Looking for ways to advance my beer appreciation & knowledge

Reading through Designing Great Beers at the moment and learning ridiculous amounts of information in every single chapter. I've probably brewed 30 beers in 2 years and still have seemingly barely scratched the surface. It really gives me more of an appreciation for things I took for granted or didn't pay attention to previously.

 

You may want to check out the corrections to the book here:

http://ocbeercommentary.wikispaces.com/

 

buy a big glass boot
make a giant black and tan
???
knowledge

 

Cicerone.org

 

As others have said, start homebrewing. By seeing, smelling and tasting the raw ingredients to beer and then learning about the brewing process, you can really gain a lot of understanding of beer and its hows and whys plus you taste a lot too.
Also look into joining a local homebrewing club and meeting more people who love beer and brew it themselves. Each club is different, but beer is a social beverage so it it much more fun to enjoy it with others who like it too plus homebrewers have lots of extra beer they need to get rid of and want you to taste it and give feedback so you can often try styles you can not find locally.

 

This is pretty much what I'm doing. In addition to that I read reviews that other people make and go to the brewers website because I really don't have the pallette to pick up the notes. I have pretty much discovered that the IPAs I don't care for are too malty (aka balanced) so I know to avoid them.

 

Travel, read brewing related books, drink a wide variety of beer styles, learn to homebrew, study and take cicerone and/or bjcp exams.

 

1) Buy mix-a-six packs or variety packs to try a wide range of styles so you can narrow down what styles interest you right off the bat. Once you find one or two you like, try as many beers in that style that you can. Ask BA for suggestions within styles, too.
2) Read - Read books, magazines, beeradvocate forums/reviews, blogs....anything to expand your knowledge. This isnt necessary, but can help you understand everything there is to know about beer. Dont be afraid to ask questions.
3)Brew - Again, not necessary, but can really help you understand more about beer and where the flavors come from, different styles, etc....
4) Attend beerfests/tastings/events - Get to know people and more importantly, try a ton of beer!
5) Enjoy yourself- The most important of all

 

The easiest thing to do is watch some beertubers video, drink a lot of different beers and educate yourself on styles.

 

Buy the right glassware. I'm pretty new to beer myself, but my appreciation completely changed for the better once I was drinking beer from the right glass. I bought some stuff from Truebeer.com not to long ago, and I would highly recommend them. Quality, fair pricing, and quick shipping.

 

Bear in mind that a vast amount of what's written and told about beer is of doubtful accuracy , it's all so easy just to repeat the same old details without checking it first.

 

My opinion: travel and taste
My experience beer started in 1991 when worked in Belgium Company
For me beer is pilsen and stop. After this travel I understand what is beer
I'm a novice after 20 years
I'm here to discover

 

A few things that I learned when getting into the wide wold of craft beer....

• Find a store near you that allows you to mix 6 packs and go to town on everything that they carry.
• Try every style you can and if you find one that you like, buy as many as you can in that style. That will allow you to learn the various flavors and nuances of a paticular style.
• Dont take anything people say on this site (or any other beer site) too seriously. It is all opinions and you need to form your own. I went through a phase when I bought beers solely based on what people on Beer Advocate where hyping and talking about. I lost my personal taste and was drinking beer for the wrong reasons during that time. Drink the beer that tastes the best to you, and if someone gives you suggestions on a beer similiar to it, then find it and drink it.
• Watch/read beer reviews and drink that specific beer while doing so. Try and pick up flavors that the reviewer describes. This will help you develop your pallet more than anything else in my opinion.
• If you like a beer that gets less than favorable reviews; it is still ok to enjoy it. Do not try and trick your mouth into not liking something because other people dont like it.
• Have fun, ask questions and learn as much as you want to! Beer culture is rich and it is full of people who want to share their experiences with you!

 

Just enjoy the journey. Beer is meant to be fun and enjoyed. Drink what you like and don't take others opinions too seriously. Also as many have said don't get caught up in all these ultra rare releases. If you are just starting make some trades with people on here. When I first started that really helped my love of beer grow.

 

Try anything that stands out or looks interesting, and if you find a style/brewery you like try some others to get familiar with them. Most people will suggest buying singles/mix 6ers but I was never a fan of this. I personally don't think plowing through as many beers as possible as fast as you can is the right way to start of. Try at least a couple of each beer so you get a feel for it as your opinions towards some beers will change. It's not a race and takes time for your palate to develop. Don't be afraid to go out of your comfort zone; and if you don't like something at first try it again sometime down the road.

 

look to your local tap houses and bottle shops, there are no instructions, start with what you like then ask the person running the shop or the person pouring from the tap what they think. beer is what these people do. if you are tasting different styles light to dark is the normal natural progression, eat drink and be merry.....cheers and have fun

 

Just picked up a Sam Adam's Perfect Pint glass and Trappistes Rochefort Goblet a few weeks ago... I can confirm that this website is legit and ships fairly quick!