Is there a correlation between how a beer tastes and its price?

Well.. If so, it's only because a more expensive beer usually has higher quality ingredients or was made with care over a longer period of time..

 

If you are an advocate of whisky barrel-aged beers, there is a direct correlation. There is a limited supply of expendable whisky casks to fill this demand and those beer prices are noticeably on the rise--and it doesn't appear that the additional cost is turning many of us away...

 

Does paying more for a bottle of beer mean it is guaranteed to be better? Absolutely not.

If you want to get all mathematical with it, I am sure there is a nice trend line with a relatively decient R-squared value for it. But by no means does it guarantee the beer will be better. For one, better is subjective, one man's trash is another man's treasure. Also some breweries just have a high demand and charge more for their beers. I used to get Allagash's huge bottles for like $15, which is pricey, but now I typically see them go for like 20-25$ in some places. Did the beer get better, or did demand go up? Maybe a little of both, but I hope you see what I am trying to get at.

 

I want to say no, but I can't. Now, I have never tried anything too expensive or exotic. My "soft cap" is probably about $20 for a bomber of a special release, or $15 for a six pack. I know there are plenty of offerings out there exceeding my price cap and I can't comment on those unfortunately. And what I think is "good" others may not.

I find that with sours, imperial stouts, anything aged in a barrel and the with most of the cornucopia of Belgians that you get what you pay for, but there are exceptions. And with most IPAs, IIPAs, PAs, lagers etc., many times the somewhat cheaper stuff is really damn good. Example, when I first came to California (for my job) I was buying six packs of Pizza Port Swamis IPA for $10. Those are pint cans mind you, and that beer is right up there with RR Blind Pig in my honest opinion. $10 for that amount of beer that tastes that damn good was a steal. Pizza Port and/or Bevmo figured that out unfortunately! But even at ten bucks for a sixer, its still more expensive than a BMC lager or a SA Rebel.

In closing, I think this fellow BA nailed it... Heck, some guys with suck down a Corona Light and say its the best damn beer on Earth. If that works for em', then drink on! But I am locked in to spending nearly double for the same experience in most situations.

 

No the correlation is if it doesn't taste better and I paid more for it, I am usually pretty pissed

 

I do with how good it tastes and how limited it is, like what michial was saying.

 

Not me. If it costs more, especially a lot more, then it better taste a lot better than all the rest. =)

 

There is no correlation. A high price does not guarantee a good beer, nor does a low price prevent a beer from being excellent.

 

Having worked retail in the past I can honestly say that the correlation is only 50 percent right only sometimes. I won't mention any breweries but I think, for me anyways see it alot in double ipa styles. Just cause it's in a 4 pack and cost 15.99 does not mean it's good.

 

I am a firm believer in you get what you pay for. But not always. I have found cheaper beer in certain styles I like more than the expensive and/or rare heavy hitters. They are just few and far between. A brewer knows when they have something amazing and they seem to price it accordingly.

 

Generally a positive correlation but not one that gives perfect predictability as there are some high priced beers I don't think taste all that good and some low priced beers I enjoy.

Actually, I'd say the correlation between overall BA rating (within a particular style, but not lumping together all styles) and my tastes is stronger than the correlation between price and taste.

 

I don't there is correlation at all. Ten Fity costs about $15.00 a 4 pack in North NJ. At least 5 other RISs are just as good or better that cost less. Brooklyn Black Chocolate $7.99, Narwhal 9.99, Storm King $8.99 Founders Imperial Stout $11.99, Heavy Seas Peg Leg Imperial Stout. all fit the bill.

 

If this increase in price is directly related to using better quality ingredients then it's possible but this isn't something that is readily apparent when casually buying beer.

I've had more than a couple instances where I've purchased high dollar beers and had my first sip and said "meh" and immediately wish I'd gone with a reasonably priced classic.

 

In one's mind, possibly....

 

Usually when I buy an expensive beer, it is enjoyable, but there is absolutely no correlation. I cannot say that the most expensive beer I've ever had was the best. Scarcity and choice of barrel for barrel-aged beers has nothing to do with it either, rather just adding more to the marketing angle than the quality in the bottle.

 

I have found, as with almost everything involving beer, that it depends on my personal taste. For example, I picked up two different barrel-aged pumpkins, Shipyard's Smashed and Heavy Seas Greater Pumpkin. Shipyard was $15.99 HS was $8.99. The HS was by far a better beer, as far as my tastes go. So when we say "does it taste better" that's totally a personal decision based on your tastes.

 

Yeah, the scene has evolved where "scarcity marketing" is a tool that is actually now taught in business schools - alongside "experiential marketing" as a formal academic discipline. People are actually being groomed to use these as marketing tactics, whereas back in the day it was simply a function of innovation because this industry had no money, resources, or attention! How things change...

On that note...There will be some "value" beers (wink wink) available for the crew next weekend....

Hope to see you this upcoming Saturday at Spuyten Duyvil along with some of the original BAs at this.

Did you hear that @goodbyeohio is flying in from PDX?

This might turn into a bottle share...

 

No.

Not very often at least.

There are a lot of mediocre beers priced on par with great beers.

There are good to great beers priced below the mediocre stuff.