So, always bean a ratebeerian since 2006, but still a rookie rater, and yea, I'm really from Beaver County, Pennsylvania USA, the land of taxes: Seriously, we have the highest taxes in the nation; gas, tolls, real estate, sales, you name it.

In my other life, I question the worth of any round over $1. BTW, a round is a bullet, beer, drink or lottery ticket. I also am suspicious of any cigar over $2, gun or fishen rod over $10, old sporty over $2K, a shovel over $4K, a contemporary no-leaker HD big twin over $7K and especially anything labeled IPA.

You are probably aware that RB says: "This isn't about how well the beer conformed to its style definition -- its about a measurement of my own appreciation."

So; I am by no means a beer expert, nor am I qualified to rate by style; my rating numbers are for my personal review of enjoyment only, a rating of 0-5 is based only on how much I enjoyed it and my own feeling about it.
IMHO/JMHO, purposefully bitter hops are adjuncts which were originally used as a preservative, on long ship deliveries; in a land long long ago and far far away. They add an unnatural bitter flavor and hide the real complexities of fine, fresh, well made, beer. We don't need preservatives today with modern technology. I guess I'm just a luddite.

It used to be, the stupid ubiquitous cheap beer when I joined RB, was macro pale lager, but its now IPA; those cheap IPA outnumber pale lager by a long shot. They're cheap, everyplace, and are rarely well made; especially those made by so called craft brewers. Additionally, many styles have been bastardized by the IPA.

Nevertheless, I have tremendous respect for those, gender neutral real beer experts who enjoy IPA style hops, session or not!

In the end, I will taste any beer that comes across my path, whether I like the style or not; I will ticket it, as long as I deem it worthwhile, $ wise; yes; I'm a tikker.

Finally, real lambics are to beer like old loud smoking, oil-leaking HDs are to bikes.... there....ya have it, what else can be said? Except maybe, gimmie a bottle of Gueuze Cuvée René, Hanssens Oude, or if I'm lucky, Cantillon Classic Organic Bio, Bios Flaamse or even a simple cheap Rodenbach! In the end, I'd rather have the big O and you know what that is; just really good plain old beer.

ORVAL - this is the beer of which all others must be compared!

Caution: Don't hang round me when I get a new top 10 beer cause, I'll git me mah han-me-down 44 mag revolver out and shoot aimlessly into the air in celebration. What goes up must come down, and love the percussion.

~Later, gottah go fix my tardis. [ less ]

So, always bean a ratebeerian since 2006, but still a rookie rater, and yea, I'm really from Beaver County, Pennsylvania USA, the land of taxes: Seriously, we have the highest taxes in the nation; gas, tolls, real estate, sales, you name it.

In my other life, I question the worth of any round over $1. BTW, a round is a bullet, beer, drink or lottery ticket. I also am suspicious of any cigar over $2, gun or fishen rod over $10, old sporty over $2K, a shovel over $4K, a...
[ more ]