Overwhelmed by hype

Haha, that comment was in jest. Honestly, getting to this point sooner is a good thing.

 

The hype train sounding louder....

I had been drinking decent beer before finding BA so I knew just enough to be dangerous and the selection was pretty limited. Then BA happened and I could see all these beers that everybody raved about, camped out/stood in line for, truck chased, found devious ways to obtain more than their share, had brawls over, etc. and it was like wow - I gotta have me some of those...then reality set in pretty quickly that most of them would never land in my glass, so Alfred E. Newman "what...me worry?" time.

Hype sometimes it is absolutely warranted. KBS and CBS were more rare than hen's teeth around here years ago, as an example. If you weren't helping unload the truck you weren't getting any. I resigned myself to the fact that I'd not be drinking those beers. Now I have KBS and variants available almost all the time, and a bottle of CBS in my cellar (well, it's actually in my pantry...). Was KBS worthy of the hype it got at the time - in my mind there is no doubt that this beer warranted the hype. Has it been surpassed - maybe, maybe not but KBS is a damned fine beer either way.

To me, brewery hype has to be earned with some consistency over time - not just a flash in the pan one hit wonder. Some breweries deserve the hype and reputation they get, some don't. And it is a sword that cuts both ways - sometimes "it's just as good as" just plain isn't true, either. I've seen locally fueled hype for breweries that flat out don't produce good product, yet the "atmosphere", parties in the brewery, or other factors drive the hype and the beer just happens to be there - so ditch the brewery and open a bar/pub. Conversely, there are small breweries who go about their business quietly and produce good to great beers as well and the product does the talking.

I live in MA, so I don't have much to complain about when it comes to quality beahs being at hand any time I want - and I don't have to drive three hours to TreeHouse or six hours to Hill Farmstead to find perfectly fine beer at a local store or near to me brewery. So I can take a lot more casual to the hyped beers - if I see one and it's something I think I will like and I have the extra Benjamins on hand, I'll try it. If not, life goes on. And honestly - I have rarely been disappointed when I do stumble on a "legend" - Heady Topper fell into my hands and there's no way I can say it doesn't live up to the hype or that I can find a "just as good" equivalent from whoever's brewing down the street or just about anywhere for that matter.

 

Don’t believe the hype. This is not disrespect to any brewery. Just buy an assorted pack and you will find out what you like and don’t like. Don’t worry about your rating being too low or high, that’s how you feel about the beer you purchased. I would recommend for people to start out at the local breweries in town and discover any local beers you like before you jump into any beers with big hype behind them.

 

Dale, have you tried Sierra Nevada Dankful IPA yet? Despite the brand name of "Dankful" this beer is a straight-up WCIPA for my palate. We first got a drop of this beer in SEPA in November 2020 and I purchased at least 5 sixpacks of this beer in 2020. A very good - excellent WCIPA when fresh. Unfortunately the only Dankful beers at my local beer retailers are still from November 2020 and waaay too old to be worthy of purchase. If I can ever find Dankful IPA fresh again I will likely purchase a case (24 cans).

Cheers!

 

I haven’t looked, but sometimes the flow of beer from Asheville leaves a lot to be desired. Used to get a ton of fresh hop beers when it was Cali only, sense Moving to NC, it’s slimmer pickings.

 

I've been nursing this same thought while reading the thread - Heady Topper is perhaps the one beer I really feel like I can't find a replacement for locally. I wish I could!

And I recently visited some friends in central Illinois and while the selection was pretty good overall, I was definitely missing having access to Notch, Idle Hands and Jack's Abby when it came to pale lagers.

There are definitely still some local gems that have a special something something, even if I personally have never been the type to expend TOO much effort trying to get them.

 

Timely thread. Wife and I just split 12 oz of one of the FirestoneWalker barrel aged series that cost the equivalent of $60 for 6x12oz cans.. Yes it was good. Yes it deserves the 91pt BA rating but there are soooo many other great stouts to be had for a fraction of the cost. Yes, supply was limited and maybe the brewing was by vestile virgins riding unicorns thst fart rainbows, but in the end the level of satisfaction did not match well with the $/oz. I am sticking to what is available and cost effective rather that chasing the hyped rarities.

 

I will agree with this as even I, as a “younger” BA, have had the fun of riding through the OP’s thoughts. There was less available around me. Now there’s more (redundantly typed), but should there be?

So back to the OP’s price question. I’d argue you are right on the price per enjoyment level, but ignoring it, was the FW a better beer? Maybe it wasn’t (made up number) 50% markup better, but the question stands.


So, my take of things I agree on from other posters…

• There are better beers out there
• Sifting through which is which isn’t easy
• Shorter-termed “great beers” likely aren’t so much better…
• …especially for the price, if they’re better at all

So, I’d say find the right time and/or occasion to enjoy a great beer (preferably at the source and/or with friends), and don’t rush it. In the end, I truly doubt your dying words to loved ones will be, “My one regret is… never trying Westy XII”

 

One of the best beer decisions I've ever made was to stop being concerned about whether I was drinking "the best" beers and be happy with the great options everywhere around me. I know it seems easy for someone close to Chicago to say that, but I made that choice when New Holland, Repetes, D&W, and Meijer got the bulk of my purchases.

Now, I've done a couple of trades here and there for a special bottle, like BCBS Birthday, and I'll splurge if I see something that looks interesting. But I can't stand waiting in line or, really, anything that requires more than 5 min of effort. Of course, I also think there's a time and place for a LOT of beers, from Black Label/Hamm's/Lone Star to Bøgedal Bryghus to my beloved Ninja vs. Unicorn.

Pretty sure I can make this happen, I'm heading to the beer shop on Friday anyway. If you want to PM me your address, I'll try to get a Priority Mail box out this weekend or early next week.

 

Having chased, traded and purchased hype beers sporadically over the course of the past seven years it’s a bit of a mixed bag. At this point I get more excited about local breweries producing flawless, super drinkable lagers than anything else. With you being in Michigan I’d imagine you have access to plenty of beer that is as good if not better than what is coming from other regions. Drink what makes you happy, not necessarily always what’s hyped.

 

Funny, I agree with the premise that beers of nearly equal quality are often available locally, but I find Parabola to be worth seeking out and paying the price for each year.

 

IMO Parabola is a much better beer than MoleMerkin as evidenced by the difference in BA scores (100 pts v. 91 pts). $10 for 12 oz of a 91 point beer makes no sense.

 

Saw this on another site. How long before Heady is a year around shelf beer all over?

 

Never at @cavedave! I don't think there is any beer quite like it, that I have come across at least, which is crazy when you think about it.

 

Not soon enough!

 

I escaped Texas. But yes Hill Country is lovely with some really amazing breweries doing some great beers. Cheers.