Enjoying & Rating Beer

If I'm buying singles, I'll just roll the dice on something new $2-4 loss isn't that big a deal to me. Maybe check dates on bottle to ensure freshness but that's about it. Out of town/travel, I may do research to ensure I'm getting the best beer options from the brewer that doesn't sell back in my area, as I may never get to sample those again, so I'll do more research first. Never tried before big bottles and 6 packs, I'll check ratings and style so I don't waste money, because $10 or more I don't like to just throw away. 3-5min of my research time is worth it. That's just me.

PS: I rate beers for my own repository databank of how much I liked/disliked them and also to know which I've had before or not. Brain cell memory isn't 100% reliable all the time.

 

This is why I wish there was just a 'had' button. I'd like to keep track of how many different beers I've tried without having to brush everything else aside and focus on critiquing my beer every time I try a new one. I got tired of it and quit after about a year of doing it for almost every new beer. I found that by the time I was done writing the review, the beer was gone and I didn't really get to enjoy it. It was work.

Edit: I have the same feelings about 'rating' the beer. I just want to drink beer.

 

While I don't have an overly negative reaction to jargon-forward reviews , I do get information from even reviews that are negative only because the reviewer doesn't like the style IF they include information about the beer itself. For example, I don't care if the reviewer doesn't like "malt forward" beers, but I do want to know that malts are dominant in the overall taste.

 

I mostly rate beers for my personal use and to track the evolution of my drinking habits.

I would echo the sentiment that most brewers would like to see some feedback from the
drinking public regarding their brews....

Only other comment is for people to stop rating (IPA's in particular) that you know to be old and way paast their prime.
bothers me to see untapped ratings of IPA's be really low and their comments are
" gross yuck super old "

I mean wtf did you expect? I am also torn about people rating styles they dont like.... I try to practice not rating
pilsners and most saisons in particular as i dont care for them.

 

This is an interesting mentality, that somehow effort should shield something from criticism. Pretty much everything man-made has had some effort put into it, should I not criticize a DVD player because some electrical engineer put a bunch of effort into it? I've put effort into creating this post, should it be immune to criticism? I don't brew beer but I bake and cook since I know I'm not perfect I find feedback useful. Does this mean sometimes a salt lover is going to complain that I didn't put enough salt in when I feel like I did? Or complains it needs to be spicier? Sure, but that's why I need to be critical of the criticism I receive and not just accept all comments about my food as some sort of objective standard for tastiness. Upon reflecting sometimes I agree with the criticism and and adjust my dish and sometimes I conclude that it's a difference in taste and I prefer my dish the way I made it. Also, sometimes the end result when people analyze and share their thoughts about the things I make is praise.

Now, if we want to argue that reviews should be informative, useful, in the proper context, and not filled with personal attacks on the creator of a product I can certainly get behind that, but that's a somewhat different idea than effort being a shield to criticism.

Sure it is, unless we're discussing things like technical flaws which can in some way be objective, which is why one wants to not just uncritically accept all criticism (or praise) as some sort of objective gospel truth.

 

I rate beers for me, no one else. I get a kick out of those reviewers of beer who seemingly throw the kitchen sink into every review. "It smells of dew covered lemongrass with the slightest hint of balsamic vinegar, jasmine, and white pepper. It tastes like orange pith, biscuit, twice smoked alpaca tail and the bubble gum found in a 1983 pack of Topps baseball cards. If I had the time and creative energy I could review beers like a MOFO.

 

Of course it is but personal opinion is everything when it comes to beer. I enjoy rating because it gives me a look into myself to see what I truly love in contrast to what I just enjoy. I also enjoy reading others ratings/reviews because it truly shows the brews through the eyes/tongue of others. Everything in this world is in the eye of the beholder. When I give a beer a low rating I'm not trying to attack the brewer (well at least not most of the time) I am just giving my opinion mostly for myself, but if others share a similar palate and find my knowledge helpful then it is good for everybody. But like you said many brewers do put their heart and soul into it and I can see the point you are trying to make, but the great ones should realize that you can't please everyone and brew for themselves just as we drink for ourselves.