First, sorry for the big gap in writing. My social calendar has been a might full and the opportunity to write has not been good. Hell, I didn't even have a beer yesterday!
Second, I'm a tad worried about my quest. Oh yeah, sure, I'm way ahead of schedule and my motivation is still quite high, but my latest visit to Total Wine has me a bit concerned. You see, I had some difficulty picking out 12 new beers. Okay, the single shelves were a bit...how shall we say it...under-represented. They weren't as full as I've seen.
Still, I'm not even 20% of the way home and I'm already running into difficulty? My decision to stick to beer styles I like, while still the correct one, is coming back to haunt me. There are a large number of IPAs and other hoppy styles that I'm avoiding, limiting my choices. Out of the 443 American micro-brews TW purports to carry in single quantities, I'm guessing that there may be as many as half I don't want to try. If true, I shouldn't be having any difficulty now when I haven't even hit the century mark yet...but I am.
Go figure.
I always knew I would have to open the door to imported brands. Even if I tried all 443 American micro-brews, that would still leave me a tad short of the mark. But, heck, TW only has 222 imported beers listed in single quantities, so even if I was willing to try all 222 imports (unlikely), I still need to sample over 300 American micro-brews.
Can you say 'dilemma?' I knew that you could.
That's not to say I'm giving up. Not by a long shot. There are other beverage stores here in Tucson and a host of bars and brewpubs, not to mention the possibility of opening up the styles a bit. I may be a little too restrictive right now. So there is still hope.
But....
Well, this is making the challenge all the more difficult. To perk up my spirits (figuratively speaking, of course) I'm going to visit some other stores this weekend and check out their selection.
Hopefully that light at the end of the tunnel isn't the one over the operating room table.
Good news, I will make my quota tomorrow in spite of the full social calendar interfering with my quest (all they had was BMC Light!). So what have I had since my last blog?
Well, first, I cheated. I had a Bells Oberon, a great wheat ale from my old stomping grounds in Michigan, which wasn't new for me, only for the purposes of the quest. I had a nut brown ale from Oak Creek Brewing (not bad, not great), an amber ale from Boulder Beer called Sundance (not bad, not great) and an unusual amber ale from Eel River that was great, but different. It seemed to have a hint of melon in it, which really added to the appeal (pardon the pun). I had a Blond Doppelbock from Capital Brewery (decent) and a Rising Moon Spring Ale from the Blue Moon label of Coors that I really enjoyed.
Alright, call me crazy, but I really like the off brands from Coors like Blue Moon and Killians.
So, let's see what the weekend brings.
Gezuar! (That's Albanian for whatever it means in Albania, but is supposed to be similar to Cheers).
Goal...............524.....365
Progress...........74.......41
Remaining......450.....324
Monday, April 26, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Day 37 – Local Bounty
If you had told me three months ago when I lived in Michigan that in April the temperature would be in the mid-sixties today, I would have been thrilled. Today in Tucson, however, I thought it was nippy enough to be wearing a jacket instead of the short-sleeved polo I had on.
You just can't please some people, huh?
Tomorrow it is going to be back into the seventies and mid-eighties by Saturday. Now that's more like it.
I have discovered that there is more to the Southwest than just the weather. There are some pretty good local brews as well. Yesterday I had a really great Nut Brown Ale from Santa Fe Brewery that made me wish I had bought more than one. Today I had a nice hefeweizen from the same brewer. I also had a really nice amber ale from Oak Creek Brewing Company (up Sedona way) that was on par with Fat Tire from New Belgium Brewing. Speaking of my new favorite brewmeister (New Belgium, that is), yesterday I had their Abbey Trippel (no, I did not spell it wrong), which is a Belgium ale that was quite delicious.
The past four days I've had seven beers that have averaged 3.5 on my scale. In other words, some really good stuff. Three of them were local brews and they more than held their own.
Damn! Nice weather AND really good beer.
I guess you can please some people.
Salud!
Goal...............524.....365
Progress...........68.......37
Remaining......456.....328
You just can't please some people, huh?
Tomorrow it is going to be back into the seventies and mid-eighties by Saturday. Now that's more like it.
I have discovered that there is more to the Southwest than just the weather. There are some pretty good local brews as well. Yesterday I had a really great Nut Brown Ale from Santa Fe Brewery that made me wish I had bought more than one. Today I had a nice hefeweizen from the same brewer. I also had a really nice amber ale from Oak Creek Brewing Company (up Sedona way) that was on par with Fat Tire from New Belgium Brewing. Speaking of my new favorite brewmeister (New Belgium, that is), yesterday I had their Abbey Trippel (no, I did not spell it wrong), which is a Belgium ale that was quite delicious.
The past four days I've had seven beers that have averaged 3.5 on my scale. In other words, some really good stuff. Three of them were local brews and they more than held their own.
Damn! Nice weather AND really good beer.
I guess you can please some people.
Salud!
Goal...............524.....365
Progress...........68.......37
Remaining......456.....328
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Day 35 – Ups and Downs
The (my) Detroit Red Wings lost Sunday. Boo. They won today to tie the series. Yeah!
The temperature today in Tucson was in the upper 80's. Yeah! The temperature Thursday will be in the mid-60's. Boo. I thought only the weather in Michigan fluctuated like this. Go figure.
Sunday I had a couple of below par beers. Boo. Yesterday and today I had above average beers. Yeah!
What, you ask? I'm so glad you did.
Yesterday I had a German Hefeweizen from Flying Dog Brewery called (appropriately enough) In-Heat Wheat. The best of this style to date. I also had a porter from Breckenridge Brewery called Vanilla Porter. Again, the best of this style to date. Yeah!
Today I had a Belgian Strong Ale from Dogfish Head Brewery (hmm...a couple of breweries named after dogs) called Raison D'Etre, a play on words due to the use of raisins in the product. Best of this style to date. And finally I had a really great brown ale from a (fairly) local brewery Santa Fe Brewing Company called Nut Brown Ale. Not original in name, but the best of the style to date. Yeah!
Hmm...I sense a pattern here.
So, no surprise here, but things go in cycles. Some days, peanuts. Some days, shells. That sounds familiar for some reason...
Ups and downs. Shells and peanuts. The circle of life.
Today is the end of Week 5. Yeah! I ended up rating 14 beers. Yeah! I'm even farther ahead of schedule. Yeah!
Sometimes, the ups exceed the downs. It is what I live for.
Mabuhay! That's Tagalog (Phillipines) for "Long life." If it's not, I visited the wrong web site.
Cheers!
Goal...............524.....365
Progress...........65.......35
Remaining......459.....330
The temperature today in Tucson was in the upper 80's. Yeah! The temperature Thursday will be in the mid-60's. Boo. I thought only the weather in Michigan fluctuated like this. Go figure.
Sunday I had a couple of below par beers. Boo. Yesterday and today I had above average beers. Yeah!
What, you ask? I'm so glad you did.
Yesterday I had a German Hefeweizen from Flying Dog Brewery called (appropriately enough) In-Heat Wheat. The best of this style to date. I also had a porter from Breckenridge Brewery called Vanilla Porter. Again, the best of this style to date. Yeah!
Today I had a Belgian Strong Ale from Dogfish Head Brewery (hmm...a couple of breweries named after dogs) called Raison D'Etre, a play on words due to the use of raisins in the product. Best of this style to date. And finally I had a really great brown ale from a (fairly) local brewery Santa Fe Brewing Company called Nut Brown Ale. Not original in name, but the best of the style to date. Yeah!
Hmm...I sense a pattern here.
So, no surprise here, but things go in cycles. Some days, peanuts. Some days, shells. That sounds familiar for some reason...
Ups and downs. Shells and peanuts. The circle of life.
Today is the end of Week 5. Yeah! I ended up rating 14 beers. Yeah! I'm even farther ahead of schedule. Yeah!
Sometimes, the ups exceed the downs. It is what I live for.
Mabuhay! That's Tagalog (Phillipines) for "Long life." If it's not, I visited the wrong web site.
Cheers!
Goal...............524.....365
Progress...........65.......35
Remaining......459.....330
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Day 33 – Loyalties
Another nice day in paradise, sunny and warm in the upper 80's. Being a meteorologist in Tucson can't be that difficult. Day to day, it's a simple copy-and-paste of yesterday's forecast. How tough can that be? You'd have to predict snow in July to get yourself fired.
I thoroughly enjoy living in Tucson, more so than I did Michigan, which was cold and gray far more often than it was sunny and warm. Sports-wise, though, it's going to take me a while to embrace the Arizona teams. Phoenix is playing Detroit in the Stanley Cup playoffs and I can't help but root for my Red Wings. Hell, I grew up watching Hockey Night in Canada with my dad. How can I root for a team from the desert? Loyalties.
I noted with interest two nights ago that there were a lot of red jerseys in the crowd when they played in Phoenix, but nary a Coyote jersey in Detroit. Loyalties again. Transplants from Michigan to Arizona have red (wings) in their blood. I don't suppose there are too many transplants from Arizona to Michigan, huh? No, probably not.
Okay, so the Wings lost. I'm still a die-hard fan. Not to be critical or anything, but I did notice that the Wings gave up less goals with an empty net than they did with Howard in goal. Something to consider...
