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, a beer, a drink or a lottery ticket; go ahead and try to change the meaning, you silly wibwal wabbit) I also am suspicious of any; cigar over $2, gun or fishen rod over $10, old sporty over $2K, a shovel over $4K, contemporary leak free HD big twin over $7K and especially anything labeled IPA.

We all know that RB used to say: "This isn't about how well the beer conformed to its style definition -- its about a measurement of my own appreciation." (circa 2006)

So; I am by no means a beer expert, I am not qualified to rate by style. My rating numbers are for my personal enjoyment review 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, real wild beer - we don't need preservatives with modern technology. I guess I'm just a sad sad Luddite.

It used to be, the stupid ubiquitous cheap beer when I joined RB 2005, was macro pale lager, but its now IPA; those cheap IPA outnumber pale lager by a long shot. They're inexpensive & everyplace & are rarely well made; especially those made by the wave of craft brewers. Some like the flavor of preservative hops. So be it. 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 tick it, as long as I deem it worthwhile, $ wise; yes; I'm a tikker, go figger......

Finally, real wild 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! I love that rodenbach, yummy. In the end, I'd rather have the big O and you know what that is; just really good plain old orval 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. (just kidding, they're blanks, heheh)

~Later, gottah go fix my tardis. Looking to the future, or is it the past? Can't explain. [ 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, a beer, a drink or a lottery ticket; go ahead and try to change the meaning, you silly wibwal wabbit) I also am suspicious of any; cigar over $2...
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