Tasting Ghost Whales

Honestly, I think this is the way collecting goes in general. Specifically in terms of beer, I've been consistently amazed at how hyped up the "whalez" and big releases of the year tend to be. We're basically in an industry that has, in some ways, highly diminishing returns, with the differences between "the best BA stout in the world" and a common BA stout being pretty slim. I've rushed to places to pick up a "rare" beer, only to be disappointed in how "pedestrian" it tastes, and I'd imagine the same holds true for the majority of beers.

With that being said, some people don't get why I'd pay $15 or $20 for a six-pack or even a 4-pack, much less $30 for a bomber, so we're essentially doing the same thing, just on a larger scale. I don't think any beer is worth $1000 (unless maybe it was owned by Napoleon, or King Arthur, or something), but if I had money several orders of magnitude higher than what I have now, and had nothing "better" to spend it on, I'd probably grab a bottle or two of something crazy, myself (and then either never drink it, or be disappointed when it tasted like...beer).

 

Your post nailed it for me. "But mostly, it's about hanging with good friends..." We actually had a good discussion about this article at an impromptu bottle share/birthday celebration last night.

The one thing in that article that gave me pause was when the guy mentioned, “This beer was so extremely rare I didn’t just want to pop it at a normal tasting. I wanted to share it with people who’d really appreciate it,” but then followed it up with, "That’s when I came up with the idea for this tasting, by offering up to share the Driesjes Eerste Plasje, I could possibly bring some of these other rare beers out of hiding.”

So did this guy really believe that only those other folks who went through the same great effort and/or expense to acquire these beers could be the only ones to truly appreciate drinking them... or was his main goal of the tasting really just an attempt to gain something from it? Probably a little bit of both, I'm sure. And I can understand the latter- if you went through a ton of effort or spent a ton of money to track down an extremely rare beer, there's no doubt it would be tough to just give it away without feeling like you were getting something equal in return.

Having said that, and what I enjoyed so much about your post, Sean9689... like yourself, bottle shares with my group have always been about the friendships and good times that sharing beer inspires amongst us; it's never been, "Well I brought Bottle X, so I expect you to bring at least a bottle of Y." Whether someone brings a beer on the Top 10 of the 250 list or just a growler from the nearby brewery, the enjoyment of drinking beer with a great group of friends has always trumped everything else.

If I was ever in position where I could actually obtain a ghost whale type of beer, before opening it I'm sure I'd pause and wonder what else I could have the opportunity to taste with this "golden ticket"... but when it came down to it, who would I rather enjoy the beer, and more importantly, the experience with of finally cracking it open: a group of strangers who I could gain something off of...or my group of great friends who I share the passion of beer with every week, who while maybe not being able to bring a beer of similar magnitude to the table, would damn sure appreciate the opportunity to try it just as much? The answer became clear at that point, for me anyway.

 

Bill (the host) is an insanely generous individual, good friend, and overall lambic-addict. Obviously, a tasting like this doesn't happy very often, so anyone who was going to attend should be prepared to "bring the heat". All of us have been in the "beer game" for quite some time, so we all knew the level of what should be contributed. There wasn't ever any disputes on what everyone was bringing, it all worked out because we all just knew.

But yeah, I do agree with you, doing the whole "I bring this, you bring that" thing ruins the entire experience of a tasting. If everyone is friends, it shouldn't matter, and it all eventually evens out. Beer Karma. I love surprises, so my absolute favorite thing to do is bring bottles to share that no one has any clue I'm bringing. Not because I want to show off, but because the joy of sharing something that others appreciate as much as you is the best feeling.

 

That article and beer tasting are fucking awesome.

 

They should've auctioned off a couple of seats at the tasting for a charity. Tell me there wouldn't be a couple of people willing to drop $1000+

 

100% agreed. If it's a group of close friends, it always does even out. Last night we were at a buddy's house just hanging out on his deck, enjoying a couple beers to celebrate his birthday... nothing major was planned given it was a weeknight, so the handful of us didn't bring along a whole lot or anything too fancy this go around; but he eventually just decided to start busting out a few bottles to share from his cellar, and even gave a couple of us some "care-packages" of beers he just brought home from a recent trip. And it was HIS birthday! Haha but yeah just like yourself, it's the joy of sharing that means more than anything.


BTW I didn't mean to imply that your friend Bill was a bad person or in it for the wrong reasons, so I apologize if I came off that way. I tend to find myself becoming more cynical with peoples' true intentions in this hobby as it continues to grow, and that's a bit unfortunate.

 

a more apt name for ghost whales should be succubus whales. Being they drain your time and money.

 

I would do unspeakable things to be at a tasting like that.

 

Until now, I've never seen the precise moment when two people simultaneously get type 2 diabetes.

 

http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/post-a-pic-of-your-tasting-events.13597/page-6

 

Ummm, Cellar Envy.

 

I DID unspeakable things, alas I still didn't make the cut.

 

Well If you go here. You will find some rare old beers. If you can afford it. lol
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1232/?view=ratings

 

Been there, done that

Fun for a bit, but overall a major waste of money and time

Give me an Aventinus, please

 

"i just dont care at all. me and kenny dont give two shits about stupid ass whaaaaalezz"