By the way, on the local news tonight, the lead story for sports was (1) University of Arizona softball, (2) UofA baseball, (3) Phoenix Suns basketball, and (4) the Coyotes win over Detroit. In Michigan, it would have been the opposite. Of course, we all have our priorities and perspectives.
I'm finding myself in a similar situation with beer styles. I love wheat beers. I love ales. The ratebeerians? Not so much. I drank a wheat beer today from Breckenridge Brewery called Agave Wheat that they rated 2.9. I thought it was a full point above that and said so.
Loyalties.
At first it bothered me that my taste was so far off from the majority's. Now, not so much. It's the style I love, so why pretend otherwise? Litebeerians don't apologize for their preference. Ratebeerians, dominated by hopheads much like Congress is dominated by Democrats, don't apologize for their preference, either. So I see no reason to apologize for my preferences.
Loyalties.
Next I tried a brown ale from Avery called Ellie's Brown Ale. This was a nice brown ale, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I did the wheat ale. It was a bit malty for my taste. And the last beer I tried was an amber ale from Breckenridge called Avalanche Amber. I tend to like amber ales, but this one was below average. It wasn't that it tasted bad. It was that it tasted, well, like not much. There wasn't a lot present in the aroma or taste. It was like beer-flavored water.
Loyalties.
So, what does loyalty mean, exactly? I had three beers today whose styles I profess to love. One I gave a high rating to, the second a medium rating, and the third a relatively low rating. Should I have given all three a high rating because I favor the style? Or rate them individually on their own merits?
Like my favorite sports teams - the University of Michigan, Detroit and State of Michigan teams - I can still root for them, but I have to be honest about them as well. I love Michigan football, but they suck right now. I love the Red Wings, but their defense is porous and they won't reach the finals this year. And I love wheat beers and ales, but they have to be good for me to give them a good rating. Today, I had a mixed bag.
Wait until next year. Wait until tomorrow. The only constant is change...and loyalty.
Prost!
Goal...............524.....365
Progress...........61.......33
Remaining.....463.....332
I thoroughly enjoy living in Tucson, more so than I did Michigan, which was cold and gray far more often than it was sunny and warm. Sports-wise, though, it's going to take me a while to embrace the Arizona teams. Phoenix is playing Detroit in the Stanley Cup playoffs and I can't help but root for my Red Wings. Hell, I grew up watching Hockey Night in Canada with my dad. How can I root for a team from the desert? Loyalties.
I noted with interest two nights ago that there were a lot of red jerseys in the crowd when they played in Phoenix, but nary a Coyote jersey in Detroit. Loyalties again. Transplants from Michigan to Arizona have red (wings) in their blood. I don't suppose there are too many transplants from Arizona to Michigan, huh? No, probably not.
Okay, so the Wings lost. I'm still a die-hard fan. Not to be critical or anything, but I did notice that the Wings gave up less goals with an empty net than they did with Howard in goal. Something to consider...
By the way, on the local news tonight, the lead story for sports was (1) University of Arizona softball, (2) UofA baseball, (3) Phoenix Suns basketball, and (4) the Coyotes win over Detroit. In Michigan, it would have been the opposite. Of course, we all have our priorities and perspectives.
I'm finding myself in a similar situation with beer styles. I love wheat beers. I love ales. The ratebeerians? Not so much. I drank a wheat beer today from Breckenridge Brewery called Agave Wheat that they rated 2.9. I thought it was a full point above that and said so.
Loyalties.
At first it bothered me that my taste was so far off from the majority's. Now, not so much. It's the style I love, so why pretend otherwise? Litebeerians don't apologize for their preference. Ratebeerians, dominated by hopheads much like Congress is dominated by Democrats, don't apologize for their preference, either. So I see no reason to apologize for my preferences.
Loyalties.
Next I tried a brown ale from Avery called Ellie's Brown Ale. This was a nice brown ale, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I did the wheat ale. It was a bit malty for my taste. And the last beer I tried was an amber ale from Breckenridge called Avalanche Amber. I tend to like amber ales, but this one was below average. It wasn't that it tasted bad. It was that it tasted, well, like not much. There wasn't a lot present in the aroma or taste. It was like beer-flavored water.
Loyalties.
So, what does loyalty mean, exactly? I had three beers today whose styles I profess to love. One I gave a high rating to, the second a medium rating, and the third a relatively low rating. Should I have given all three a high rating because I favor the style? Or rate them individually on their own merits?
Like my favorite sports teams - the University of Michigan, Detroit and State of Michigan teams - I can still root for them, but I have to be honest about them as well. I love Michigan football, but they suck right now. I love the Red Wings, but their defense is porous and they won't reach the finals this year. And I love wheat beers and ales, but they have to be good for me to give them a good rating. Today, I had a mixed bag.
Wait until next year. Wait until tomorrow. The only constant is change...and loyalty.
Prost!
Goal...............524.....365
Progress...........61.......33
Remaining.....463.....332
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Day 32 – Monthly Memories
Yes, sports fans, it has been exactly one month since I started this quest and what an adventure it has been. From St. Paddy's Day to Post Easter, I have tasted 58 different beers in 32 days. I wished I could say "consumed" because that was my original intent, right along with restricting myself to American craft brews. The latter ended on Day 1 (One?) when I had an import from Mexico. The former ended four days later with Wild Blue. I just could not choke that one down. Since then there have been three others I couldn't finish, all of the IPA's. Sorry, just not my style.
So, out of 58 beers, four were only sampled, not consumed to the last drop. It bugs me only because I feel that the professional judges, who have tens of thousands of ratings, get to that lofty perch only because they don't drink all the stuff they rate. They sample a couple of ounces and move on. As a serious beer drinker, I want to consume the beers, not sample and move on. So, it bugs me that I can't say I've drank all the beers I've rated.
We'll let that be our little secret.
I have to confess that my progress as a beer rater is coming along as smooth as the black ale I had today from New Belgium (quickly becoming my favorite brewer). I'm feeling much more comfortable with the rating system and tasting notes than when I first started. For the thousandth time, I'm no expert, not even close, but I can see where I am getting more confidence in the ratings I provide. It's all a matter of experience, just like anything else.
At this point in the quest, I should have sampled at least 46 different beers and I'm 12 ahead of that pace. I'm pretty pleased with that. At this rate I'll reach my goal 2 months ahead of schedule. I can't say that I can maintain this pace, but it's nice to have an early cushion. I may need it.
Spoiler Alert! Sharp left turn approaching!
I found out tonight that I have more than one reader of my blog. That's good. It's also frightening. My wife is a follower of my blog (she has to; it's in our marriage contract), but I've been writing as if no one else is interested. It's been a liberating frame of mind because it's like confessing - no other human being knows what I'm thinking/feeling.
Son of a gun, but is someone eavesdropping on the confessional? It's okay. More than okay, really. It's nice to know that someone else besides a person who is (basically) obligated to follow my blog is doing so. It's just, well, heck...scary. Like breaking wind at work. At home? No big deal. At work? Geez Louise, they know I had beans for lunch? Perish the thought. Same here.
So, Big D, anyone else, I hope I can continue to entertain and (maybe) enlighten you. It's more pressure, but also more fun. It's that whole hope/dread thing. I hope a million people read my blog, but I dread having that responsibility. Dang, I'll bet that's how a columnist feels.
Okay, time for the recap of yesterday and today. Two New Belgium's yesterday and one today (see Favorite Brewer above)...Sunshine Wheat and Abbey Dubbel last evening and Enlightened Black Ale today. All were really good, but I have to give a big shout out to EBA. Man, that was good stuff, among the best ever for me. The other two were from Lost Coast Brewery, Great White (witbier) and Alleycat (amber ale). The former was somewhat of a disappointment because this is one of my favorite styles and the latter was everything you want an ale to be. Five beers, two days, average 3.4. That's some Good Drinks (my apologies, Alton B).
Na zdraví! (That's Czech for "to your health").
Goal...............524.....365
Progress...........58.......32
Remaining.....466.....333
So, out of 58 beers, four were only sampled, not consumed to the last drop. It bugs me only because I feel that the professional judges, who have tens of thousands of ratings, get to that lofty perch only because they don't drink all the stuff they rate. They sample a couple of ounces and move on. As a serious beer drinker, I want to consume the beers, not sample and move on. So, it bugs me that I can't say I've drank all the beers I've rated.
We'll let that be our little secret.
I have to confess that my progress as a beer rater is coming along as smooth as the black ale I had today from New Belgium (quickly becoming my favorite brewer). I'm feeling much more comfortable with the rating system and tasting notes than when I first started. For the thousandth time, I'm no expert, not even close, but I can see where I am getting more confidence in the ratings I provide. It's all a matter of experience, just like anything else.
At this point in the quest, I should have sampled at least 46 different beers and I'm 12 ahead of that pace. I'm pretty pleased with that. At this rate I'll reach my goal 2 months ahead of schedule. I can't say that I can maintain this pace, but it's nice to have an early cushion. I may need it.
Spoiler Alert! Sharp left turn approaching!
I found out tonight that I have more than one reader of my blog. That's good. It's also frightening. My wife is a follower of my blog (she has to; it's in our marriage contract), but I've been writing as if no one else is interested. It's been a liberating frame of mind because it's like confessing - no other human being knows what I'm thinking/feeling.
