Beer experts prefer ales, says this study.

[mpride1911]

I saw this study posted today. I can't explain to others why I like it so much. A Stanford study published shows the favorite beers of people studied in relation to their level of beer education.

http://www.businessinsider.com/stanford-expert-versus-beginner-study-beers-2013-9

 

[ishkochito]

Good stuff. Of course it's possible that there are simply more high quality ales and more low quality lagers available, and the experts have invested the time to figure this out. Either way I guess there is an aversion to strong ales among novices, so acquires taste is part of the equation.

 

[Quixoticosis]

I second that. It's not that I don't like lagers, but when I first started actually enjoying and looking for good beers, there are way more craft beer options if you're drinking ales than lagers. Hence, I'm usually drinking ale. Also doesn't help that I like my beer about as dark as my soul...

 

[Trail]

There are loads of awesome lagers, dark and light. Why limit yourself to drinking one or the other?

Also, I'd wager the reason ales are doing disproportionately well is because IPAs are disproportionately popular at the moment.

 

[danielofthedale]

There are loads of awesome lagers, dark and light. Why limit yourself to drinking one or the other?

Also, I'd wager the reason ales are doing disproportionately well is because IPAs are disproportionately popular at the moment.

I looked through the entire paper because I am nerd and like stuff like this and the higest ranked styles were Belgian Strong Ales, Barleywines, and big stouts/porters.

I think there are two reasons for these findings. One is that ales are more complex. People that tend to get really into any thing like the more complex examples whether its beer, tv shows, or sports. The other reason is not as many craft brewers make lagers since most really can't tie up capacity in the layering process so there are fewer out there to be had. Though that seems to be change a little each year.

 

[Trail]

Fair analysis. I'm a nerd, but I never get into statistics arguments with real numbers because I'm too embarrassed to be wrong!

Regarding complexity, I don't know. I think that's a custom thing more than anything, and just the other day I had a mercilessly complex lager brewed in a quasi-IPA style. I've had gorgeously layered doppelbock, crisp but textured and heady pilsners, roasty and malty schwartzbiers and pungently estered, hoppy marzens. Less complex? I don't think so. The default lagers are less complex than the popular ales, but the same thing could be said of burgers vs. pasta. Doesn't mean there's any less variation at the high end.

Lager yeast has a much more complex chromosomal makeup, if memory serves. That alone should give it more room for variation... though perhaps not enough to trump temperature's effect on flavor esters and phenols.

 

[pjj2ba]

Phhhhbt is what I say. Expert, as in has posted a lot of ratings of beers on the website as opposed to novice who has posted only a few. Neither of those, does a true expert or novice make. Beers that slap you upside the head with strong flavors and alcohol get the highest ratings from the "experts". Anything that is refined and nuanced, but lower in ABV will not get good scores because it is not in your face.

That would be like saying the best hot sauces are only the ones that are the hottest. OK, did a quick search, found a hot sauce review site, and yep, if it is mild it gets a lower score.

I taste a fair bit of wine - actually taste a lot more different wines than I do beers. What I have noticed in my progression of how my tastes have changed over the years was that I used to be quite happy with a $10-$20 bottle that had a lot of fruit character up front - as is wow, that has a lot of flavor (ie, a beer with a high BA rating). What I've found though is that the punch of flavors is fleeting. Take a sip, enjoy it for a second, and then you are ready for another sip - because it has faded and you want that burst of flavors again - this can get dangerous My preference now is, yes, I still like some fruit, but I want something with a good start, middle, and particularly, a great finish. Where I can take a sip, put the glass down for a good couple of minutes and still be enjoying then wine. I particularly enjoy wines where the taste evolve over the time of the sip. You get flavors A at the start, and then as you hold it in you mouth, you now notice B, and then as you swallow, you pick up notes of C. This is now what I also want in beer. I don't want a massive one note flavor. I like something with some subtlety to it. But since I only have one review on BA, I'm a novice.....

Now for my rant about the haters of mass produced beer. These beers are not bad beers, they may not be to your taste, but they are far from bad. Any flaw is immediately noticeable. Take 15 different mass produced lagers and taste them, and there is as much difference between them as between 15 different pale ales. If you say they all taste the same, then I'm sorry you've burnt out your taste buds so now the only way you can tell something tastes different is if it slaps you upside the head.