What drives demand/hype for a beer.

Speaking of the Bruery, you can potentially have this unintentionally infected collaboration beer for $20 (instead of the regular $30), but don't expect a refund, since they warned ye!

http://thefullpint.com/beer-news/interesting-news-regarding-bruery-3-floyds-collaboration/

 

While I agree with some of the sentiment in this thread I have to say the quality of the beer is a huge part. If someone can direct me to "widely distributed" beers that are "comparable" to:

Double Sunshine
Ephraim, Abner, really any HF
Barrel Aged Abraxas
Barrel Aged Speedway
CC or DDG
ETC ETC

Please let me know what they are. Cheers!

 

You only have to observe the genesis and evolution of the currently idiotic market for Fuzzy right now to understand what's going on.

 

I am constantly amazed at the # of breweries that lived off the initial hype and continue to live off the hype that was generated by a small base of people who were diligent in ensuring that EVERY beer they made was anticipated as the greatest beer event ever. We all know the names. What is sad is that certain beers which are really shining examples lose some of their magic. I know of a well-known bottle shop owner who was talking to me one day about some of the RR wild/sour beers. Beers like Supplication, Temptation, Consecration, etc. will actually sit in his store when they were chased like crazy a couple of years ago. I would put up Supplication, etc. against ANY wild beer made by anyone that is popular right now.

Are certain sought after stouts really better than say Wake n' Bake. You could go on and on.

But recent breweries rule the road with beers that don't hold a candle to a lot of stuff.

I have a much deeper affection now for stuff like Supplication, Wake n' Bake, etc.

 

Beeradvocate

 

Why do they have to be widely distributed? The beers you listed aren't. I have had a lot from your list and can name beers easier for me to get that I would rather have, but availability is variable and so is opinion.

 

I was going to answer the subject line with "We do." But not just BA, also RB and... that's pretty much it.

 

If you find that you are buying a beer just to trade it and you are not going to drink it then perhaps that is an example of hype.

 

Distribution is a big factor. I live in Missouri and can not get any Lagunitas. However last week while working in Southern Illinois came across Sucks. I've seen the posts and have read the reviews so I picked up a sixer. Very good beer, reminds me of Fresh Squeezed...which I can get in MO...FS is cheaper and it is an all year brew. My hype (or I guess other BAs) for Sucks is over...a good beer that I can live without or drink from another brewery's twin.

If you can't get it, regardless of the reason...creates an air of greatness...but most beers can be duplicated now days and true (great) rarities are hard to find? Personally I'm not in to rare, expensive and hard to find...I much more like good, inexpensive and accessible.

 

The "widely distributed" and "comparable" were in quotes because they were the OP's words. My point was the beers that I listed AREN'T widely distributed, and they're better than beers that are, and that's why they are so coveted.

Just out of curiosity which beers do you prefer that are available to you without a hunt? I know Ohio makes some great beer but is it on shelves?

 

for the users of this website this is roughly the thought that goes into making a beer hyped/in demand

1) price, slap a $20 tag on a beer = instant top 10 rating (more popular the smaller the bottle size)
2) limited quantity = who cares if it's good or bad? there are only 1,000 bottles
3) barrel aging, tastes like whiskey but with more calories = idiots will drive hours to try this beer that tastes like bad bourbon
4) small brewery, pick any startup brewery and then come on this site and rave about how great their beer is = instantly that mediocre IPA they brew is considered world class and is worth a 6 pack for a single 12oz bottle in a trade.
5) widely available cheap yet amazing beer = no one cares and it gets a terrible rating compared to the limited release, barrel aged, pos beer that everyone is raving about for no good reason.


did i miss anything?

 

Hey I got a couple of those didn't open mine yet but the rum barrel aged one was really good.

I think its a matter of status actually people want beers that will impress other people. A brewery no ones heard of makes a crazy limited BA beer its considered an unproven brewerys shot in the dark but get something a lot of people have heard of and is know to be difficult to obtain to trade someone or bring to a share now your the cool guy.