Son of a gun, but is someone eavesdropping on the confessional? It's okay. More than okay, really. It's nice to know that someone else besides a person who is (basically) obligated to follow my blog is doing so. It's just, well, heck...scary. Like breaking wind at work. At home? No big deal. At work? Geez Louise, they know I had beans for lunch? Perish the thought. Same here.
So, Big D, anyone else, I hope I can continue to entertain and (maybe) enlighten you. It's more pressure, but also more fun. It's that whole hope/dread thing. I hope a million people read my blog, but I dread having that responsibility. Dang, I'll bet that's how a columnist feels.
Okay, time for the recap of yesterday and today. Two New Belgium's yesterday and one today (see Favorite Brewer above)...Sunshine Wheat and Abbey Dubbel last evening and Enlightened Black Ale today. All were really good, but I have to give a big shout out to EBA. Man, that was good stuff, among the best ever for me. The other two were from Lost Coast Brewery, Great White (witbier) and Alleycat (amber ale). The former was somewhat of a disappointment because this is one of my favorite styles and the latter was everything you want an ale to be. Five beers, two days, average 3.4. That's some Good Drinks (my apologies, Alton B).
Na zdraví! (That's Czech for "to your health").
Goal...............524.....365
Progress...........58.......32
Remaining.....466.....333
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Day 30 – Gettin' Stronger Every Day
Back in the 70's, that was one of my favorite songs...
Why yes, I was only three...how did you know?
Alright, back to the subject. I have lamented ad nauseum about how low my ratings have been for weeks now. Five days ago, I thought I had hit upon the reason and vowed to change. The results?
Drum roll, please.
3.1 over the past five days versus 2.73 for the first 25 days. My overall average is now up to 2.8. I'm getting better every day.
I don't think it is all due to how I was scoring the beer, however. That was part of it, but my beer selection also played a role as well. I didn't have any restrictions when I first started, so my share of beers in styles I did not favor played a role, too. I had a few IPA's and some other hoppy styles that led to some pretty low scores. When balanced against the ones I liked, the limited range in scoring balanced everything out.
I'm more selective now at TW (Total Wine, for the uninitiated, the fabulous store where I get all my beer). The latest batch is loaded with wheat beers and ales of all sorts with nary a hoppy attitude present. Oh, and no fruit beers, either. I thought I liked those because I had such a good experience with Sam Adams Cherry Wheat, but the ones I've tried since have not measured up. I'm taking a sabbatical from them for a while. No, they aren't hoppy at all. They're sweet, which is just as bad. I need balance.
So, between being more liberal in my scoring of beers I like and selecting more of the styles I like, I'm confident my scoring average will rise.
True story...at work we have a series of internal company initiatives to revitalize specific areas of business. I'm on one team and we are hosting a contest to get employees engaged. They have to answer three questions correctly to be eligible to win.
What are the three questions?
Well, we haven't decided yet, but I flashed back to a Monty Python movie where three questions were asked of wacky knights attempting to cross the Bridge of Death. Answer the troll correctly and the knight would be allowed to pass safely. Answer incorrectly, however...
The three questions were:
1. What is your name?
2. What is your quest?
3. What is the airspeed velocity of an unladened swallow?
It brought a smile to my face for quite some time. I just don't know if people would get the joke if I suggested these questions. After all, that movie was made in the 70's when I was three.
Okay, the last two days I've only tried two beers. The first...yuck...a fruit beer from Abita called Purple Haze. Jimmy Hendrix would sue them if he were alive today. Not good stuff. The second was a pretty good Belgian White from New Belgium Brewing called Mothership Wit (short for witbier, another name for Belgian Whites). That one made my day. It even topped my Monty Python recollection.
Oh, by the way, I passed the 10% milestone in beers (52.4) far in advance of the same milestone in days (36.5) by about a week.
Prost!
Goal...............524.....365
Progress...........53.......30
Remaining.......471.....335
Why yes, I was only three...how did you know?
Alright, back to the subject. I have lamented ad nauseum about how low my ratings have been for weeks now. Five days ago, I thought I had hit upon the reason and vowed to change. The results?
Drum roll, please.
3.1 over the past five days versus 2.73 for the first 25 days. My overall average is now up to 2.8. I'm getting better every day.
I don't think it is all due to how I was scoring the beer, however. That was part of it, but my beer selection also played a role as well. I didn't have any restrictions when I first started, so my share of beers in styles I did not favor played a role, too. I had a few IPA's and some other hoppy styles that led to some pretty low scores. When balanced against the ones I liked, the limited range in scoring balanced everything out.
I'm more selective now at TW (Total Wine, for the uninitiated, the fabulous store where I get all my beer). The latest batch is loaded with wheat beers and ales of all sorts with nary a hoppy attitude present. Oh, and no fruit beers, either. I thought I liked those because I had such a good experience with Sam Adams Cherry Wheat, but the ones I've tried since have not measured up. I'm taking a sabbatical from them for a while. No, they aren't hoppy at all. They're sweet, which is just as bad. I need balance.
So, between being more liberal in my scoring of beers I like and selecting more of the styles I like, I'm confident my scoring average will rise.
True story...at work we have a series of internal company initiatives to revitalize specific areas of business. I'm on one team and we are hosting a contest to get employees engaged. They have to answer three questions correctly to be eligible to win.
What are the three questions?
Well, we haven't decided yet, but I flashed back to a Monty Python movie where three questions were asked of wacky knights attempting to cross the Bridge of Death. Answer the troll correctly and the knight would be allowed to pass safely. Answer incorrectly, however...
The three questions were:
1. What is your name?
2. What is your quest?
3. What is the airspeed velocity of an unladened swallow?
It brought a smile to my face for quite some time. I just don't know if people would get the joke if I suggested these questions. After all, that movie was made in the 70's when I was three.
Okay, the last two days I've only tried two beers. The first...yuck...a fruit beer from Abita called Purple Haze. Jimmy Hendrix would sue them if he were alive today. Not good stuff. The second was a pretty good Belgian White from New Belgium Brewing called Mothership Wit (short for witbier, another name for Belgian Whites). That one made my day. It even topped my Monty Python recollection.
Oh, by the way, I passed the 10% milestone in beers (52.4) far in advance of the same milestone in days (36.5) by about a week.
Prost!
Goal...............524.....365
Progress...........53.......30
Remaining.......471.....335
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Day 28 – Marathon Mile Marker Two
Today is a milestone of sorts – the end of Week Four (4?). I’m 1/13th of the way through my quest. In a few days it will be one full calendar month since I began and other minor milestone events are lurking. I have likened this undertaking to a marathon, which means I am at the second mile marker. I still have a long ways to go, but I’m feeling good at this point in the race. I’ve hit my stride, my pace is better than expected, and the road ahead looks flat and smooth.
Milestones are not just good points to mark progress and look ahead. They are good places to reflect on the journey made. That reflection may not always be positive, but you can learn so much from the retrospective. What did I learn? How has my life changed? What should or would I do differently?
Fortunately this has been an overwhelmingly positive experience. Well, yes, good point. How can trying 51 different beers be bad? True, some haven’t been all that pleasant to taste, but some have been absolutely outstanding. It has been a lot of fun and I can see this becoming a regular habit for me long after the quest is done. Maybe not 500 different beers a year, but certainly more than a handful as I have done in the past.
On the other hand, I voluntarily purchased 51 different beers at a cost of just under $100 from a retail store that is a forty minute drive away, rate the beers on Ratebeer.com, and write a blog about my adventures. So, this isn't exactly a breeze, either. It has taken commitment and sacrifice and personal effort for no tangible gain other than the experience.
I think what has surprised me the most is the blogging. This is my 21st blog in 28 days. Due to professional and social commitments, I'm not able to write a blog every day, but the irregularity of it all could make it easy to just stop doing it altogether. I could continue the quest with the exception of the blog. I only have one (1?) follower at this point (and I'm married to her), so who would know?
Not to put too fine a point on it, but I would. That would be, well, cheating if I stopped blogging. It was part and parcel of the quest. To shed the most difficult part of the challenge would not be fair. So, the only days I have missed were the days I was not home.
The committed writing of the blog is not the biggest surprise, however. It is the content. I vowed not to make this a simple rehash of my ratings. I wanted to weave personal accounts into the tale of my quest and I think I have achieved that goal beyond expectations. None of the 21 blogs were a singular recounting of the beer tasting. I've written about philosophical and thought-provoking ideas that related to my quest. Think it's easy? Try it sometime. Come up with a new topic (almost) daily that ties into a main theme, but integrates your own beliefs and ideals. Spice it up with a bit of humor, when possible, and try to keep it fresh above all else.
That is what has surprised me the most - that I have done exactly that 21 times in a row. Can I do it for a whole year? I don't know. But, like the marathon, I'm pleased to be at Mile Two and going strong.
Yesterday I was so out of pocket I didn't even have a beer at all. Today, however, I had two, bringing my weekly total to 13 and the overall total to 51, one point four shy of the 10% mark with more than a week to go to reach the 10% mark of days. I am WAY ahead of schedule. I could take a whole week off and still be more or less on track.
Anyway, today I had a really nice hefeweizen from Left Hand Brewing Co. called Haystack Wheat and a decent amber ale from Anderson Valley Brewing Co. called Boont Amber Ale. All things considered, I'd rather have the wheat (whoa, big surprise there, eh?) beer than the amber ale, but either would be fine with me any day of the week. My picks are getting better, but more on that for next time.
