Things you have learned about yourself since you started rating beer

I learned I LOVE beer.

 

I finally learned where all my money goes


...and secondarily that I enjoy stouts far more than any other style

 

This is a terrific question. I have learned so many things it's hard to enumerate. From tasting beer, I have learned presentation not only of the beer but of my food and my food and beer pairings. I also learned to present myself or my opinion in a public forum. I learned how to use the internet effectively and navigate websites like this one. I learned that the pc is not the demon to privacy that some would imply. I learned that the spirit of community still exists even amidst a kind of societal isolation caused by a combination of technology and lack of time to spend on oneself. AND I learned that I might want to try new things even at my age.

Cheers to beer!

 

I learned that I'm a ticker through and through. I've also expanded my descriptor vocabulary quite a bit and I've learned how to identify flavors and aromas quite a bit more accurately. For example, I used to always be like, "This smells familiar. I know what this smells like, but I can't figure it out." Now I'm all like, "Red delicious apples!"

 

Besides improving my ability to detect things in the beer that I wasn't noticing before, I've found that reviewing (not just rating alone but doing an actual review) has improved my ability to enjoy all beers and that it definetly improves my memories for what a particular beer was like, where I was when reviewing it, and even that I've had that beer at all. I've tried just rating and reviewing/rating and now have enough instances out there in my review and rating history on this site where I can confirm for my self that taking the time to do a review is and has been a long range plus for me. (It has also saved me money and the unpleasant experience of drinking a second time a beer I didn't enjoy.... :-))

 

It's improved my ability to pick out flavors and aromas of food I eat. I'm able to appreciate it more I find.

 

Mainly that I've fallen into a lager rut and I don't want to get up!

I am always willing to try something new, but with respect to a go-to or a repeat purchase, my preference in styles and with respect to interpretation of styles holds close to traditions (or at least as I understand them in a modern context.)

 

The best thing for me is that I can appreciate any style now. Even styles that are not my favorite I can appreciate a beautifully made example. As a bit of a ticker I try a lot of beers and always rate by style not my preference.

 

Learned to appreciate niche hobbies before they become more mainstream. Makes me more aware of savoring something because one can't assume that it will stay the same or get better. It is easy to underestimate the extent to which other people can ruin a good thing. Just noticed similar phenomenon with a particular hiking trail that I loved and is now crowded with families and tourists, dogs, etc... If it is great, savor it, because it may not be the same in the future.

In a similar vein I'm more cautious about going too far with trying new things. Often it is better to stick with what you like the best. Easiest overlap with beer would be other beverages and restaurants. Undiscovered gems aren't as common as one might think.

 

feel the same about UBC and 4H

 

I grew up with allergies and never really learned how to smell. The exercise of learning to rate beer has added a new dimension by developing that sense somewhat. In my early beer drinking years there were some 70 breweries in the US owned by 35 businesses. This is a pretty nice time to be drinking beer and rating beer is a good way to explore the world of beer and discover what you like and don't like. In general I like more than I ever expcted I would. Its also an excuse to meet people and in general the people you meet are more interesting than one might meet at the Women's Christian Temperance Union. I am also interested in the whole craft movement in restaurants, cheese, bread and food and the skills in rating beer are also a helpful focus in other categories.

 

I reinforced my casual impressions more than learned anything new.

I like English-inspired styles the most (stout, porter, IPA, brown, etc.)

Also, I'm not a fan of many German or Belgian inspired styles.

I understand that I have just uttered heresy but I don't care. I like what I like.

 

Ive learned that I'll never stop learning about beer

 

I have learned that I'm not a fan of most "Session" and Double/Imperial IPAs, as the balance tends to out of tune (to my liking, anyway).

 

I think I've learned that I'm not a very good reviewer. I know what I like, but sometimes I just don't get the subtle nuances that others describe. I love Bcbs as most do, but I don't get vanilla at all, I can't get past the roasted chocolate and bourbon. I get plums and raisins with something like Eclipse EC20, but not with any other stout I've tried. Bcbcs and Kbs are coffee and bourbon dominant, I don't taste anything more there that I can put into words. I don't think I love this beer and it's heavy on coffee and bourbon is all that invigorating.

 

Probably the biggest thing I've learned is how to distinguish between styles and how to look for commonalities and differences across the broad spectrum of beers and styles. I look at beer as a family tree, and some styles are more closely related than others but they all share a common root. Putting this into a historical perspective has helped me gain an appreciation for how beer has evolved over the centuries. I don't know much about brewing but, just by tasting a lot of different beers, I've gained a better understanding of what the brewer was trying to achieve with a given beer. Beer is food and, in that sense, the variety is limitless and infinite.

 

This is a really great thread...good job OP!

 

Great thread, more of this and less of "tell me what beer to drink"

What I have learned is that since I started reviewing beer I don't drink the styles I like, I just drink everything. So new beers override favorite styles. Most new beers are not my favorite style. I'm still not complaining.