Tickers?

A lot of people have said in this tread that after a while options become more very limited but even at 4.000+ beers (more than most people on BA probably), I still regularly get to try new & exciting beers. Yes the options at my local supermarket are extremely limited but even a middling beer festival still has something interesting & new for me to try as does a good beer store. Yes more effort is required than going to the supermarket but still there is so much great stuff out there that I have never tried. New breweries & new beers are being released to the market all of the time. Even at 1700+ Belgian beers, last week I tried two new great ones, a fruit beer with Schaarbeekse Krieken & a rye imperial stout with oak & smoked chilli. A lot of these beers I wouldn’t have tried without the willingness to try everything. I tried my first Cantillon & first Imperial Stout only because I was buying random beers & trying them.

You can be picky & still “tick” great new beer all of time.

 

Exactly. I was in San Diego in July for two weeks for work. I hit nine different breweries, only two of which has beer available in Minnesota, and at Ballast Point I had stuff I know I can't get back home (and at Stone, I don't think Wootstout 2.0 was making it my way either). I found a bar that had Pliny on tap. It's not a favorite style, but why would I pass up trying a world class beer like that?

Besides the beer, I did some other stuff I can't do back home. Because, why not?

 

I completely agree. People keep track of the unique beers they've had, for more reasons than just increasing their # of hads. To me, ticking is mainly wanting to try as many different beers as possible, regardless of any personal preference of style. And tickers avoid repeats solely because if they repeat, that won't let them continue to tick something they haven't had before.

I avoid repeat beers for other reasons such as price, availability, and enjoyment level. I do avoid repeat beers because I'm interested in trying something new and expanding my horizons and palate, but those other factors play into my decision as well. I don't simply tick to tick.

I think this is very true as well. However, I think there are tickers who are actively reading up on what new beers are coming out for a limited time or in a limited amount -- especially if they haven't ever had it yet. I've been an avid craft drinker for about 2 years now and when new/limited/seasonal releases such as Hi-Res, KBS, Hop Slam, Dark Penance, Hunahpu, Barrel Aged Narwhal, Terrapin Wake n Bake, Bourbon County etc... become available, I have been ticking away like crazy!

So in a sense, I am a ticker. But I only tick what I'm interested in. And a lot of the reason I tick those rarer types of beer is because I know that if I don't pick up a 4 pack of KBS right when it comes out, I won't have another chance to have it until next year, unless I trade for it. (Trade tickers are the really insane tickers... but if I had unlimited income I'd probably trade a lot more.) It will be interesting to see how I continue to tick in this way in the next couple years. I know when Hi-Res comes back next year I am going to be sure to grab some. After trying Hop Slam for $18/sixer and not being as impressed, I may pass up on it next time. I continue to seek what I really like, and let go of the ones I don't.

In general, I think one of the main reasons for my ticking is curiosity. And that is what lead me into craft beer in the first place. There are so many damn unique beers out there, and I want to try as many of the good ones as I can. I want to experiment with different styles and flavor profiles. I usually do some research before picking up a new beer I haven't tried because I don't want to spend money on something I'll be disappointed in. But you're not gonna like everything you try and that is part of it. And that is what separates favorites from non favorites. It's a beautiful time to dive into the world of craft beer!

This brings up a different issue to me. I use this site as a tool and I find it rather frustrating when, in many of the beers I search, out of the 25 reviews per page, there are less than 5 reviews with words in them! Why do people leave a review of a beer only a #/5 and no description, or details??!! IMO that should be left for Untappd.

 

There's the person who wants to try something different and is trying it because they like the style, heard good things, or is curious. They think there's a chance they may like it. And then there are those who try something new just because it's new and don't necessarily expect to like it or even really care. The latter is a ticker.

 

For me a ticker is someone who is all about the hunt for a new beer, someone who goes to an event or bar/pub and tries to rate each portion and move onto the next beer and often seems to get more satisfaction out of increasing the number of ticks than the satisfaction of enjoying a pint.

Am I a Ticker? Yes and No possibly a hybrid leaning more towards the no side. For every new beer i have i probably have 6 beers ive had dozens of times before. I also limit my portion size as the 2oz pour at some fest are not enough to properly evaluate the beer, 5oz is the minimum threshold for me to claim ive tried this beer and thus make a note or have a larger pour.

 

Yes. Is that a bad thing?
I prioritize trying new beers. I don't go back to something that I've had before unless it's one if my favorites.

There are a few sessionable IPAs that I buy regularly, because it's getting harder and harder to find fresh stuff to drink regularly. Otherwise, besides BCS, darklord, darkness, I can't think of many beers in bomber format that I've purchased multiple times.

 

That may oversimplify it a bit. Here's an example, I don't much like Saisons or Farmhouse Ales. I try them now and then, to give them a chance to win me over, to see if my tastes have changed. I know that the odds aren't great that I will love them, but hey, it's just a beer. Most of my "new" beers are beers I think I might like, trying to see if anything can join the list of my favorites and regulars. That's still ticking, as I usually get one to try it. Most of my current list of favorite beers are beers I've had for the first time in the last two years or so.

But I am not chasing the Top 250 in most cases (I did seek out a Pliny). I've had a few, and if anyone wants to just give me a bunch of Hill Farmstead, I'd gladly drink them. I've decided it is counterproductive to fall in love with a beer I can't buy, so 90% of my new beers are locally available to me.

 

Well for me, I guess Id consider myself a "ticker" as I am new to craft beer. I enjoy trying new breweries, styles, etc. I love to look back and compare what Ive tried and also how I rated them in relation to a similar beer. I would define a ticker as someone who rates their beers, keeps track of what they've had, someone who enjoys the game of earning points, etc. Its always fun earning points for trying different beers from different countries, or 50 different styles.

 

I believe the Bros have said this is something that they monitor, and that there's no statistically significant difference in the scores between simple ratings and full reviews

 

Then I think we're on the same page.

 

i have seen that. loved it actually. i am definitely the kind of person who would make a special trip for a special tick but i don't always order a beer i haven't tried when i can. i'd say the subset of people in the 10k category are probably not that many...but traditional tickers (people who track what they drink via untappd, instagram, here, etc) are everywhere.

 

Welcome to BA and the friendly world of craft beer. You bring up a good point - I haven't changed my drinking habits much because of the point system on BA (see quote below):

but I think the point system on BeerAdvocate may subtly influence my approach to deciding which new beers to try. I certainly would like to get a "beer from all 50 states" under my belt, and a "beer from every style" is an eventual goal, too. The points make it kinda fun in addition to the obvious sense of adventure I get from just trying new things.

 

I drink every new beer I can afford. I just don't keep track of them.

 

I agree with all of this! and thank you!! I love BA! A buddy of mine introduced me to the craft beer world, and it's amazing how much I have learned!

 

Yes and no. I'm definitely a ticker when trading because if I'm going to spend the money and time I'm more than likely going to be seeking out something really good our highly sought after. If I'm visiting a city or just buying stuff here at home I'm probably choosing a beer that's local to that city/state (unless something just sounds amazing at the time).

 

Man, the new ranking rules just completely massacred my Top 250 ticks. Before the update I had 145. Now I have 123. Ouch!

 

233 down to 220, and it pushed 5 beers off the list that I could easily acquire off the shelf. It's a sad day

 

Yep. All that hard work, just down the drain (figuratively of course).

 

Some of it went down the drain literally. There's a couple things on the list that just baffle me.

 

I noticed you're from Mass. If you really wanna be baptised into the Craft Beer World (and do some major world class ticking), you should definitely go to Extreme Beer Fest in Boston in March. Get your tickets now (because they will sell out)!