Skaal!
Goal...............524.....365
Progress...........51.......28
Remaining......473.....337
Milestones are not just good points to mark progress and look ahead. They are good places to reflect on the journey made. That reflection may not always be positive, but you can learn so much from the retrospective. What did I learn? How has my life changed? What should or would I do differently?
Fortunately this has been an overwhelmingly positive experience. Well, yes, good point. How can trying 51 different beers be bad? True, some haven’t been all that pleasant to taste, but some have been absolutely outstanding. It has been a lot of fun and I can see this becoming a regular habit for me long after the quest is done. Maybe not 500 different beers a year, but certainly more than a handful as I have done in the past.
On the other hand, I voluntarily purchased 51 different beers at a cost of just under $100 from a retail store that is a forty minute drive away, rate the beers on Ratebeer.com, and write a blog about my adventures. So, this isn't exactly a breeze, either. It has taken commitment and sacrifice and personal effort for no tangible gain other than the experience.
I think what has surprised me the most is the blogging. This is my 21st blog in 28 days. Due to professional and social commitments, I'm not able to write a blog every day, but the irregularity of it all could make it easy to just stop doing it altogether. I could continue the quest with the exception of the blog. I only have one (1?) follower at this point (and I'm married to her), so who would know?
Not to put too fine a point on it, but I would. That would be, well, cheating if I stopped blogging. It was part and parcel of the quest. To shed the most difficult part of the challenge would not be fair. So, the only days I have missed were the days I was not home.
The committed writing of the blog is not the biggest surprise, however. It is the content. I vowed not to make this a simple rehash of my ratings. I wanted to weave personal accounts into the tale of my quest and I think I have achieved that goal beyond expectations. None of the 21 blogs were a singular recounting of the beer tasting. I've written about philosophical and thought-provoking ideas that related to my quest. Think it's easy? Try it sometime. Come up with a new topic (almost) daily that ties into a main theme, but integrates your own beliefs and ideals. Spice it up with a bit of humor, when possible, and try to keep it fresh above all else.
That is what has surprised me the most - that I have done exactly that 21 times in a row. Can I do it for a whole year? I don't know. But, like the marathon, I'm pleased to be at Mile Two and going strong.
Yesterday I was so out of pocket I didn't even have a beer at all. Today, however, I had two, bringing my weekly total to 13 and the overall total to 51, one point four shy of the 10% mark with more than a week to go to reach the 10% mark of days. I am WAY ahead of schedule. I could take a whole week off and still be more or less on track.
Anyway, today I had a really nice hefeweizen from Left Hand Brewing Co. called Haystack Wheat and a decent amber ale from Anderson Valley Brewing Co. called Boont Amber Ale. All things considered, I'd rather have the wheat (whoa, big surprise there, eh?) beer than the amber ale, but either would be fine with me any day of the week. My picks are getting better, but more on that for next time.
Skaal!
Goal...............524.....365
Progress...........51.......28
Remaining......473.....337
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Day 26 – The Powers of Deduction and Other Ramblings
My mind is constantly mulling over the big questions? What is the meaning of life? Which came first - the chicken or the egg? What is my wife really thinking?
When those central questions of life aren't being worked on, my brain goes in search of other important topics. Lately it has been contemplating the user community on Ratebeer.com.
For the uninitiated, Ratebeer.com is a website where people can rate beers they have tasted. It employs a variety of mathematical techniques to provide some balance, but the overarching goal of the site is to have people record how much they personally liked a beer (as opposed to professional judging, which scores brews based on how they are supposed to look and taste). Anyone can join, of course, and provide their input.
So who are these people?
I think the ratebeerians (my term, not theirs) can be divided into three groups. The first is the professional judge, the second is the serious beer drinker, and the third is the casual beer drinker. How do I know this? Would you believe it is due to my impressive powers of deduction? Oh, you wouldn't. Um, would you believe it is because I have incredible insight into the psyche of the beer drinking population of the world? Ah, not buying that, either, huh? How about I took a wild assed guess?
Okay, moving on...
Here is how I arrived at my conclusion. I looked at the number of ratings provided by ratebeerians. Some number in the thousands. Like, fifteen thousand plus. Some simple math will tell you that even the most rabid beer drinker isn't going to search out and consume 15,000 different beers in the amount of time this site has been in existence. While the internet has been around since the seventies, it didn't become a commercial commodity until the mid- to late-nineties. Thus Ratebeer.com hasn't been around for more than 15 years. Probably closer to ten is my guess.
My quest is 524 beers in a year's time, and while I'm ahead of the curve, it does take a concerted effort to keep on track. Someone would have to undertake this quest, double it, and do it for 15 years in order to reach 15,000 different beers! The only way someone could do this is if they were a professional judge. Judges can sample a lot of different beers at a competition. If they're good and they keep busy, it is not out of the realm of possibility that they would sample in excess of one thousand beers a year.
I rest my case.
Oh, wait, I have two more groups to justify. Silly me...
Some people have ratings in the high hundreds to low thousands. These folks are the serious beer drinkers. Some could be judges, too, I suppose, but I tend to believe these are the people who are serious about trying different beers at events and places they visit. They are also serious about logging their experiences on Ratebeer.com. Someone with ratings in the hundreds would more likely not be a professional judge, but a serious beer drinker with a lot of experience who could be a judge. This is where I aspire to be.
Finally, there are people with only a handful of ratings, comparatively speaking. Granted, they could be a professional judge or a serious beer drinker who is new to the site or simply not interested in logging for posterity's sake their impressions of a beer. For the most part, however, I believe this is a novelty for those who have only a few ratings. They are like I was - a beer drinker who regularly consumed the same brand with the occasional foray into new beer territory. To them, beer is an alcoholic beverage to be quaffed, sometimes in great quantities. It isn't a world unto itself. This isn't a criticism, but an observation from one who was among the many.
Yeah, I've had some brews that I couldn't drink. But I've also had some beers that are much better than what I consumed on a regular basis. My world has change as far as beer drinking is concerned and I doubt I will ever go back. It would be like ordering the same meal everyday when there are so many different cuisines beckoning to you.
So what difference does it make, even if I am right about the three groups? None. Not a wit(bier). My thought, however, was that it would be nice to know which group a rater fell into when I peruse their reviews. See, a judge will rate a beer differently than a serious beer drinker and the same down to the casual beer drinker. True, I can look at the number of ratings they have submitted (I do), but it would be interesting to see the breakdown of a beer by group. In other words, for Beer X, how did the three different groups score it?
Could be an interesting topic over a beer, huh?
So today, the first beer I had was a really great altbier from Alaskan Brewing Company called Alaskan Amber. Truly one of the best beers I've ever had. It is everything I look for in a good beer. For a change, the ratebeerians thought so, too.
The next was a decent brown ale called Turbodog from Abita Brewing. This leaned more toward a porter or stout than a brown ale, but definitely drinkable.
I saved the least for last. It was a style called barleywine from Anchor Brewing Company. I had never had this style before and may not for a while. This was, well, different, and I'm still trying to decide if it was a good different or a not so good different. The ratebeerians loved this stuff, of course, but the jury is still out for me.
Too bad I couldn't see the ratings by group.
By the way, I exceeded my quota for the fourth straight week. Pretty exciting, eh?
A votre sante!
Goal...............524.....365
Progress..........49.......26
Remaining.....475.....339
When those central questions of life aren't being worked on, my brain goes in search of other important topics. Lately it has been contemplating the user community on Ratebeer.com.
For the uninitiated, Ratebeer.com is a website where people can rate beers they have tasted. It employs a variety of mathematical techniques to provide some balance, but the overarching goal of the site is to have people record how much they personally liked a beer (as opposed to professional judging, which scores brews based on how they are supposed to look and taste). Anyone can join, of course, and provide their input.
So who are these people?
I think the ratebeerians (my term, not theirs) can be divided into three groups. The first is the professional judge, the second is the serious beer drinker, and the third is the casual beer drinker. How do I know this? Would you believe it is due to my impressive powers of deduction? Oh, you wouldn't. Um, would you believe it is because I have incredible insight into the psyche of the beer drinking population of the world? Ah, not buying that, either, huh? How about I took a wild assed guess?
Okay, moving on...
Here is how I arrived at my conclusion. I looked at the number of ratings provided by ratebeerians. Some number in the thousands. Like, fifteen thousand plus. Some simple math will tell you that even the most rabid beer drinker isn't going to search out and consume 15,000 different beers in the amount of time this site has been in existence. While the internet has been around since the seventies, it didn't become a commercial commodity until the mid- to late-nineties. Thus Ratebeer.com hasn't been around for more than 15 years. Probably closer to ten is my guess.
My quest is 524 beers in a year's time, and while I'm ahead of the curve, it does take a concerted effort to keep on track. Someone would have to undertake this quest, double it, and do it for 15 years in order to reach 15,000 different beers! The only way someone could do this is if they were a professional judge. Judges can sample a lot of different beers at a competition. If they're good and they keep busy, it is not out of the realm of possibility that they would sample in excess of one thousand beers a year.
I rest my case.
Oh, wait, I have two more groups to justify. Silly me...
