Better Than Last Year's

Interesting you mention 90 minute. I've been seeing fresher 90 minute in my area than I'm used to seeing, which has led to be a bit of a rediscovering of it for me. Maybe you're seeing fresher bottles too? I grabbed a 4pk last month that was only two weeks old- drank them over two nights. And not really the same thing because of the variables that go into it, but this year's KBS is light years better than last year's...

 

I think @tmbgnicu has raised a critical point here. Especially since both beers you mention are avilable year round.

Which batch of DFH 90 from last year and which batch of the 90 from this year are you comparing to say one tastes better? That beer is basically brewed year round and so "last year" vs. "this year" is a vey slippery concept and might have very different meaning to many different people depending on when they tried it last year and when they tried it this year, etc.

 

This thread was better last year

 

Well then you might want to engage with the DFH folks as well since they always like to know when folks sense variations in their year round products. Especially if those differences are not picked up by their quality control/tasting panels or within their limits of normal variation created by agricultural ingredients. They've been known to dump batches of beer that didn't measure up.

 

Agreed, and since I've experienced similar things to what you described above from two different bottles of the same regular beer from the same 4 or 6 pack but consumed on the same night I find it even more interesting.

 

My taste memory must be bad. I never notice much if any difference in beers from one year to the other. I seem to enjoy the same beers year after year.

 

My biggest gripe about 60 Minute is the inconsistency of that beer. Some batches are mind blowing, others are below average. I just don't get how this can happen year after year. Believe me, I've drank a lot of it too. I haven't had 60 Minute in a long time just because of this reason (probably a year or so). I don't drink much 90 Minute, but believe too it can vary greatly.

 

Sorry double post.

 

It might be my imagination but I think this years DFH Aprilhop tastes better this year, the hops and apricot seem a little more pronounced.

 

Smuttynose Finestkind

 

One beer quickly comes to mind for this: Bell's Oberon. I was not a fan of the 2014 (or 2013 for that matter). Whereas this year's is very 'crushable'.

 

The beer that I might be happening to have at the moment always seems better to me than the last time I had it, but that might just be because I'm drinking it at the time. I can never really tell.

 

Weyerbacher Insanity.

 

I'm always impressed by people who have such a crystal clear memory of a taste from a year (or more) ago, and can compensate for what they ate, their environment, and any other palate-affecting conditions that they can positively state that it was the beer that changed and not them.

I can remember whether I liked the beer previously or not, and usually some more prominent characteristics, but I tend to attribute perceived changes to my imperfect memory and environmental factors, thus I try to stay away from better/worse comparisons. But that's just me.

 

I also agree that KBS is better this year. Personally, 13 was great, last year was pretty meh, this year is good but not quite 13 level.

 

alupulinshiftsayswhat?

 

Hop Slam, KBS, and BCBS were all much better last year.