaced by a larger late addition in the boil

 

Any other beer that deserves to be added?

 

I think what you did was post a time when you were going to open a Chimay Blue. Than asked BAs wherever they were to find out what time that was in their time zone and join you this site commenting the beer. The was 6 pm EST in NJ. I was going to join but got busy and couldn't go pick up a bottle.

 

Just looked it up, sounds like a nice beer, too bad I can only get Golden Pheasant Czechvar and PU here. I'm surprised MJ didn't put down U Fleku as the classic Dunkel.

I have never had Brakspear Bitter, what is that like compred to Landlord?

 

While I don't 100% disagree with this sentiment, I think it's also fair to point out that one man's list of great beers is also subject to skepticism, based on the fact that it's just his (albeit educated) opinion. The list here on BA, while potentially pretty flawed, at least gives an idea of what the majority considers the best beers in the world. For example, while Guiness Extra Stout might be a fine beer, and very finely made, I think the "Top 250" list here more accurately represents my feelings towards it (in that it's not there), which is why I think MJ's list should be taken with a grain of salt (as should BA's, obviously).

 

That is indeed a fair point!

When it comes down to beer evaluation it is prudent that it not be single threaded to a just one individual. In beer competitions (e.g., European Beer Star Awards, World Cup, GABF, etc.) there is a panel of beer judges which collectively make the evaluations.

In every issue of Zymurgy there is a column entitled Commercial Calibration where four beer judges (who have attained the BJCP rank of Grand Master) evaluate two commercial beers per the BJCP score sheet. You get to read each judge’s write-ups and each of their individual scores.

There is absolutely no doubt that a single person’s evaluation is subjective per their individual palate. I wonder if there is truly any beer evaluation system that can truly be considered to be objective; certainly more evaluators is a step in the proper direction.

Cheers!

 

Is there now? Probably not as all I've looked at are flawed in some way. Could there be? Yes if someone were willing to pay the costs for the time and labor involved in development. The problem is not the subjectivity of the opinion itself, but the process of objectifying subjective evaluations. Its been done. It could be done again.