Some people have ratings in the high hundreds to low thousands. These folks are the serious beer drinkers. Some could be judges, too, I suppose, but I tend to believe these are the people who are serious about trying different beers at events and places they visit. They are also serious about logging their experiences on Ratebeer.com. Someone with ratings in the hundreds would more likely not be a professional judge, but a serious beer drinker with a lot of experience who could be a judge. This is where I aspire to be.
Finally, there are people with only a handful of ratings, comparatively speaking. Granted, they could be a professional judge or a serious beer drinker who is new to the site or simply not interested in logging for posterity's sake their impressions of a beer. For the most part, however, I believe this is a novelty for those who have only a few ratings. They are like I was - a beer drinker who regularly consumed the same brand with the occasional foray into new beer territory. To them, beer is an alcoholic beverage to be quaffed, sometimes in great quantities. It isn't a world unto itself. This isn't a criticism, but an observation from one who was among the many.
Yeah, I've had some brews that I couldn't drink. But I've also had some beers that are much better than what I consumed on a regular basis. My world has change as far as beer drinking is concerned and I doubt I will ever go back. It would be like ordering the same meal everyday when there are so many different cuisines beckoning to you.
So what difference does it make, even if I am right about the three groups? None. Not a wit(bier). My thought, however, was that it would be nice to know which group a rater fell into when I peruse their reviews. See, a judge will rate a beer differently than a serious beer drinker and the same down to the casual beer drinker. True, I can look at the number of ratings they have submitted (I do), but it would be interesting to see the breakdown of a beer by group. In other words, for Beer X, how did the three different groups score it?
Could be an interesting topic over a beer, huh?
So today, the first beer I had was a really great altbier from Alaskan Brewing Company called Alaskan Amber. Truly one of the best beers I've ever had. It is everything I look for in a good beer. For a change, the ratebeerians thought so, too.
The next was a decent brown ale called Turbodog from Abita Brewing. This leaned more toward a porter or stout than a brown ale, but definitely drinkable.
I saved the least for last. It was a style called barleywine from Anchor Brewing Company. I had never had this style before and may not for a while. This was, well, different, and I'm still trying to decide if it was a good different or a not so good different. The ratebeerians loved this stuff, of course, but the jury is still out for me.
Too bad I couldn't see the ratings by group.
By the way, I exceeded my quota for the fourth straight week. Pretty exciting, eh?
A votre sante!
Goal...............524.....365
Progress..........49.......26
Remaining.....475.....339
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Day 25 – Like a Broken Record
Sunny and mid-eighties today in Tucson...again. Yesterday? The same. Tomorrow? The same. The next six days? The same. It's like a broken record that is stuck on your favorite part.
Having spent most of my life in Michigan, it seems strange to see so much sunshine. It seems unreal that I'm wearing shorts and tee shirts in March and April. And if you don't know this, mid-eighties in Tucson is very pleasant. Our windows are open rather than shut to keep the conditioned air inside. In Michigan, temperatures in the mid-eighties is usually accompanied by humidities in the same range, making even the shade uncomfortable. But here in Tucson, if you're not in the direct sun, it's very comfortable in the shade.
I've been here for almost three months now, but I still can't stop talking about the weather. First thing out of my mouth when I talk to someone back home is the weather report. I'm like a broken record that way.
It's no different than the difficulty I have with scoring the beer I drink. I've written a few times about my struggles with this, namely that my scoring band is very narrow. The last time I had opined that with a focus on beer styles I tend to like, the score would go up. Okay, it's only been a few days, but the average score of the beers I've tried since I wrote that? 2.74. My average for all beers is 2.73. Hmm...not much of a bump, is it?
Like a broken record, I keep trying to figure out why this is happening. Is it due to inexperience? Probably. Could it be due to the fact that I haven't tasted any great beers yet? Maybe, but doubtful (see question #1). Could it be my interpretation of the scoring system is narrow? This last possibility bears closer examination.
The Appearance rating is from 1 to 5, so I'm not too concerned about this one. Of course the contribution of this factor will be narrow because the range itself is. The same is true for the Palate rating, so we can disregard this one, too.
Aroma and taste, however, is from 1 to 10. More variability to impact the final calculated score, so let's look at the guidelines. The upper and lower boundaries are pretty self-explanatory. A 1 or 2 is "awful" and "definitely unpleasant," respectively, while 9 and 10 are "exceptional (rare)" and "one in a thousand, at most." An 8 is "something special; a beer out of the ordinary." That, too, seems to be a value that isn't given often because "out of the ordinary" is extraordinary. So what's left? A 5 is "ok, but not really good." A 6 is "good, but nothing special." And a 7 is "really nice."
A breakdown of the aroma and taste ratings I've given is somewhat revealing. Out of 43 beers I've rated, the average aroma rating is 5.62. I've given out six 5's and five 7's, but a whopping (24) 6's. For taste, the average is 5.44. For this one, a bit more balance. Eight 5's and the same number of 7's, with (21) 6's. Obviously, I'm either evaluating a large number of average beers or I'm being too narrow in my ratings for these two areas.
The final factor is Overall, which goes from 1 to 20. The guidelines are similar, only doubled. If 8 and above is rare, then 16 and above would be as well (it is). If 3 and below is bad, you would expect 6 and below to be the same (it is). So if my average rating is a 6 for aroma and taste, would 12 be my average for overall?
Close...9.9. However, the distribution of ratings is centered around 12 and drops off on either side.
So I think the reason for my "consistency" is becoming a bit clearer. Inexperience rating beer is certainly a main factor, but along with that is my literal translation of the guidelines. I'm not being as liberal in the higher ratings as I could be, which is why the final calculated ratings are hovering around the same values.
I definitely need to give the record needle a nudge. No time like the present.
Fortunately I started out with a really nice Belgian ale, which is among my favorites. If I had started out with a lager that had been on the hoppy side, I might have given it a bump just because. I didn't need a reason to bump this one. Avery Karma Ale is a classic Belgian ale that really delivered. Beautiful color, aroma, and taste. High rating for this one.
The next one? Not so lucky. I chose a Belgian White because I love this style. Unfortunately, this one from Alaskan Brewing Co. called White Ale was either skunky old or just poorly brewed because it was not good. I couldn't have nudged this one up if I wanted to.
Observer's Note: Far be it from me to criticize anyone's ratings on Ratebeer.com. I am no expert, as I have stated repeatedly. But any overall rating of 2.5 indicates an average beer to me. One person rated this last beer a 3.0 - better than average, to my way of thinking. Yet his remarks clearly indicated he did not like this beer. So am I being too critical or are others being too generous? It's a mystery.
The last one was much better. Widmer Hefeweizen was a solid unfiltered wheat beer with character and taste. I gave this one good marks, too.
So, now that I'm more aware of my averaging tendencies, I'm going to make a concerted effort to be more generous to those beers I really like. Maybe I'll get my average up to 7.5.
Ha! Like I haven't heard that before.
Cheers!
Goal...............524.....365
Progress...........46.......25
Remaining......478.....340
Having spent most of my life in Michigan, it seems strange to see so much sunshine. It seems unreal that I'm wearing shorts and tee shirts in March and April. And if you don't know this, mid-eighties in Tucson is very pleasant. Our windows are open rather than shut to keep the conditioned air inside. In Michigan, temperatures in the mid-eighties is usually accompanied by humidities in the same range, making even the shade uncomfortable. But here in Tucson, if you're not in the direct sun, it's very comfortable in the shade.
I've been here for almost three months now, but I still can't stop talking about the weather. First thing out of my mouth when I talk to someone back home is the weather report. I'm like a broken record that way.
It's no different than the difficulty I have with scoring the beer I drink. I've written a few times about my struggles with this, namely that my scoring band is very narrow. The last time I had opined that with a focus on beer styles I tend to like, the score would go up. Okay, it's only been a few days, but the average score of the beers I've tried since I wrote that? 2.74. My average for all beers is 2.73. Hmm...not much of a bump, is it?
Like a broken record, I keep trying to figure out why this is happening. Is it due to inexperience? Probably. Could it be due to the fact that I haven't tasted any great beers yet? Maybe, but doubtful (see question #1). Could it be my interpretation of the scoring system is narrow? This last possibility bears closer examination.
The Appearance rating is from 1 to 5, so I'm not too concerned about this one. Of course the contribution of this factor will be narrow because the range itself is. The same is true for the Palate rating, so we can disregard this one, too.
Aroma and taste, however, is from 1 to 10. More variability to impact the final calculated score, so let's look at the guidelines. The upper and lower boundaries are pretty self-explanatory. A 1 or 2 is "awful" and "definitely unpleasant," respectively, while 9 and 10 are "exceptional (rare)" and "one in a thousand, at most." An 8 is "something special; a beer out of the ordinary." That, too, seems to be a value that isn't given often because "out of the ordinary" is extraordinary. So what's left? A 5 is "ok, but not really good." A 6 is "good, but nothing special." And a 7 is "really nice."
A breakdown of the aroma and taste ratings I've given is somewhat revealing. Out of 43 beers I've rated, the average aroma rating is 5.62. I've given out six 5's and five 7's, but a whopping (24) 6's. For taste, the average is 5.44. For this one, a bit more balance. Eight 5's and the same number of 7's, with (21) 6's. Obviously, I'm either evaluating a large number of average beers or I'm being too narrow in my ratings for these two areas.
