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Brulosopher

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I started home brewing nearly 10 years ago. I've been drinking craft beer longer than that (it's kinda hard not to when you're from the Pacific NW), and I truly enjoy it! Over the years, I've noticed an increasingly popular trend has become posting beer reviews online (i.e., BeerAdvocate, etc.)... and it annoys me. Spend 3 minutes thumbing through the thousands (millions?) of reviews and you might notice the same themes I do. The one that bugs me the most is the liberal usage of silly terms in an attempt to sound like a professional beer taster, usually by people who don't really know what they're talking about. Again, I enjoy a good craft beer as much as the next guy, I just see no point in over-analyzing it, as this completely takes away from the real reason I got into beer in the first place: thoughtless relaxation and enjoyment!

Anyway...

Cheers!
 
It is beer and it should be fun.

Even beers that fall short of 100+ IBU and/or 10% abv are fun too :).

That's another trend I can't stand.
 
I see your point, but I think there's a time and place for both. I'm a BJCP judge and can use those skills when I'm judging a beer, troubleshooting it for a friend, or really focusing on a beer. On the other hand, I can just as easily "turn it off" and just enjoy what I'm drinking too. Also, I never review beers since it doesn't do anything for me personally.
 
It annoys me too. I can't tell you how many times me and my wife or buddies will
be sitting enjoying a nice micro brew at our local and have to listen two wankers spend an hour talking about hints of apple blended with caramel and a touch of alderwood and maybe picking up some notes of cherry and burnt sugar . Oh the lemon comunicates so well with the spiciness of the wheat. Shut up allready ! i feel like saying with a smile .
 
As someone who enjoys writing beer reviews as well as reading them, I can only say if you don't like it, then ignore their very existence and enjoy your beer the way you like to.

I like reading beer reviews when I'm trying a beer for the first time, especially if it's a new style.

An I enjoy writing them on occasion. Trying to describe the often complex flavor profile is a fun challenge. And most of those terms you find "silly" are merely evocations of sensory phenomena which is often difficult.

Usually what they remind us of, or what they trigger.

It's sort of like the old maxim "how to you describe jazz?"

I also think it's great that beer is finally being taken as serious as wine in many ways. I think it's great that it's no longer just being thought of as the drink of frat boys and rednecks, considering all the myriad styles available. And that the whole history and culture of beer has been given cache.

You can go have your "thoughtless relaxation and enjoyment," and I and many of my friends, who are beer judges, and brewers, and writers, will continue to have our "thoughtful contemplation enjoyment," which we find quite relaxing.....

The nice thing about this awesome hobby, is that there are many ways to approach it.
 
I understand where you are coming from, but my only question is if it bothers you why go to those site?

As a BJCP beer judge I like to go to webpages like that, I.e. Beer advocate, every now and then just to see if i can taste what they are tasting and if they taste what I can. Sometimes there will be a flavor I distinctly taste but can't place it and those beer review websites can help. For example in NBBC snow day I got a strong fruitiness but was having trouble placing the type of fruit, went to BA and then it hit me, tropical fruits and specifically for me guava and papaya.

Also, as a beer judge I have come to realize not everyone tastes the same thing the same way. One time at a comp I was tasting green pepper ( it was the oddest thing, tasted exactly like green bell peppers) but another judge only got hints of a vegetal character where the beer to me was completely overwhelmed by green pepper.

The point being, I find it interesting to see what flavors people claim to taste ( I say claim because sometimes ignorance on what people are tasting leads them to say the wrong thing, even if they are actually tasting the same thing you are) even if they tend to be full of excessive adjectives and sometimes useless verbs. ( example: the grassy hop flavor and persimmon like bitterness in the finish whispers of a sweet caramel malt backbone much like the caramels my grandma would make) . You just have to look past the crap and filler and get to what they are actually tasting.
 
Brightspot,

People will take any hobby to the absolute extreme. I am with you on the fact that my beer rating scale is very basic ie. Best beer ever <-> This sucks. I don't need to read about people tasting the "nutty" flavor. Their C rating might be my A+ rating.

