100 is the new 89

Have you ever read this
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007/09/03/the-jefferson-bottles

 

I have not, but it looks interesting. Same story with the same characters, though.

 

Yes. I'm sold on southern French and Spanish wines, all across the borders.

 

Love Spanish (Tempranillo/Rioja/Malbec) and Southern Rhone Valley. Chile & Argentina, as well.

 

Yes we drank the hell out of the "Golden beer of Danish kings" in the seventies.

 

My "last 2-3 years" was a reference to (just IMO) the approximate timeframe when US beer-making overtook the European big 3 in terms of their average beer quality across the board of beers being made. Sort of where the lines on the graph came together and/or crossed. Might be closer to the last 1-2 years perhaps, but I think the US is now right on par with the Europeans now. Over the last 30+ years of craft beer in US, we've always been significantly behind Europe. Factors?
- Migration to local beer vs. bottle shop only / old stuff = fresher product (thus better product more available for many styles)
- Sheer quantity of brewers that have emerged in last few years = more abundance of great brewmakers (yes, there are alot more many poor/avg. ones as well)
- Social media - easier access to info. allow consumers to find the best beers more easily while sifting through and/or bypassing the avg. stuff and also brew masters gain intel and info. to more quickly replicate the processes and recipes of well liked beers. This helps raise the low end of the bar to more decent levels of beer drinking enjoyment.
- more years/more experienced experts in beer making. The pool across the US gets deeper in talent of those making beer (yes there are alot more novices as well making amateur stuff, but circle back to the above points).

 

@drtth is correct there's nothing new about people saying X beer is "not as good as last year". Although I actually think there's a little less of that now there used to be. Not because people's tastes are any more reliable now than before, but I think beer nerds are doing a lot more tasting of different things [or ticking] and less returning to the same beer year after year. Compared to 10 years ago there are many many more beers out there to try, more seasonals, more one-off special beers.

 

Which would interact with and make the sensory memory accuracy lower. They probably go together as part of a multi-variable thing.

 

I was thinking about this yesterday...I think the gap between trade your first born type beer and great beer you can just walk into a store and buy is essentially zero. Whereas 10 (or hell even 5) years ago a lot of breweries just weren't doing BA stuff, sours, etc. Now I'm literally within walking distance from a brewery that makes world class stuff (Voodoo).

I think we as consumers a just super spoiled but we interpret it as beer not being as good at it used to be because that beer you traveled halfway across the country and stood in line for is just barely better then a four pack you can get a mile from your house.

 

Was.

 

Very true. Not that I don't like Voodoo, but the only world class stuff they make is only released once a year. Their year-round line-up is solid, but nothing to give you a rise in your Levi's.

Rare and difficult to obtain beers are certainly remembered as better. As are beers that are consumed during emotional highs, like special events.

 

We can just agree to disagree on how measurable this really is - which is cool because it's great to have multiple perspectives. The factors you list can be applicable outside of the US too. The number of breweries in London have grown from 2 to 80(?) in roughly a decade and a half. Granted, this growth is obviously indebted to the US craft culture, but what does a Londoner think of their beer options compared to the Brooklyn, Lagunitas, and Founders beers that represent America on their shelves? Would it mirror your own thoughts? How familiar are users here with what's happening in Sweden and Switzerland? I know I'm not, but I might have had a hundred different beers from the NY brewer that's 15 minutes from my house. Being "in the lead" for "1-2 years" is relatively meaningless in an industry whose growth is connected to fashionability.

 

Very good points. The craft beer scene internationally is exploding now as well. Very hard to measure when we don't have access to it all to truly compare. Really all we have to go on is the reporting in from beer advocates who get to travel alot.

 

I'm into Red Zins, and I've tried a few Malbecs I've liked a lot too. Oak,in wine is a turnoff it's too dry, I like fruit , but not sweet.

 

You need to try some Primitivo from Puglia in South Italy then. It's amazing the quality you can get for around $15. That's the grape that became Zinfandel in California, btw, so they should be to your liking.

 

I'll be buying tomorrow, I'll check them out. Right now Oak Ridge Zin is my favorite.

 

Among all the idiocy in your OP, this struck me: "almost non-existent" ?? They successfully brew market and sell more beer in a month than Treehouse has in their existence. What's the endgame for a brewery? (1) being in the top 100 on some site (2) employing practically a whole town and getting your message and some decent suds out around the USA?

I'm not even crazy about Rogue's brews but the deserve a bit of recognition

 

The beer scene exploded and now we have all been exposed to better beer across the board. It causes our palates to change so when you go back and revisit some beers you used to love, you find them to be average now. Or beers that used to be so highly rated, often don't live up to the expectation. Years ago they pushed the envelope of creativity and probably deserved their rating, but now they remain for nostalgia.

The really good ones stand the test of time. Lately I've been on a kick trying to revisit beers I used to love like Julius, green, sap, heady, KBS, etc. and while they are still very good beers, they definitely don't taste the same to me now.

 

I certainly understand your point, but Rogue isn't even on my radar. Haven't been for a while.