The final factor is Overall, which goes from 1 to 20. The guidelines are similar, only doubled. If 8 and above is rare, then 16 and above would be as well (it is). If 3 and below is bad, you would expect 6 and below to be the same (it is). So if my average rating is a 6 for aroma and taste, would 12 be my average for overall?
Close...9.9. However, the distribution of ratings is centered around 12 and drops off on either side.
So I think the reason for my "consistency" is becoming a bit clearer. Inexperience rating beer is certainly a main factor, but along with that is my literal translation of the guidelines. I'm not being as liberal in the higher ratings as I could be, which is why the final calculated ratings are hovering around the same values.
I definitely need to give the record needle a nudge. No time like the present.
Fortunately I started out with a really nice Belgian ale, which is among my favorites. If I had started out with a lager that had been on the hoppy side, I might have given it a bump just because. I didn't need a reason to bump this one. Avery Karma Ale is a classic Belgian ale that really delivered. Beautiful color, aroma, and taste. High rating for this one.
The next one? Not so lucky. I chose a Belgian White because I love this style. Unfortunately, this one from Alaskan Brewing Co. called White Ale was either skunky old or just poorly brewed because it was not good. I couldn't have nudged this one up if I wanted to.
Observer's Note: Far be it from me to criticize anyone's ratings on Ratebeer.com. I am no expert, as I have stated repeatedly. But any overall rating of 2.5 indicates an average beer to me. One person rated this last beer a 3.0 - better than average, to my way of thinking. Yet his remarks clearly indicated he did not like this beer. So am I being too critical or are others being too generous? It's a mystery.
The last one was much better. Widmer Hefeweizen was a solid unfiltered wheat beer with character and taste. I gave this one good marks, too.
So, now that I'm more aware of my averaging tendencies, I'm going to make a concerted effort to be more generous to those beers I really like. Maybe I'll get my average up to 7.5.
Ha! Like I haven't heard that before.
Cheers!
Goal...............524.....365
Progress...........46.......25
Remaining......478.....340
Friday, April 9, 2010
Day 24 – Peanuts or Shells? It’s Up To You.
A popular saying onboard ship when I served in the Navy was “Some days, peanuts. Some days, shells.” That would usually be followed with a “Today is a shell day” because no one would think of the saying if they were having a peanut day.
Well, today started off as a shell day for me. I awoke with a headache that worsened as I drove to work, hitting every red light and getting stuck behind slow-moving semi-trucks and soccer mom vans. Then I sat through a ninety-minute meeting where an auditor presented his findings to management. Being a shell day, it wasn’t a particularly rosy report.
The headache, of course, faded in the background. The longer than usual drive meant I got to listen to an extra song on my mp3 player, which turned out to be one of my favorite Bob Seeger tunes. The audit findings? Good for my department because it provided us the mandate to make some long desired changes to business processes. The cherry on top was a meeting scheduled for 4:30 pm on a gorgeous, sunny Friday afternoon that was rescheduled to Monday morning.
Peanuts or shells?
It really depends on how you look at things. Granted, sometimes there just isn’t a bright side to a bad situation no matter how hard you try to find it. Or perhaps there is, but it’s buried so deep it isn’t even worth the effort. And truthfully, sometimes we just like to wallow in self-pity. We all have days like that.
Some people have lives like that.
And yet, we’ve all seen stories of individuals who refuse to let a bad situation affect their outlook on life. You might even know someone like that. They can’t control the things that happen to them, but they can choose how they react to them.
That is what I did today.
Beer-wise, this was a two-peanut day. I tried two different Leinenkugel's - Sunset Wheat and Classic Amber. The former claimed to be a wheat ale, but tasted more like a fruit beer. Not bad, but not great (one peanut). The latter was better, though not by much. A so-called premium lager, it looked great, but tasted so-so (one peanut). So...two peanuts.
Unfortunately, I had to work late due to fallout from the auditor meeting and I got behind a bunch of cell phone talkers on my way home. Shell day?
You decide.
Cheers!
Goal...............524.....365
Progress...........43......24
Remaining......481.....341
Well, today started off as a shell day for me. I awoke with a headache that worsened as I drove to work, hitting every red light and getting stuck behind slow-moving semi-trucks and soccer mom vans. Then I sat through a ninety-minute meeting where an auditor presented his findings to management. Being a shell day, it wasn’t a particularly rosy report.
The headache, of course, faded in the background. The longer than usual drive meant I got to listen to an extra song on my mp3 player, which turned out to be one of my favorite Bob Seeger tunes. The audit findings? Good for my department because it provided us the mandate to make some long desired changes to business processes. The cherry on top was a meeting scheduled for 4:30 pm on a gorgeous, sunny Friday afternoon that was rescheduled to Monday morning.
Peanuts or shells?
It really depends on how you look at things. Granted, sometimes there just isn’t a bright side to a bad situation no matter how hard you try to find it. Or perhaps there is, but it’s buried so deep it isn’t even worth the effort. And truthfully, sometimes we just like to wallow in self-pity. We all have days like that.
Some people have lives like that.
And yet, we’ve all seen stories of individuals who refuse to let a bad situation affect their outlook on life. You might even know someone like that. They can’t control the things that happen to them, but they can choose how they react to them.
That is what I did today.
Beer-wise, this was a two-peanut day. I tried two different Leinenkugel's - Sunset Wheat and Classic Amber. The former claimed to be a wheat ale, but tasted more like a fruit beer. Not bad, but not great (one peanut). The latter was better, though not by much. A so-called premium lager, it looked great, but tasted so-so (one peanut). So...two peanuts.
Unfortunately, I had to work late due to fallout from the auditor meeting and I got behind a bunch of cell phone talkers on my way home. Shell day?
You decide.
Cheers!
Goal...............524.....365
Progress...........43......24
Remaining......481.....341
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Day 23 – Fruit Beers: Chick Beverages or Serious Brews?
The other day I raised the question of whether fruit wheat beers were “for women only” or a style worthy of consumption. I can’t speak for brewers, of course, but some notable companies make award-winning fruit wheat beers, so I’m inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Whether this style is intended more for the feminine market or not, I tend to like the beers I’ve tried. This might not say much for me as a beer drinker. Put another way, perhaps it says it all. I don’t like IPAs, but I like the fruity stuff? I can see the beer geeks rolling their eyes right now. Even the BMC pack might be looking a bit haughty at this point. “Swill?” they might say. “At least my beer doesn’t come with little paper umbrellas.”
I don’t care.
That’s right, you heard me. I. Don’t. Care. I stopped caring half a lifetime ago. There was a point in my twenties when I did care. I wanted people to think I was sophisticated, so I drank scotch as a way of expressing that to others. I drank it on the rocks. No water or carbonated mixer. Just scotch and ice.
I started with Cutty Sark, which I thought was good stuff. It tasted like turpentine. So I moved up to Chivas Regal, thinking the upper shelf variety would be infinitely better. It tasted like regal turpentine. So I moved up to Johnny Walker Black. Ha! Now I would know the true meaning of smooth. Now I would be the sophisticate I pretended to be.
It tasted like top shelf turpentine. Yuck!
So here I was trying to choke down some pricey paint thinner while everyone else was having a good time consuming what tasted good to them. No one effing cared that I was drinking scotch. One person one time made the comment “hard core” when I placed my order, but that was the end of the recognition. And I’m not all that sure it was meant as a sign of respect.
That is when I wised up. I liked beer, so I gave up liquor (almost) completely and stuck to beer. At the time I drank Coors when I could get it (this was back when the brand rarely crossed the Mississippi) or Strohs (local brew) if I couldn’t. Then I tried Miller Genuine Draft and loved it. That was my brand for quite some time before my palate demanded more taste.
So here is where I’m going with this conversation. I have a wide-ranging appreciation for beer. I like red and brown ales, porters, stouts, and many different lagers. I like beers that are balanced – not too sweet, but not too bitter, either.
My preference, however, is for wheat beers. Whatever style it may be, if it is brewed with wheat, I tend to like it. So why would I not like fruit wheat beers? As long as the fruit doesn’t overpower the wheat, I’m fine with it.
It’s no different than those individuals who order mocha-choca-cappa-lattes instead of coffee or the folks who add cola to Jack Daniels (you know who you are). You drink what you like, not to impress others, and if someone doesn’t like it, fuck ‘em if they can’t take a joke.
So feel free to look down your nose at me for liking Sam Adams Cherry Wheat more than Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA. To each his own, I say. You can have my share of the really bitter stuff and I’ll take your share of the really good stuff.
Which leads me into what I tried today. Not good. Not bad, but certainly not good. The first fruit beer was from Leinenkugel's (courtesy of MC of BMC fame) called Berry Weiss. Looked like a wine cooler, smelled like a wine cooler, tasted like a wine cooler. If you like wine coolers, it was pretty good. If you're looking for any beer taste at all, move on. This was like that Wild Blue (from B of BMC fame) I tried a couple of weeks ago. If you have any respect for beer at all, pass on that as well.
The second was from Sea Dog Brewery called Apricot Wheat Beer. I had tried their Raspberry Wheat Ale a couple of weeks ago and thought it wasn't bad. This was a little worse than that, but better than the wine cooler masquerading as a wheat beer. At least there was a hint of wheat in the taste.
I'd still rather drink one of these two fruit beers than an IPA, but I wouldn't sing their praises, either. Maybe there's hope for me yet.
