Beer share pet peeves

This is a good thread . . . let's not get upset with each other.

 

When someone posts non stop haul pics but then brings the lamest bottles that they have

 

Perhaps there should be a "Bad Beer Sharer" forum?

 

Did you say something regarding your expectations when you invited him?

 

I agree with some above that my "pet peeve" if you would call it that, is tasting too many beers in too short a time-I guess you could call it lack of organization or planning. It can still be fun, but important to have your expectations set going in. If you are tasting 10+ big beers, your true distinguishable palate is wrecked halfway through.

Also, if I know there are a lot of new beers of a particular style coming in, I hate when there isn't a known quantity from which to base your judging. If you don't have this, I feel people sometimes (myself included) tend to skew their discussion of how good/disappointing a beer is based on name value.

For example I did a share with a bunch of guys last year that was stout specific. There were a fair number of new BA variants to me (BA darkness, double barrel baptist, etc). Knowing this I brought ale smith speedway stout. It's a known quantity to most in the group and a solid, easily obtainable stout. We drank it first. Had it in our head. It surprised many how well that stood up against the higher rated or perceived better beers

 

The term "bottle share" and bottle shares in general.

 

Yep, it's starting to sound like some BS (bottle shares) that I've heard of. Sometimes there'll be a Neidermeyer type trying to take charge and pontificating endlessly, which is not good. I just like drinking beer with friends and some of their friends, and some bring beer. No formal pissing contests for me.

 

When someone doesn't bring enough of a beer to share around.
Related to that, when someone sees that there isn't a lot of a given beer, then takes a full pour anyways, before others have had a change to try it (if a bottle has been out / open for a while, with no takers, that's a different story)

 

Hush now.... Watching people get upset about uber-geeky things is the only thing good about this thread!

*grabs his popcorn*

 

For all the shares I've been to so far, my biggest pet peeve has been when the host doesn't give you an idea of the caliber of beers that will be brought or are expected to show up, so you have no way to gauge whether it's worth it to bring some big beers you've been waiting to enjoy as a special occasion, or if you should just bring stuff you've already had, and like, but don't hold as dearly.

I often decline to go to shares with people I'm unfamiliar with, especially when the host just says "bring whatever." I've been in one or two of those kinds of shares, where either everyone brings ridiculously massive, rare shit that I had no way of knowing was going to happen, in which case I kind of stood back in awe, congratulated some folk on their acquisitions, then kind of went to the draft station that one of the brewers set up with "side beers." I've also been to those where everyone that's attending is relatively new to craft beer even though the host is knee deep in whales, and most attendees brought a bunch of beginner level shelf stuff that is fine and dandy but is not anywhere close to the same caliber or rarity of the stuff I brought.

Unless I'm missing something, it doesn't sound like you gave this guy a decent indication of what to expect, and what was expected of him.

 

I've never really had much issues at bottle shares. Then again mine are only 2-5 close friends max. depending on who can make it. Too many people and too many beers being poured too quickly and it just gets way too chaotic for me. When we max out in the 4-5 person range, the beers flow a little too quick, conversations splinter into multi-conversations and quality beer ratings are harder to do IMO.

 

I was part of the share that OP is talking about. The "prick" knew what he was coming to, and he knows everyone that would be in attendance and that we would be contributing good bottles. He always begs to get invited to shares and was expressly told in advance like the rest of us what the expectations were. He showed up with a cooler full of old expired beer that OP didn't even mention.. what was mentioned were the best of his selections. We all know what he is sitting on at home, a lot of us have heled him obtain many of those beers. He is a very selfish person who will keep those as trade ammo to try and trade back to us... this is how his mind works.

This same guy once said he was going to have a bourbon tasting at his house... he said he had way too much bourbon and wanted to downsize his collection. His proposal was that everyone comes over and he then sells us all a few ounces at a time that we could sip on together.
No one showed up

 

Last year during the Blues playoffs we did mini shares almost every game... just 1 or 2 bottles each between 5 or 6 of us. He typically showed up empty handed or with whatever he could buy in the cold case at the grocery store on his way there.

 

I mean if what's been said is accurate, old (or any age frankly) Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale and 6 month old pale ale is pretty much taking the piss regardless of whether the tasting is at the "nice local beer" or the "come in my pants mega whale" ends of the spectrum.

What's baffling me @SaucerfulOfSecrets and @not2quick is why the hell you're friends with this guy if by all accounts he sounds like a massive tool. Are you related? Does he have something he can blackmail you with?

 

Agreed, and your Profile picture gets another thumbs up.

 

I get it. The free-loading friend who everyone loves to hate, who's makes up for it by being very good value in certain situations. I have one.