Hype vs. Reality

I find about 1 in 10 hyped beers match the hype. 6 in 10 are better than average. And about 3 in 10 are pure hype. This is roughly speaking, shitters!!!!

 

Perception IS reality

 

It's Conformity vs. Hype vs. Reality

Conformity is something that most humans can't resist and it plays a very large role in most ratings. My favorite beers aren't determined by other people's palates.

Are yours? Are you sure about that?

 

Somehow "access, label, and beer name" have been interpreted as "hype". I think there is a difference. Hype is only created by people talking about a beer, which I think is a great reason to want to try a beer. I believe that in many circumstances, especially when negotiating a trade, hype is 100% of the reason you try the beer. After you've tried it, I would hope that hype is 0% of the reason to get the beer again, or you are just caving in to peer pressure at that point. If the beer is good, I think how good the beer is should determine how hard you try to get the beer again. Lack of access has nothing to do with whether or not I want to try a beer. Label and beer name also have very little to do with it for me. The style of the beer combined with the reputation of the brewery have everything to do with how I choose a beer the first time, then after that, it is 100% on taste and what mood I am in. Oddly enough, I am trying to find Permanent Funeral based on the association to Pig Destroyer, which is as bad as wanting to buy a pair of Jordans, but whatever, it worked on me...

 

No doubt every single person on this site would make this claim about him- or herself, which roots you firmly in the conformist majority.

 

I have Heady stocked in my fridge pretty much at all times and it's still the best beer I've ever had. As an above poster said it also doesn't affect my enjoyment of others such as Hoptimum. Take a trip to Vermont and you will see that Heady is appreciated even when it is readily available. I like good beer, and I don't care where it's from. I've been disappointed by PLENTY of rare (hyped) beers.

 

If I am part of that majority, it isn't due to my desire to conform and has nothing to do with my favorite beers. See the difference?

 

I have never had Heady but am sure it's top DIPA. If they could made enough Heady as Sierra Nevada makes Hoptimun do you think BA's would still be hyped as much as it is?

 

Hype has made me pause and wonder whether or not I bought a bad bottle when I thought something didn't live up to the score.

This has happened often enough that I just stopped giving a shit about scores.

 

Hype can also be bad for a beer. Look at Pliny, (and soon to be Heady) people go out of their way to prove a beer is better and that Pliny is not that great of a beer in some sort of effort to prove that they don't fall in line with the masses. In reality, if everyone could drink these beers without some sort of preconceived notion that if they like it, they are conformists, then hardly a soul would argue their greatness...

 

Probably not. Rarity and the difficulty of acquisition produces higher ratings from many people.

However, it would still be a highly rated DIPA. Most people who really like DIPAs appreciate massive hop aroma and flavor as long as it isn't too harsh.

 

hahaha! i love it when a subjective argument turns into an argument about semantics. beer is delicious, drink local, and don't covet what is not readily available. consider it a bonus when it comes to town!

 

All hype does is make it harder to get good beers. There is hype for a reason! Obviously, tastes vary, so you won't like every hyped beer. The only thing that bothers me is the people who look down on a beer just because it's hype. I mean, come on, just bc you got there late and didn't get any Hopslam doesn't mean you should bash it for a year out of spite.

 

I'm guilty too I just remembered, to be fair. I liked Sucks when I first tried it, but in the 3.75/5 range. Then the hype and all the "new Pliny" talk made me despise that beer for it's hype.

 

Hype may get me to try a beer, but hype has never made me like a beer. If it doesn't meet my taste expectations I will not buy it again. And yes Heady Topper is damn good. The fact that I cannot easily get it however does not keep me up at nite. There are way too many great beers out there to drown any sorrows of missing out I may have.

 

Hype may also be the reason you don't get to try a beer. Some beers have such crazy hype (fill in beer name here________) it is essentially impossible to try.

 

I'd say about 60/40 hype to taste. Most hyped beers are very very good, but I find many readily beers that are just as good. For instance, i think hop wallop and sculpin are easily just as good as hopslam. Not taking anything away from these hype trains, but when they're hyped, it makes getting them all the more an achievement. Plus, you can so taste the rare!

 

The issue seems to be that some people aren't aware of how far apart sensation and perception can be.

 

it is just unfortunate sometimes, too, when hype is directly installed by the brewery, or rather, The Bruery. i hate how they withhold their one off beers and jack up the prices the following year or for a special event like their 5th anniversary in may. not cool.