Cheers!
Goal...............524.....365
Progress..........40.......23
Remaining.....484.....342
Whether this style is intended more for the feminine market or not, I tend to like the beers I’ve tried. This might not say much for me as a beer drinker. Put another way, perhaps it says it all. I don’t like IPAs, but I like the fruity stuff? I can see the beer geeks rolling their eyes right now. Even the BMC pack might be looking a bit haughty at this point. “Swill?” they might say. “At least my beer doesn’t come with little paper umbrellas.”
I don’t care.
That’s right, you heard me. I. Don’t. Care. I stopped caring half a lifetime ago. There was a point in my twenties when I did care. I wanted people to think I was sophisticated, so I drank scotch as a way of expressing that to others. I drank it on the rocks. No water or carbonated mixer. Just scotch and ice.
I started with Cutty Sark, which I thought was good stuff. It tasted like turpentine. So I moved up to Chivas Regal, thinking the upper shelf variety would be infinitely better. It tasted like regal turpentine. So I moved up to Johnny Walker Black. Ha! Now I would know the true meaning of smooth. Now I would be the sophisticate I pretended to be.
It tasted like top shelf turpentine. Yuck!
So here I was trying to choke down some pricey paint thinner while everyone else was having a good time consuming what tasted good to them. No one effing cared that I was drinking scotch. One person one time made the comment “hard core” when I placed my order, but that was the end of the recognition. And I’m not all that sure it was meant as a sign of respect.
That is when I wised up. I liked beer, so I gave up liquor (almost) completely and stuck to beer. At the time I drank Coors when I could get it (this was back when the brand rarely crossed the Mississippi) or Strohs (local brew) if I couldn’t. Then I tried Miller Genuine Draft and loved it. That was my brand for quite some time before my palate demanded more taste.
So here is where I’m going with this conversation. I have a wide-ranging appreciation for beer. I like red and brown ales, porters, stouts, and many different lagers. I like beers that are balanced – not too sweet, but not too bitter, either.
My preference, however, is for wheat beers. Whatever style it may be, if it is brewed with wheat, I tend to like it. So why would I not like fruit wheat beers? As long as the fruit doesn’t overpower the wheat, I’m fine with it.
It’s no different than those individuals who order mocha-choca-cappa-lattes instead of coffee or the folks who add cola to Jack Daniels (you know who you are). You drink what you like, not to impress others, and if someone doesn’t like it, fuck ‘em if they can’t take a joke.
So feel free to look down your nose at me for liking Sam Adams Cherry Wheat more than Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA. To each his own, I say. You can have my share of the really bitter stuff and I’ll take your share of the really good stuff.
Which leads me into what I tried today. Not good. Not bad, but certainly not good. The first fruit beer was from Leinenkugel's (courtesy of MC of BMC fame) called Berry Weiss. Looked like a wine cooler, smelled like a wine cooler, tasted like a wine cooler. If you like wine coolers, it was pretty good. If you're looking for any beer taste at all, move on. This was like that Wild Blue (from B of BMC fame) I tried a couple of weeks ago. If you have any respect for beer at all, pass on that as well.
The second was from Sea Dog Brewery called Apricot Wheat Beer. I had tried their Raspberry Wheat Ale a couple of weeks ago and thought it wasn't bad. This was a little worse than that, but better than the wine cooler masquerading as a wheat beer. At least there was a hint of wheat in the taste.
I'd still rather drink one of these two fruit beers than an IPA, but I wouldn't sing their praises, either. Maybe there's hope for me yet.
Cheers!
Goal...............524.....365
Progress..........40.......23
Remaining.....484.....342
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Day 21 - The End of Week Three
So far, so good. It is the end of the third full week of my quest and I exceeded my quota for the third straight time. Fifteen for the past week, a new world’s record! Sorry, got carried away there a bit…a new record for me, anyway. There were, as always, some good ones and some not so good ones, especially those IPA's that I have sworn off for good.
We interrupt this blog for a news bulletin...the average rating for the first 23 beers was 2.72. The average rating for the last 15 was 2.74. Average for all...2.73. I told you I was consistent. Now back to your regularly scheduled blog.
I'm hoping that change in my buying habits (swearing off beers I know are bitter) will steer me toward more good than bad. My latest trip to Total Wine netted me twelve bottles of ales and wheat beers that I’m more inclined to enjoy simply because I took the time to read the short description TW provides for each bottle (nice touch!). Thus, I avoided anything that indicated a very bitter finish.
Speaking of TW – Nirvana for the Alcohol Inclined, as I once described the store – I have observed that Tucson has more than its fair share of NAI-type establishments. That’s a good thing, of course, but a new concept for me. Where I originally come from (Grand Rapids, MI), beer is sold in a lot of places, such as party stores, supermarkets, and pharmacies (personally I'm surprised the Girl Scouts haven't caught on yet, but I guess they're still making a killing on those cookies). And some of those party stores have a good selection of craft beers, both foreign and domestic. But none can claim to have a thousand different kinds. At least, none that I know of, but I didn't get out much. The weather's much nicer here.
So, it sort of seems like kismet that I moved here to Tucson where the idea of this quest arose. Could I have done this back in GR? Possibly, but I think it would have been more difficult than here. I think I would have had to try a lot more beers I know I wouldn’t like in order to reach the 524 mark than here.
Michigan, by the way, is a hot spot for small craft breweries, so I could have hit some of them to help me reach 524. And perhaps canvassing the various party stores would have netted me a large enough pool from which to tap into as a way of hitting the target. Having a place like TW, though, sure makes it easier.
Right now I have absolutely no problem filling up two six-pack cartons of individual beers and I’m sure that trend will continue for some time since their selection is so large. Looking ahead, though, I imagine it will become more problematic for a couple of reasons. First, I’m not going to remember every beer I’ve tried, so I will have to check a possible selection against my master list to ensure I’m not purchasing something I’ve already tried. And second, I will eventually work my way through the beer styles I know I like and will probably have to delve into “muddy waters,” so to speak, the styles that are borderline for me.
Recapping yesterday and today, I tried a Shiner Bock for the first time and was surprised to learn that it is in the same style as my beloved Killian’s – a dark American lager. I would drink that if Killian’s wasn’t available, but I didn’t think it was as good. I also tried a Sam Adams Cream Stout, which I really liked, but wouldn’t drink on a regular basis. The relative sweetness and heaviness just doesn’t lend itself to an afternoon of watching sports and drinking beer.
Today I tried a Belgian White called Ommegang Witte. Most witbiers have an orange component, but this one was more lemony. Interesting twist...I liked it. The other I tried was a schwarzbier called Shiner Bohemian Black Lager. With the black lager label I had thought it would be closer to an American dark lager, but it was more like a porter. This was interesting as well, but I must admit that I liked it better the more of it I drank. Initially I just wasn't sure about this beer since it was so different from other beers.
Boring stat break #2: I need to average 1.44 different beers a day to hit my target. I am currently averaging 1.81. At this rate, I will reach my goal in 290 days, which is New Years Day 2011. Put another way, at this rate I will drink 661 different beers in a year's time.
My average rating will be 2.73, give or take a hundredth. Just kidding...sort of.
I’m looking forward (once again) to another week of exciting new beers. I will give advance warning that there are three or four fruit beers in the mix. Girly beverages or serious brews? Sounds like a good blog topic, so I won’t address it now, but suffice to say, I favor them. I also have a nice mix of wheat beers and ales that I think will be good, so my way to completing the fourth week is clear.
Three down, forty nine to go!
Goal...............524.....365
Progress...........38......21
Remaining.....486.....344
We interrupt this blog for a news bulletin...the average rating for the first 23 beers was 2.72. The average rating for the last 15 was 2.74. Average for all...2.73. I told you I was consistent. Now back to your regularly scheduled blog.
I'm hoping that change in my buying habits (swearing off beers I know are bitter) will steer me toward more good than bad. My latest trip to Total Wine netted me twelve bottles of ales and wheat beers that I’m more inclined to enjoy simply because I took the time to read the short description TW provides for each bottle (nice touch!). Thus, I avoided anything that indicated a very bitter finish.
Speaking of TW – Nirvana for the Alcohol Inclined, as I once described the store – I have observed that Tucson has more than its fair share of NAI-type establishments. That’s a good thing, of course, but a new concept for me. Where I originally come from (Grand Rapids, MI), beer is sold in a lot of places, such as party stores, supermarkets, and pharmacies (personally I'm surprised the Girl Scouts haven't caught on yet, but I guess they're still making a killing on those cookies). And some of those party stores have a good selection of craft beers, both foreign and domestic. But none can claim to have a thousand different kinds. At least, none that I know of, but I didn't get out much. The weather's much nicer here.
So, it sort of seems like kismet that I moved here to Tucson where the idea of this quest arose. Could I have done this back in GR? Possibly, but I think it would have been more difficult than here. I think I would have had to try a lot more beers I know I wouldn’t like in order to reach the 524 mark than here.
Michigan, by the way, is a hot spot for small craft breweries, so I could have hit some of them to help me reach 524. And perhaps canvassing the various party stores would have netted me a large enough pool from which to tap into as a way of hitting the target. Having a place like TW, though, sure makes it easier.
