Whale Hunters

who wants to talk about a floor model honda civic at a european sports car dealership?

 

I say to each their own. I wish I had my taste buds favorite beers readily available on my bottle shops shelves (Zombie Dust & Heady Topper). But I will be honest and admit that I have always been a "collector" of something throughout my life! GI Joes very early on and then on to sports trading cards. I think my beer trading hobby has similar aspects. While for me it's not always about the rarity as much as it is the trying and sharing of new beers that I can not obtain locally. Heck, I have wasted my share of $$$ on beers that I would never drink again because I thought the label was cool! I guess I'm a sucker for marketing as well! On those beer or two nights I usually drink locally available stuff but I do get a degree of satisfaction of being able to share a beer with other BA's who may have never had it or maybe it's a beer that they really like but don't get to drink too often. I guess my rambling point is, different strokes for different folks! In the end it's just beer and I'm sure if we all tried we could find some common ground for the cause!

Cheers and Happy New Year!

 

I don't know any "whale hunters". I know wine snobs, who can't enjoy a glass of wine. They have always had a better wine or will have a better wine.

 

You do sound like you started drinking yesterday!

On a serious note, it seems that whale hunters have no issues with you while you have issues with whale hunters. Jealous?

I find it preposterous and condescending (not just of you but many others) to think that people who go after rare beer somehow enjoy beer less. Who are you to pass that judgment?

 

Whalez are whalez for a reason. Once you have one your addicted.

 

Same as music lover vs. audiophile.
It's an outlet for OCD & elitism after you lose sight of what is truly important/significant.

 

You'd get that honda to try if it cost you like $2.

 

I hate when people have fun with their hobby in a different way than I do.

I have to tell them they are doing it wrong as I liken them to addicts.
Trust me, I am a professional...

Why not have some real fun with this thread and list some names of people that brought you to post this?

Take the "beer" out of the "beer snob" and I think I have diagnosed you.

 

When my friends and I drink whales (or the dumbed down equivalent like King Henry, Chocolate Rain Vertical, BT 09-12 etc) we don't rush through them, we don't one-up each other, we don't talk about the awesome beer we have but didn't bring, we don't make up ridiculous tasting notes, and we don't project an air of eliteness over each other.

I just think you need new friends.

 

In my experience everyone has something they have a passion for (you say OCD or elitism) that to them is significant and meaningful while others would say (as you have said) that it is not truly important/significant. I don't know if that's in an attempt to validate one's own passion or a form of elitism all its own. Who are we to tell someone their pursuit of that next whale isn't significant when we almost came to blows at work over our fantasy football team or other such nonsense that we as a human race participate in on a daily basis. I've never understood someone's need to tell another their pursuits are not worthy.

 

I've never met or talked to a "whale hunter" who didn't enjoy drinking regular, everyday craft beer.

 

Wine snobs do exist but beer snobs are definitely on the rise

 

Mr. "Medical Professional"--

Sounds like you have a couple dicks in your tasting group. That being said your perceptions of "whale hunters" as only caring about rarity and not being able to appreciate beer are pretty lame. Most are simply trying to land bottle(s) that they really want. I want to trade for a bottle of M but most of my favorite drinking experiences are fresh local pilsners and pale ales on tap.

 

Well said.

 

Its just chest pounding. Everyone has their opinions- sometimes too many, and can't just enjoy a beer for what it is.

 

Stone Wall Ale! Vertical Epic 02.02.02! WHAT, I'm a Baller! Just Kidding, I also really enjoy Bud Light Lime and Bellhaven Scottish Ale and will engage with anyone in a beer conversation as long as they don't put Corona or Landshark on a podium. I've learned that rare beers aren't always the best beers, though some are absolutely outstanding, and when I'm talking to someone new to beer and they proudly bring up Sam Adams Boston Lager, I let them run with it because being a snob to them could scare them away from craft beer and would almost certainly scare them away from associating with craft beer fanatics. I have shared a whale or two with friends, and I've shared dollar per bottle beers with friends and we talk about whatever we want whether it be that beer or the person at the grocery store who towed a shopping cart full of soda behind them with the power cord of their scooter cart.

 

Sometimes I think this place should be called whineadvocate.com.

 

To each his own. I am a beer lover. I also like to consume an occasional "whale". At the end of the day I just enjoy beer. I've just been seeing more and more people try to impose their value of a beer on everyone else. You may see King Henry as a whale, I don't. Reality is I've traded whales for non whales and have obtained whales for non whales.

If I can obtain a vanilla dark lord for a bottle of bitches brew I say good for me. I'm going to start looking for a more private way to trade because too many people on BA have an opinion that wasn't asked for.

 

Depends on the context. When we do a tasting the goal is specifivally to try new things and/or share beer that we otherwise couldn't trade for individually. I wouldn't bring a SN Porter or even a Pliny, because those are beers that we can and do drink on our own every day when we're not together. Plus when you have too much beer to open at such an event it doesn't make sense to spend your time and liver function on beers that aren't "special."

That said I don't think anybody looks down on quality. If I were to bring a growler of Alpine every week, that's not a whale at all (it's available year around), but everybody loves it and it's still something of a treat. I think everyone would be happy.