What qualifies as a whale?

Praised to the high heavens, but almost impossible to find. That's my definition.

 

I do believe the correct term is Whalez It refers to an imaginary beverage that is highly sought after by "Bros" .
Since Hipsters universaly denigrate "Bros" to near Neanderthal sensitivity, Whalez can never be hip. Therefore, PBR is Hip and Pliny the Younger is a Whalez When you're a jet you're a Jet!

 

A whale is any beer that is extremely difficult for you to acquire. With emphasis on they word YOU. everyone's whale lists are different.

 

BeerAdvocate: KBS is a whale.

Facebook: KBS is at best, a good extra.

Instagram/mule groups: KBS is a drainpour.

 

Walez are generally from California or Vermont. If you don't live in those states....

 

A very high rating and limited supply.

 

Don't you hate it when you have multiples of a certain beer that's refreshingly good! NOT!!!

 

Anything I don't currently have, that way when I acquire, I get to slay walez all the time!

 

regardless if you can acquire a whale or not, it still is a whale….a thing is or is not (philosophy bros)

 

I agree that it is entirely subjective, so the following is just my view. The discussion I've heard (and agree with) indicates that the metric for whale-ness is how difficult it is for you to get one (from your personal perspective). Clearly, geography limits us all from many beers. That which may be impossible for me in Florida may be easy for you in California, e.g. 1-day-old Pliny (which I still wouldn't call a whale). However, as we move further along the rarity scale, that which is truly "rare" becomes equally inaccessible to all of us. Here, I'm talking about aged beers, limited edition beers, and of course beers that are both aged and limited edition. Personally, I don't like hyperbole, so if I am going to call something a whale it's a VERY big deal for me. I categorize them three ways:
1. Whale - You had to work extra hard to get a beer by either traveling to a special location, achieving a good trade, or purchasing fresh and aging it yourself. Example: 2-year aged Westvleteren 12 (optimal age cited by most Belgians I've met).
2. White Whale - Similar to Capt. Ahab's obsession, this beer would be your crowning achievement if you could get one. Not saying that limits you to just one, but the very name implies exceeding rarity from my view. For me, one of many possible white whales would be La Trappe Quadrupel Oak Aged Batch #5 or earlier (2010-2011), because I just barely missed my chance at Kulminator (they had just run out).
3. Ghost Whale - This beer is so rare that dedicated beer hunters may not even be able to verify its existence. It is, without exaggeration, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I had the pleasure of this experience at De Struise Brouwers last year. The brewmaster brought out the beer they call Dirty Horse, and some people are familiar with the 1983 vintage which had a special release about 7 years ago. This was the 1978 vintage, which was never released to my understanding. Will never forget it.

 

I would say a whale is probably any one bottle that goes for $200 + on the black market

 

90% of the craft beers brewed in the US are whales to us Aussies (eg: Heady Topper, PsuedoSue and ALL Russian River beers... throw in Cigar City too)

I would live in the US just for the awesome craft beer, nothing else.

 

Mostly Missouri now IMO.

 

To me its any beer that I would have to jump through extreme hoops to get. For example:

As a MA resident I know I will never see Pliny in my distro, but I also know that it's just a plane ride away and I can walk into the brewery pretty much whenever and buy it without much issue. Any beer like that isn't a whale; KBS/BCBS may take a little effort, but I know all I need to do is make a phone call and show up to the store half an hour early and I can get my 4 pack if I want.

A whale to me is more like a super-limited release that is more than likely a one-time thing, and if I don't get one of the 1,000 bottles being released right now I probably never will without putting forth extreme effort and, likely, $$$ over and above the material value.

 

One man's whale is another man's shelf turd.

 

If you have it, it's probably not a whale, bro.

 

...a term a hipster thought (he) made up.

 

A whale is a beer that can be used as currency to obtain other beers that can be used as currency that will be used as currency to obtain other beers that will be used as currency ect ect ect.

 

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/2958/180929/

I really doubt that I will ever see this Warhead again. Truly an experience.

 

I really don't have a definition, but I consider whales to be beers like CBS, Apple Brandy Mexican Cake, KBBS....

But I don't mess around with beers that I can't get my hands on. So, my whales are good Prairie stuff, BCBS, Hipster...stuff like that...I am a middle of the road type a guy...