More Alcohol = Better?

Higher alcohol is due to more concentrated wort, and typically more hops and other ingredients to balance it out. It's a more concentrated, intense flavor. Espresso vs. coffee. Some people prefer coffee; nothing wrong with that.

 

Its just preference. Don't ever go by the ratings. I prefer gigantic abv beers, but in the same breath I love session as well. Drink what you like and disregard ratings.

 

No

 

All my favorites are 9-12 ABV. Dont know if its the booze taste I like or it just comes with the beers I like. I like catching a good buzz off of just one bomber or a couple pints thought.

 

I find DFH 90 to be boozy and overly sweet too. But I'm drinking a 10% Oracle right now and it's anything but sweet and boozy. It's bitter as hell, but I wouldn't quite call it boozy, but it's close, I can tell this isn't a 6% brew. I've had great brews that are all over the ABV spectrum especially IPA's, hard to make a great one that comes in under 7%, too little malt makes a pure bitter bomb. Caldera I like a lot it comes in at 6.8% I think, the session IPA's IMO suck.

 

It's all about flavor and the way the beer is put together overall that make me like it. While I love me a massive 10% Russian Imperial Stout, I enjoy a 5% Samuel Smith Organic Chocolate Stout just the same

 

I find more potent (higher ABV) drinks to be a bit harder to drink. I feel this is mainly because I enjoy having a few drinks a night and don't want to have to limit my night to 2 beers before feeling a bit top heavy. I enjoy my less potent beers because I can enjoy them over a few hours and still feel sane when going to bed.

 

there are a lot of factors that shouldn't impact the ratings but inevitably do, this being one of them, so don't take them too serious. They're pretty good as a general guide though.

To answer your question, it depends on how early I have to wake up the next morning

 

Preference is all.. i think? Some days i'll drink an IPA and it will taste just ok. Some days, i can't get enough of it.

 

This! More people need to follow!

 

No I don't think as a general observation low ABV = inferior, but Styles count here, and the brewers skills are perhaps the most important ingredient. I think you'd be hard pressed to find a BA Stout that was great that was under 10%. Most of the better DIPA's are around 8%, most really good IPA's are around 7. I think the style and the ingredients needed to create balance influences an ABV range that are generally ideal for the style.

 

when i first got into beer, i fell into this line of thinking. i think that's what happens to a lot of folks at the beginning.
i've only been in the game for a little over a year and only in the last few months have i been really starting to enjoy some beers in the sub 5.5% range.
at first i was just looking for huge beers, then i started to figure out what flavors i really appreciated and then abv didn't really matter all that much.
a beer like 1809 is very small and it has an insane amount of flavor. i've had a bunch of saisons in the 4-5% range that were fantastic as well. loaded with flavor.

 

I think the higher ABV brews tend to be the most intense and complex. There are exceptions, like lambic and gueuze, but most lower ABV beers will be a bit more simple. They can be just as good, just not have the layers of flavor found in an imperial stout, barleywine, Belgian dark, dopplebock, etc.

 

I agree with you IPA ABV idea.

 

First beer i tried on the top 250 was DFH 90

The first couple sips are great when it warms it tastes like carbonated whiskey to me

Now everything tastes like shit unless its a silver can that says HEADDY TOPPER on it

But that was one of my 1st impressions when I started lurking here higher ABV=better rating

 

Less alcohol + More flavor = perfection

There are a few breweries who have reached this calculation of perfection.

Sometimes subtle flavors can = more flavor. It's like jazz, it's the flavors you aren't tasting.

 

I love BCBS and I love some of those low ABV berliner weisse beers that can be under 4%. ABV does not mean better.

 

I kinda feel like once you can appreciate subtle flavors in beers that aren't quite as "intense" your "palate" has become more refined. Big, bold beers are awesome, but when you can fully appreciate a simple porter, a lager or a pale ale, you're growing up in the beer world lol.