Don't take people that get into comps, judging, reviewing seriously or let it upset you. Just continue to drink your beer and let them get into that stuff.

Revvy,

"no longer just being thought of as the drink of frat boys and rednecks" <-- These people don't drink "beer"
 
I have Pintley on my iPhone(they use a 5 star rating system), and I find that my tastes are usually a full star different then the national avg; either better or worse.

My solution, was to ignore Pintley's "national avg" and keep track of my own tastings. Thats my advice to the OP.

:)
 
Just like wine, or any craft for that matter.

There are snobs that take pleasure making it look like they know more than you, and there are people who are passionate about the craft and want to find (and enjoy) the subtle differences between good & great. (and we all get the benefits of that with excellent and available craft beer)

Do what you like, brew what you like. Don't be a tool.
 
Just like wine, or any craft for that matter.

There are snobs that take pleasure making it look like they know more than you, and there are people who are passionate about the craft and want to find (and enjoy) the subtle differences between good & great. (and we all get the benefits of that with excellent and available craft beer)

Do what you like, brew what you like. Don't be a tool.

Well said, damn
 
What gets me is some reviewers review beers I've never heard of or seen. Others I've seen & wonder about,which is cool. But if you watch some reviewers long enough,you'll find them saying basically the same thing about nearly every beer they taste. Or they agree with certain site's reviews when grading them. I don't think I've seen one yet that said,"man,this brew sucks!".
 
I personally make tasting notes and my own silly online reviews simply to improve my palate and make myself more aware of what I'm tasting so that I can enjoy what I'm drinking even more. That said, I only do that while I'm drinking at home and feel like taking the time to do it, I don't wax poetic about the hop profile of a beer when I'm out at a bar or anything.

As others have said, there's plenty of different aspects to the 'beer appreciation' hobby and people aren't required to like all of them. Some people brew their own beer and others choose a beer based on how easy they are to down in a beer bong, to each their own.
 
Pappers_ said:
For me, I don't see how someone who appreciates a beer's aroma, appearance, and flavors takes away from someone else's 'thoughtless relaxation'.

Thanks for the link! I actually appreciate a beer's aroma, appearance, and flavored immensely; just don't understand the desire to shamelessly share that on the 'ol web. I appreciate developing my own understanding of a brew, without being biased by someone else's opinion. Cheers!
 
Revvy said:
I also think it's great that beer is finally being taken as serious as wine in many ways.

I truly appreciate your perspective. I also appreciate the fact beer hasn't been (an shouldn't be) taken as seriously as wine. It's what I love about the beer culture. Personal opinion that I'm sure many will disagree with.

I'd still drink with anyone :)
 
Just like wine, or any craft for that matter.

There are snobs that take pleasure making it look like they know more than you, and there are people who are passionate about the craft and want to find (and enjoy) the subtle differences between good & great. (and we all get the benefits of that with excellent and available craft beer)

Do what you like, brew what you like. Don't be a tool.

Fine, be passionate, but do it at home. No one wants to hear a bjcp breakdown of every beer style while the rest of us are trying to watch a game at the bar.

_
 
wildwest450 said:
Fine, be passionate, but do it at home. No one wants to hear a bjcp breakdown of every beer style while the rest of us are trying to watch a game at the bar.

_

Yes!

That profile pic... whew!
 
Fine, be passionate, but do it at home. No one wants to hear a bjcp breakdown of every beer style while the rest of us are trying to watch a game at the bar.

_

Haha...I would definitely categorize a bjcp breakdown during a football game as being a tool. Don't be a tool. Time and a place. If the people around you don't care, it's not the time nor the place.
 
I wouldn't even attempt to review a beer with anything much more than whether I like it or not. There are plenty of people giving "insight" already and I'm sure they are more qualified than I. I know what I like and I know what I don't....and if I truly don't know, SWMBO tells me what I like:D....she's one of those rare individuals on the upper end of the bell curve of people with extraordinary sense of taste and smell.....and she likes hoppy, bold beers:mug:

I will, and often do, review beer bars and stores though......I think that's a much more objective item to pass opinion on....
 
