the drop off effect?

It's all in the head, so you're not crazy.

 

I'm pretty sure you hit the nail on the head for most cases!

 

you're not crazy ... this can happen with almost anything and does for me with food.

distance/time does make the heart grow fonder (and the expectations rise)

 

The law of diminishing returns.

 

Yup, there's a reason why we don't see the same type of threads for year-round brews.

 

The problem also is palate change. Someone will try a beer, like say Hopslam for the first time and they will form an opinion about it....then over the next year they will try hundreds of new beers in some cases and then an entire year later return to Hopslam and expect their taste buds to receive it the same way....and it just doesn't work like that.

 

This is me and my experience with Pliny. Nailed it.

 

In conclusion, the hype machine has both positive and negative implications.

 

I can't speak as to whether or not you're crazy, but I do believe that we like to remember the best of what things were. From reading various threads it seems as though KBS, BCS, name the beer, have all dropped off.

 

Every time I have a Pliny it seems to be better than I remembered.

 

Probably because in between pours of Pliny, we come on BA and read about how overrated it is and how over-the-hill it is as a DIPA when all the other new stuff is so much hoppier and better. Then you go back and drink another pour of Pliny and can't help but be impressed. I guess BA sets the bar low.

(I love drinking my Pliny btw, my favorite DIPA so far)

 

Could be that, or could be it is just that damn good.

 

No different than riding a rollercoaster or anything else in life - nothing is as good the second time around. That's why I'd rather not drink the same beer twice in a row. Thank God for the mix 'n match six pack.

 

Some beers are influenced by the yearly difference in the hops. Sierra Nevada has said this about Celebration. I would say Hopslam would have the same differences.

 

Why would you ask if you're crazy? That's the most obvious explanation.

 

And we all know about the yearly difference in spices for Celebration.

Seems like they use less and less every year...

 

There was thread a number of years ago about Celebration Ale. The vast majority of BAs all posted thoughts similar to what is posted in this thread: your palate has ‘evolved’ over the years, you are suffering from Lupulin Threshold Shift, blah, blah.

I was the lone voice in the woods saying that Celebration was indeed different from year to year. Everybody ridiculed me until SierraNevadaBill posted that Celebration does indeed vary from year to year due to the changing hop crop.

I have also noticed variability of Hopslam from year to year and I think it is because the beer does indeed vary from year to year.

Cheers!

P.S. If there were BAs who supported my claim about the Celebration variability from year to year then I apologize for not remembering that. My recollection was that it was me against the world (and Bill came to the rescue).

 

I could say that hops are the spice in beer...

 

Ever think maybe the beer is the same and it's your palate that has changed?

Case in point, Mephistopheles used to be too much for my weak ass palate, now I love it.