Burns-area Uber Whalez share

I feel like beer has become Pokemanz.

 

People were making those comparisons here on BA when I first signed up.

 

Oh I'm sure. I've just started encountering more and more people on the PNW online and in the real world lately who are obsessed with "winning" at beer. Gotta catch 'em all.

I was too old for Pokemon when it first came out, so that mentality is just beyond me.

 

Well, to be fair, I don't think it was that much of a "thing" around here. As you surely know the scene here was so much smaller back then, even though it was a bigger scene than most places around the country. The Pokemon attitude was very prevalent on the main forum of BA though. But you're right, it definitely has made its way to the NW these days.

Y'know, come to think of it, this is kind of why I never put much effort into going to the BA NW meet up. Everyone started talking about what bottles they were bringing and it brought folks out of the woodwork who never really actually participate in the discussion here, but just wanted to taste all the rare beers. I did look forward to meeting some of the fine folks who post here every day, but not the ones who were showing up only for the rare brews.

 

I think "catch" is a great choice of word, since the biggest utility of whalez seems to be using them as bait for other whalez.

Whale-shares aren't about creating a community. They're about creating a network with other people who have (or have access to) beers which are deemed valuable. It doesn't matter who you are as long as you bring the required bottle. They're as corporate and businesslike as an industry networking event.

 

I got into beer in 2005/2006 around the time my Dad's friend got back into the brewing game at Deschutes. Didn't really even take note of "rare" beer's existence until I came here for advice on a trip to Belgium in 2011.

My bottle shares are normally done with my good friends who I knew outside of beer. Other than Mr. Bebeau they're not big on acquiring fancy stuff and I have no problem sharing with them.

 

This is pretty much it for me too. Nobody in my closest group trades at all, and I trade a limited amount, but when they travel, they grab what they see and looks interesting. We all so much bottled beer piling that we've started taking turns hosting, with the rule being that no one can bring beer. The idea is drink down the stash, but the stashes keep growing. We'll bring along friends from outside the group, and nobody cares if they bring a shelf beer, and we enjoy letting them try styles they've never heard of. I've heard the phrase "That's beer?" so many times after someones first taste of Ching Ching, it should be their slogan.

Look, if folks want to play the Trading Game, that's their business. I just hate that it has an effect on so many people who aren't interested in the game, or even know the game exists. It's beer people; boiled sugar water with yeast poop. Drink it, trade it, let it sit on a shelf in the closet for 5 years, whatever trips your trigger, just try not to impinge on other folks good times.

 

My wife and I host Friday social hour most weeks at our place and friends come over. I normally pull out a few bottles in an attempt to cut down on my collection and share with anyone interested while we hang out. Some friends bring beer, but I don't expect anyone to. De Garde normally goes over well with people who don't like beer.

 

Not swallowing proxies - they have to hold it in their mouth until they have an opportunity to transfer directly into your oral receptacle.

The human appendix is reputed to have once been a biological storage vessel for this kind of transfer at paleolithic whale shares.

 

ISO: appendix-aged paleo-ale, Pterodactyl tears variant prefered.

 

I got one of those! Does that make up for the avatar handicap?

 

Only if you bring beers on the vetted list, pal. All this talk of proxies and gullets and scars is drawing attention away from the fact that only the most exclusive beers are allowed to attend this event.

Matter of fact, it's better if you just arrange to have the beers dropped off. No one is going to actually drink them anyway. Sharpski just needs them to pull in even MOAR.RAR bottles for next month's super-uber-whalez share on the ISS.

 

Uber Whalez share for Memorial Day weekend in Bend. Whalez not required and probably won't be there. Everyone welcome.

 

What about a beer, only 200(well, 199. I dropped and broke one of the 2 I bought, and the other is going in a BIF) bottles, no draft, not going to be made again, does that be RARZ enuff?

 

I had rarz Nebraska beer. 148 bottle count blueberry sour from Infusion that my FIL stood in line for.

Then I drank it with a friend.

 

True answer is, I forgot it was in my jacket pocket, and it fell out and busted all over the floor. I'm an idiot.

 

But the Idiot part means I'm still on the ballot, right?