Review your beer ...with yourself. Compare your notes....with yourself. Its the only worthwhile comparison.
 
My beer review criteria.

Rate it 1-10. 1 being nastiness. 10 being mind blowing.

It's highly scientific. ;)

Although I do wish I had kept some slightly more detailed notes so I could identify hops is commercial beers that I want to clone...
 
Why hate on analyzing what you eat and drink? Do you indiscriminately shovel things into your mouth and never stop to appreciate them or think about what you're actually tasting (besides "something tasty")?
 
Just like wine, or any craft for that matter.

There are snobs that take pleasure making it look like they know more than you, and there are people who are passionate about the craft and want to find (and enjoy) the subtle differences between good & great. (and we all get the benefits of that with excellent and available craft beer)

Do what you like, brew what you like. Don't be a tool.

I truly appreciate your perspective. I also appreciate the fact beer hasn't been (an shouldn't be) taken as seriously as wine. It's what I love about the beer culture. Personal opinion that I'm sure many will disagree with.

I'd still drink with anyone :)

Unless you are Maynard than you can be a tool and have sophistication for wine

...sorry couldn't refrain myself, huge fan of his :mug:

bloodintowinemedium_3.jpg
 
By 'eck,,,,,there's nowt as queer as feulk, ye kneuw.;)

naow, taihm te geu down t't poob an' 'ave a cooplah paihnts O' Tetley Bitteh:D:mug:
 
The thing that irritates me the most about beeradvocate and ratebeer is the obsession with "lacing". Its so prevalent and it just makes me think "blah blah blah bull**** bull**** bull****" if I manage to continue reading the rest of their review. Like wow... You just reviewed the cleanliness of your glass...
 
I have more issues with BA reviewers being boneheads. The ones that barely write anything just spam the reviews. Others really do come off trying to sound "special," like the example further up. While the tasting and descriptions are going to be people reaching for examples, neither Dr Suess nor Tolkein are appropriate writing styles (imo).

Something that describes the dominant items with secondary elements without going over the top is nice. "Smells of spicy hops with hints of caramel, strawberries, and honey."

To me, it gets the point across, yet doesn't sound stupid or overindulgent.

Granted, it's my taste and $.02 there. Ymmv. We could have a site that does reviews of beer reviews.
 
Molybedenum said:
Granted, it's my taste and $.02 there. Ymmv. We could have a site that does reviews of beer reviews.

Great idea... that would be hilarious!!! I'm all in :)
 
When people don't know what they are tasting, it is very easy for an individual or industry to capitalize off of it...
 
Too much reading of reviews can be taxing, even when there is honest curiosity involved.....something best taken in moderate doses. Just try reading a lot of reviews on Amazon some time.

Reviewing is like any other criticism (movies, books, etc.). It serves a legitimate purpose, but when it becomes professionalized, it tends to attract people who are writer / reporters, not those who actually do what is being reviewed / criticized. I find it perfectly valid to read someone's review of a beer.....but I generally only do so after I've tasted it myself, the better to approach the subject with an unprejudiced palate.

It doesn't work any differently with a book, except that sometimes I'll quickly scan through a cross-section of reviews on a book by an unknown author, to get an idea whether it might be my cup of tea.....or, in the activity in question, my bottle of IRS.
 
It annoys me too. I can't tell you how many times me and my wife or buddies will
be sitting enjoying a nice micro brew at our local and have to listen two wankers spend an hour talking about hints of apple blended with caramel and a touch of alderwood and maybe picking up some notes of cherry and burnt sugar . Oh the lemon comunicates so well with the spiciness of the wheat. Shut up allready ! i feel like saying with a smile .

Dang, I just used the caramel and burnt sugar descriptions in the commercial brew section.... now I just feel like such a clone.
 
I quite enjoy watching beer reviews on YouTube. Some of these guys (and gals) have a real talent for putting what they sense into words.

It's fun for them, and it's informative for me. So don't be hatin'.
 
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