How important is the "buzz"?

There are people who drink beer to get drunk, and there are people who drink beer for the taste. I am smack dab in the middle.

 

I actually avoided this thread for the first couple days because it's come up before and usually turns in this direction. I'm glad it's been allowed to continue though, snarking, sniping and all.

I just had two beers, both in the 5%-6% range. My head feels a little lighter. And that's exactly how I wanted it to feel. I also enjoyed both of them. One was a Smuttynose Shoals Pale ale, the other a Southern Tier Pale Ale. Both were crisp and balanced, the Smutty way more 'British' than the other, and superior for it, in my opinion. I got the best of both worlds, if you ask me.

Like I implied in my earlier post, to me at least, the buzz only serves to enhance what I already enjoy. Had I just wanted the buzz, we've got some cheap vodka on hand to make vanilla extract. I don't see why it can't be about both. I used to keep a tasting journal, but don't anymore. I do homebrew, so I give flavor a lot of thought, but most everything I brew is around 5% or less for prolonged drinking. It's amazing to me that people can take such a complex thing and say it is/isn't this. Alcohol is in beer. Enjoy beer for what it is.