Controversial Beer Opinions Thread

I certainly believe IPAs, stouts, and sours as classes of beer are getting worse on average as brewers continue to chase sweet-toothed consumers who don't seem much to care for the flavors traditionally associated with beer. I also think NEIPAs, pastry stouts, and fruited kettle sours are, to a significant extent, crowding out other IPAs, more traditional stouts and imperial stouts, and slow sours, such that it's becoming harder to find beers of those sorts at most individual retailers (although there are more retailers in total than there used to be). Separately, I think that, with the explosion of new breweries, the quality of the average can, bottle, or pint of beer has declined, regardless of flavor preferences, but I happen to value variety over quality, so I find myself better off on the net in that capacity. So, no, the best of beer is not getting worse; it's probably getting better, but the best of beer represents a smaller portion of craft beer as a whole than it did a few years ago, and some of the worst of beer has become confused for some of the best of beer.

 

Except no soul will ever be a better scorer or offensive player than Pete Maravich, I'll bet.

 

LOL. Citra was released in 2007. 12 is not old.

 

When it comes to human perception of the past, it's worth noting that in every sport where that isn't the case, we still have to hear about how great Babe Ruth's fat ass was.

 

Yeah, 5.50 is pretty much what a pint of bud light costs around here. Typical tap room prices are 7-8$ for a 12 oz pour of regular craft beer. More limited or higher ABV are up to 9$ a pour. Hardly any places serve craft beer by the pint, unless they are serving you a can.

 

Sounds like around here. They sometimes charge twice as much for a 9% ABV beer as compared to a 6% ABV. I understand that there are more ingredients required to jack the ABV up, but question whether ingredient cost is the full driver there. Granted, businesses must buy low, sell high to make it - but sometimes wonder if they're hurting themselves by artificially jacking prices for high-ABV beers.

 

Different breweries make two of the best NEIPAs in Michigan(at least those that are relatively available). When fresh, the differences between the two are virtually indistinguishable. After about a month one of the beers starts to fade fast. The other holds up for 12 weeks, easy. I wouldn’t buy it if it were that old but don’t mind keeping it in the fridge for a while.

 

What happened to EvenMoreJesus?

 

Don't believe that's been the case in the US brewing industry, especially for most years during the "Craft era" once it was "established" - say, 90s>today. (But I ain't doing the research).

 

Yes, the average for all startups is not specific to brewing so the actual number may be different, but as a friend of mine used to say, "It's close enough for government work." Especially since we haven't got actual numbers for something like the surge in places doing flavorful beers.

 

He didn't show up at Easter.

 

Well, there are the graphs covering the last decade or so at https://www.brewersassociation.org/statistics/number-of-breweries/

Many more openings than closings...

 

Hey, I got an insulting reply when I made a similar joke up there on page 111.

...but I also got 16 "LIKES".

 

Yep, and each year's failure rate is going up to so the number we want included in those data is the life span of each brewery that closed so that we know how long it survived.

What is unique about flavorful beer brewing has been that rapid growth. But now several signs point to a slowing market growth rate (recently dropping to a single digit from double digits in an era of growing competition and slowing demand overall for beer as the medium of alcohol consumption) so I'd suggest we'll most likely see a flattening out of start ups in the next few years and an increase in the number of failures and a decline in the number of start ups.

So what would be your alternative prediction and why?

 

"How much does your word mean these days?" "What is your word worth?" etc. - just a quick google click. Appreciate your response. Verbal Montezuma's revenge is one of the social media issues these days.

 

I've lost track of all of this history. But that was the first naughty thought that I had, and it was obliquely apropos. It was just the smart ass in me which I just can't help listening to. Hell, I'm a delinquent Quaker.

I had a very logical exchange with EMJ and had him back away from his proposition. I felt that I had won the debate. I also agreed with most of his ideas, but his eagerness to argue precluded his willingness to accept resolution. Or, as I say about my brother in law: He would rather win than play......

 

I believe we should refer to him as "he-who-must-not-be-named"