I have a small non official tasting group at a brewpub where the owner/head brewer, some other regulars and I share beers. We have drank some "whalez" but nobody gives a shit in fact most of the time no one knows or has heard of what I brought they think its ok and its something some people on here would probably have given there left nut for.


My taste aligns with the hype train sometimes but it doesn't drive me.

 

Well, "shelves" would have to include draft beer as well, If I am being honest.

In regard to Double Sunshine and Hill Farmstead, I am not either's biggest proponent. Had about 20 HF beers and while good, not the best ever. Double Sunshine was very underwhelming(had it twice).So with that said, I will take Head Hunter, Hop Juju, IBUsive and a ton of other beer from Fat Head's over the hoppy beer you listed. Also Beers from The Brew Kettle and upstart brewery, Wooster/JAFB, rival most IPAs I have tried from outside the distro line. The BA beers aren't my thing, but the stuff Hoppin Frog and Thirsty Dog put out are as good as anything else I have had... with the exception of BA Speedway. Love that one. Sours? I will take easily available 3 Font over almost anything made here.

It is all just my opinion, but I have spent thousands to figure this out. I'm a slow learner.

 

Not always true - one only needs to look at the ratings of a lot of Mikkeller's beers to see this isn't always the case.

That only really counts if it's made by a hyped brewery such as Toppling Goliath or Crooked Stave.

A lot of BA beers are either too harsh/unbalanced (Parabola) or too sweet/cloying/also unbalanced (Dragon's Milk)...done truly right, though, they can be complex, rich, decadent, yet never quite over-the-top in any manner. Basically something like Bourbon County Coffee Stout or Cuvee Delphine.

Blame Cali/Midwest/New England homers.

Yeah, but widely available, cheap, yet amazing beer has no trade value, bro.

 

Unresolved issues with baseball cards.

 

I don't chase the rare beers, but that's just a personal choice I've made. I also don't get angry over the people who do, as many others seem to. They are obviously more dedicated than myself and willing to outspend me or just dedicate more time to the hunt. By doing so, they've earned it. I'm willing to settle for what is pretty easily accessible for me and still feel quite satisfied. To be honest, it would be kind of depressing for me to only drink beers that I might have to wait a year or more to get...or possibly never again. But to others, only having it once might be well worth it. However you enjoy beer is definitely up to you.

EDIT: I guess I really didn't answer the question that the OP asked. It's a combination of things. Increased interest in craft beer, intentional limited production by the brewers to draw awareness to their brewery, must have mentality of the connoisseurs, fascination in the community with big beers unable to be produced in mass...I think all these things and some that I'm sure I left out contribute to the hype. Overall I can't complain because the availability of accessible beer that is very good has never been better. Anyone that has been a BA for 15 years or more can certainly attest to that.

 

Well said,@djsmith1174.

 

I embrace the hype. I mean I ain't chasing KBBS, I'm not stupid, but you know what, I didn't get Prop, so I chased it, got it, and shared it with others that didn't. Did I fall for the hype? Yes, if you think by chasing it I did. No, if you were there at the share and saw how cool it was to drink it with friends.

"What beer has become...", "What this site has become...", "What trading has become..."- please. It's public statements like those, or that kind of sentiment that causes a disunited community. Our perception is biased by [mis]judgment on a macro level, in reality in all of our micro communities I'd say there is an overwhelming sense of camaraderie. I'm happy that Fuzzy is dominating the forums. Just like I was when Black Note came out. Or DB Huna. Or Prop before that. Or the JK sours...etc, etc. The hype should be embraced- you don't like what someone posted FT:ISO, chances are so did the crickets.

My dad was saying the other day that he remembers when we didn't have to have a cell phone... As he was talking to me on his cell phone!!!! You can't live in the remember when days, adapt to the positive change, and let's all be happy that we're not chasing Bud Light Maragrita Mix (it's like a sour...lager).... You remember those days? Yea me either.