Poll: Why I Don't Review Beers.

None of the above, I do review!

 

My guess is that they probably didn't want to share their thoughts on this topic, either. XD

 

Other: I didn't have a girlfriend that actually lived with me (full time, not the ones who just never leave it seems) until a couple years ago and do now. I used to review somewhat often before.

There are a lot of other things I don't do as much as well.

 

I sympathize. I grew up outside Philly and back then, there were almost no bottle shops that I knew of. If you're near Philly by chance, I love the Foodery and The Greeks Next Door. A bit expensive but not too unreasonable, and the former has some really esoteric, interesting selections that I was totally unfamiliar with.

 

I voted 'It will destroy...", although I think that's a bit strong to describe what usually happens.

In many cases I'll actually hold on to one last bottle of something to review when the time is right (clean palate and all that), but then a conflict almost always comes up where I really want that beer to go with a meal or a game or whatever, and then I have to decide- enjoy the beer as it was meant to be, or keep holding it to review some day and deny myself that pleasure. I guess my id controls those decisions far too often.

 

I find reviews much more valuable than ratings when I'm thinking about trying a beer. And I've reviewed 133 beers so far, so I do feel that there's some legitimacy to the process. However (and it's a big however), I also think that there's a lot of psychological baggage that goes into your enjoyment of a beer at a particular instant in time. F'rinstance, I might really be in the mood for a session IPA (or two or three of them) tonight, but tomorrow night I'm ready to commit to a higher ABV and would find the sessionable brew, um, insipid.

To be fair to the brewers, you almost need to revisit beers periodically and update your reviews (AND your ratings) so that they reflect your impressions from more than a single try. And that, my friends, requires a commitment to reviews/ratings that goes beyond the norm. Not many people are willing to revisit - possibly repeatedly - a beer that freakin' gagged them, just to make sure that it wasn't a bad bottle or a dirty tap line. Consequently, the reviews that you're reading are a compilation of first impressions. Better'n nothing, but less than perfect.

 

I voted other. My excuse would be that I'm not alone. I love reviews. They help me pick beers when I read everyone's review. Back to excuse. I feel that I need to be alone to really give a good review. To sniff, to slurp, to swish, to concentrate. Rarely am I alone.

 

I find the reviews helpful especially with trading, if there's a new beer i've been offered i'd like to know if people like it. My problem is i'm reading all these reviews and it's like "it as notes of blah blah blah and such and such"....and i just can't pick out those flavors. So, I don't feel like I have much to add in a review because i'm not picking out the nonsense that most other people do.

 

I chose "other" because I work in wholesale and I don't want to sound biased in any way, so I don't review.

have, in the past, reviewed beers that are not available in my state but as the market expands that is starting to get a little harder.

 

I picked "Beer reviewers are all beer geeks..." It's not entirely how I feel about it (you're not ALL geeks) but it probably was the closest. I do read the reviews but like a few have already mentioned reviewers tend to favor extreme beers and there are many very good "normal" beers that get very low ratings just because they're not pine sap IPAs or tar stouts. I think the Bros tend to be a little more objective and appreciate a wide variety of styles and intensities. Case in point: the classic Miller High Life, BAs at large give it a poor while the bros give it a good. MHL happens to be a very solid classic but it gets low ratings because it's "BMC"... And doesn't fall between pine sap and tar. ... For what it's worth I do enjoy pine sap or tar on occasion, but there are times when a Miller just hits the spot.

 

I'm a sporadic reviewer. I wish I had more time for beer. I know, I know, First World problems.

 

"I don't have the time." or "I don't think I write well enough." are not good enough excuses IMO.

150 character minimum and that includes spaces. People have time to tweet or check into face book, or write a comment in a forum then a quick review is not that big of a deal.

 

I haven't reviewed since I became involved in creating beers. Seems like a conflict of interest.

 

I chose other because I'm not interested in writing beer reviews. I think I can write well if I choose to. I have the time, I don't think they're stupid, I'm happy to share my thoughts no matter how many others have done the same. I occasionally use them, I'm both a beer geek and a casual enjoyer. I don't think it'll destroy my enjoyment of beer, though reviewing books for years I did burn out on book reviewing. I'm happy to learn how, but I don't want to review. There, I think I covered all the categories.

So, other. Disinterest. I do sometimes tick, because I like to keep track of stuff. I'd tick more here if I didn't use untappd, but I still log a number of beers here and rate them.

 

I chose other because I don't know all of the characteristics of each style and I'm too lazy to pull up the corresponding page and put the effort into giving the beer an honest review.

 

I only review what I am currently drinking. So it's mostly because I forget to.

 

While I voted that I do not have the time. I think it comes down to being lazy and not wanting write a review while I am drinking because I usually do it socially and don't want to be balls deep in my computer while everyone is having fun.

 

I voted other and the reason being is just inexperience. I'm pretty new to the craft beer world and feel like you kind of have to taste the best and worst of a style in order to know where something belongs on a scale. Otherwise I'll be rating that
a beer is 5/5 which deserves to be 3/5 only because I haven't experience a true 5/5 yet

 

I chose "Already plenty of reviews, why add mine". As I've been trying more beers, I typically try it first, THEN read reviews halfway through the beer, to see if I agree with, or pick up on any of the tastes I wasn't picking up on, etc... If I find that what I liked or hated in a beer has been well enough covered, my review doesn't particularly matter.

Now, if its a new beer with few reviews, or something I am personally excited to try, I'll review it either way.

Also, alot of the time, I buy mix-a-6 packs, and review from that. So, by the time I chugging down #5-6, I'm in no right mind to review a brew.