Russian River hype. When will it end?

All the ants and sheep head in the same direction... Beer is about what YOU like (at least the ones that can think for themselves).

 

First ever "tasting event" I went to I brought a bottle of Rodenbach Grand Cru. I had no idea what such "events" were about (note to self: it's not just about drinking beer), but I couldn't help but notice the indifference toward the bottle I brought. Later in the night, a couple of Russian River sours were brought out, to much fanfare and chatter. Meanwhile, I had popped the Rodenbach and was drinking it myself. Someone placed a 2 oz. pour of the RR in front of me and I drank it. As the congratulatory chattering continued, I asked what made the RR so much better than the Rodenbach. I never received an even remotely satisfactory answer.

 

You talk about RR being over-hyped, then you mention FFFs. Wow talk about major fail. I mean seriously, FFFs is the KING of hype. Hell, they invented the game.

 

I just want to know why Pittsburgh was mentioned

 

Two each their own, but...if we're concerned with mass amounts of people drinking over-hyped beer, let's start with Bud Light not Damnation.

 

The American Beer Tradition is strong and growing stronger every day. We have tastes and ingredients not readily available anywhere: varieties of hops, malts, and wheat strains. I would put Dreamweaver up against any European Hefe any day. Our Double IPA tradition is gaining steam. Oh, and BTW, FFF is not hype. IMHO, their beer would make a beer drinker out of anyone!!!

 

This is one of the most ignorant OPs I've read on BA. Hate RR all you want, but if you're going to, at least make a coherent argument. One thing you did make clear is that you don't know much about beer.

 

I wish some of that RR hype would spill into Ohio.

 

Having had some beers in England made with American hops like Amarillo and Citra, the hop statement is weak. Malts? What do you mean there, I see malts from Germany and England in many breweries. Wheat strains? Maybe GMO?

 

Putting Dreamweaver up against European hefes is hilarious.

 

In the future, I envision a utopian craft beer world without the use of the word "hype".

 

So you're saying Rodenbach isn't a good beer and that RR isn't any better than it? Or you're saying Rodenbach is a great beer and RR was just as good as it?

Rodenbach is a great beer...it's also very available. People get excited to try things they havent had before...seems silly to get upset about it.

 

Really..who cares what someone else thinks about a brewery? These dumb "xxx brewery is overhyped" threads always pop up and fire people up needlessly, which I'm sure was the OP's intent. We all have different tastes.

 

Not to pull a strawman but most of these "ancient" Belgian styles date only back to the 20th Century. Talk about hype, you need only look to the "Trappist" tag.

 

I am saying that Rodenbach is a great beer and that the RR's were close to being great as well. Of course I fully understand about someone wanting to try a beer they haven't had before. I wasn't upset; however, they seemed to be slightly so after I posed the question of what made the RR so much better. Nearly everyone in attendance tried to justify what was obviously nothing more than novelty and hype by grasping at straws such as "the cherry notes are more prominent, the intensity of flavor is greater, etc." In other words, just more of the old "more flavor is better" BA BS. Of course the real reason it's "better" is the same as why Rodenbach Alexander -- which was/is made by the same brewery utilizing more or less the same ingredients and processes -- is considered a whale and regular Rodenbach is nothing special (i.e. more flavor, rarity, and hype). When I used to drink the stuff in Belgium, regular Rodenbach was considered a beer to drink with your meal and Alexander (which I always ordered when available) a beer to drink after your meal; nothing more, nothing less.

 

It's kind of like forbidden fruit. Yes, there's tons of stuff going on in the east, but that's just the point. The limited releases from RR (and really, any releases if you're in NJ like me) are off limits and you have to trade for them. Whether it's right or not, any beer you have to trade for IMO feels like it holds more weight. And for those that live near RR, in case you haven't seen the line for the Beatification releases it seems that it's coveted and worth the wait no matter what.

I've personally tried almost everything that I want from RR and I have yet to be disappointed. I give them credit for what they are: A brewery that makes the best IPAs I've ever had, and amazing sours, to name a few.

 

What was the OP's point? The grass is always greener? or maybe it's a version of Yogi Berra's "nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded."?

 

Because RR makes some of the best IPAs and American sour beers, which are two of craft beer's main obsessions.

What I want to know is why no one ever complains about the prices of Russian River's beer. Why does Damnation cost as much as Orval? Why do RR sours have around the same price tag (sometimes higher) as a lot of great Belgian lambics?

 

This isn't true near Russian River. Damnations is $3.99 a bottle, almost $2 cheaper than Orval. I can get their sours for $9.99. And their tap prices are great. Pliny is one of the best deals in town, and all their tap prices are lower than other places in the area. Hell, I can get a glass of Consecration for nearly the same price as a pint at BJ's.

 

When I was in California, I found bottles of Damnation for $5 (same price I get it for in Fl), 375 mL bottles of Supplication for $11.99 (same size bottles of Mariage Parfait Kriek cost $8.99 here), and pint bottles of Pliny for $5. It was a family vacation, so I never actually went to Russian River (I will eventually though!) or that close to it, but those prices were pretty steep. $5 for a pint of DIPA isn't really a good deal either. What's the price near RR for Pliny?