Right now I have absolutely no problem filling up two six-pack cartons of individual beers and I’m sure that trend will continue for some time since their selection is so large. Looking ahead, though, I imagine it will become more problematic for a couple of reasons. First, I’m not going to remember every beer I’ve tried, so I will have to check a possible selection against my master list to ensure I’m not purchasing something I’ve already tried. And second, I will eventually work my way through the beer styles I know I like and will probably have to delve into “muddy waters,” so to speak, the styles that are borderline for me.
Recapping yesterday and today, I tried a Shiner Bock for the first time and was surprised to learn that it is in the same style as my beloved Killian’s – a dark American lager. I would drink that if Killian’s wasn’t available, but I didn’t think it was as good. I also tried a Sam Adams Cream Stout, which I really liked, but wouldn’t drink on a regular basis. The relative sweetness and heaviness just doesn’t lend itself to an afternoon of watching sports and drinking beer.
Today I tried a Belgian White called Ommegang Witte. Most witbiers have an orange component, but this one was more lemony. Interesting twist...I liked it. The other I tried was a schwarzbier called Shiner Bohemian Black Lager. With the black lager label I had thought it would be closer to an American dark lager, but it was more like a porter. This was interesting as well, but I must admit that I liked it better the more of it I drank. Initially I just wasn't sure about this beer since it was so different from other beers.
Boring stat break #2: I need to average 1.44 different beers a day to hit my target. I am currently averaging 1.81. At this rate, I will reach my goal in 290 days, which is New Years Day 2011. Put another way, at this rate I will drink 661 different beers in a year's time.
My average rating will be 2.73, give or take a hundredth. Just kidding...sort of.
I’m looking forward (once again) to another week of exciting new beers. I will give advance warning that there are three or four fruit beers in the mix. Girly beverages or serious brews? Sounds like a good blog topic, so I won’t address it now, but suffice to say, I favor them. I also have a nice mix of wheat beers and ales that I think will be good, so my way to completing the fourth week is clear.
Three down, forty nine to go!
Goal...............524.....365
Progress...........38......21
Remaining.....486.....344
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Day 19 – Ahead of Schedule
Wow!
Not even three weeks into the quest and I'm ahead of schedule. Not by a mile, mind you, but cruising on overdrive right now. With two days to go before the end of Week Three (3?), I already have my ten (10?) in the for the week. 11, actually. This will probably be my best week yet, coming in around 13 or 14 different beers, bringing my grand total up to about 36.
Now, granted, this is a marathon, not a sprint, as I've expounded on before when I thought I might not make my quota of ten. However, if you do the math, I need to make 10 a week for 52 weeks PLUS four more at some point. Well, I've done the four and then some, meaning I'm working on reducing my weekly quota to 9.
Okay, that will take a while, but I'm happy to be ahead of the curve instead of behind it at this point for two reasons. One, it gives me some breathing room for the weeks I don't make the quota and, two, it gives me reassurance that if I ever do fall behind, I can catch up.
Today I had a red ale called Censored (not bad) and a porter from Sierra Nevada (better). Since I've already declared some styles off my list, I'll have to expand my pool of beers to Europe and other parts of the world. I had wanted to keep it to just American craft beers, but in hindsight, that went out the window with my second beer (Dos Equis). With IPA's and other hoppy craft beers off my list, I have no choice but to branch out. Personally that works for me since I love Belgian witbiers and English ales and German lagers.
With a busy day today, I don't have much more to write about, but will work on the next topic in two days time when I complete Week 3 (Three?).
Cheers!
Goal...............524.....365
Progress...........34.......19
Remaining.....490.....346
Not even three weeks into the quest and I'm ahead of schedule. Not by a mile, mind you, but cruising on overdrive right now. With two days to go before the end of Week Three (3?), I already have my ten (10?) in the for the week. 11, actually. This will probably be my best week yet, coming in around 13 or 14 different beers, bringing my grand total up to about 36.
Now, granted, this is a marathon, not a sprint, as I've expounded on before when I thought I might not make my quota of ten. However, if you do the math, I need to make 10 a week for 52 weeks PLUS four more at some point. Well, I've done the four and then some, meaning I'm working on reducing my weekly quota to 9.
Okay, that will take a while, but I'm happy to be ahead of the curve instead of behind it at this point for two reasons. One, it gives me some breathing room for the weeks I don't make the quota and, two, it gives me reassurance that if I ever do fall behind, I can catch up.
Today I had a red ale called Censored (not bad) and a porter from Sierra Nevada (better). Since I've already declared some styles off my list, I'll have to expand my pool of beers to Europe and other parts of the world. I had wanted to keep it to just American craft beers, but in hindsight, that went out the window with my second beer (Dos Equis). With IPA's and other hoppy craft beers off my list, I have no choice but to branch out. Personally that works for me since I love Belgian witbiers and English ales and German lagers.
With a busy day today, I don't have much more to write about, but will work on the next topic in two days time when I complete Week 3 (Three?).
Cheers!
Goal...............524.....365
Progress...........34.......19
Remaining.....490.....346
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Day 18 – You Win Some, You Lose Some
With anticipation and excitement I watched Michigan State play in the first semi-final game of the Final Four. With a bit of disappointment, I watched them lose by two to Butler, a Cinderella team you can't help but root for. Still, I'm proud of the Spartans, who defied long odds and reached the Final Four for the second year in a row and the sixth time in twelve years. Any college would take that record.
In the interest of full disclosure, allow me to tell you that, even though I live in Tucson now, I was born and raised and spent most of my life in Michigan. Thus, I am a diehard State of Michigan fan. Yes, that does mean I root for the Lions. Like the Cubs, they are long-time losers, but if New Orleans can make it to the Super Bowl, hope springs eternal in Detroit. The Red Wings, though down this year, have had a good run; same with the Pistons. The Tigers have been losers for a long time, but rebounded enough to give fans hope in 1996 when they reached the World Series. Last year they competed again, which is all you can ask of any sports team.
It also means I root hard for any Michigan college...except when they play each other. In that I bleed Blue and Gold...the University of Michigan. Like the Red Wings and Pistons, they've been down for a few years, but I am ever hopeful they will return to glory. Still, if Michigan is not playing Michigan State, I will root hard for MSU because, above all else, I root for any team from the state.
I must confess this does put me at odds sometimes with my wife and her family. They are diehard Spartans, just as I am a diehard Wolverine. So when the teams play each other...well, we just go to our separate corners. But they love me anyway and I feel the same way about them.
Coincidentally, there is a parallel with beer.
With anticipation and excitement I tackled some of the many beers I had waiting for me. With a bit of disappointment, I watched a few of them go down with no breakthrough in scoring for me. The first was called Red Seal Ale. Funny, but before this challenge, if you had asked me some of my favorite styles, I would have included red ales in the mix. Come to find out, red ales are actually called pale ales and tend toward the hoppy side, which I do not favor. Therefore, RSA didn't fare well in my rating.
Next up was one I thought would score well, a dark lager from Sam Adams. I like dark beers; I like Sam Adams - what could go wrong? Well, it, too, was on the bitter side, and though I liked it better than RSA, it wasn't by much. Damn!
The final try was from a local brewery...Oak Creek Brewing in Sedona, the place in AZ of the famous red rocks...and tried their hefeweizen. Okay, I admit, I stacked the deck a bit. I like wheat beers...really like wheat beers...so I was sure I would favor this one. I did.
So, two not so good and one good. Score one for the other side.
Just like Michigan State and Butler.
Go Blue!
Goal...............524.....365
Progress...........32.......18
Remaining......492.....347
In the interest of full disclosure, allow me to tell you that, even though I live in Tucson now, I was born and raised and spent most of my life in Michigan. Thus, I am a diehard State of Michigan fan. Yes, that does mean I root for the Lions. Like the Cubs, they are long-time losers, but if New Orleans can make it to the Super Bowl, hope springs eternal in Detroit. The Red Wings, though down this year, have had a good run; same with the Pistons. The Tigers have been losers for a long time, but rebounded enough to give fans hope in 1996 when they reached the World Series. Last year they competed again, which is all you can ask of any sports team.
It also means I root hard for any Michigan college...except when they play each other. In that I bleed Blue and Gold...the University of Michigan. Like the Red Wings and Pistons, they've been down for a few years, but I am ever hopeful they will return to glory. Still, if Michigan is not playing Michigan State, I will root hard for MSU because, above all else, I root for any team from the state.
I must confess this does put me at odds sometimes with my wife and her family. They are diehard Spartans, just as I am a diehard Wolverine. So when the teams play each other...well, we just go to our separate corners. But they love me anyway and I feel the same way about them.
Coincidentally, there is a parallel with beer.
With anticipation and excitement I tackled some of the many beers I had waiting for me. With a bit of disappointment, I watched a few of them go down with no breakthrough in scoring for me. The first was called Red Seal Ale. Funny, but before this challenge, if you had asked me some of my favorite styles, I would have included red ales in the mix. Come to find out, red ales are actually called pale ales and tend toward the hoppy side, which I do not favor. Therefore, RSA didn't fare well in my rating.
Next up was one I thought would score well, a dark lager from Sam Adams. I like dark beers; I like Sam Adams - what could go wrong? Well, it, too, was on the bitter side, and though I liked it better than RSA, it wasn't by much. Damn!
The final try was from a local brewery...Oak Creek Brewing in Sedona, the place in AZ of the famous red rocks...and tried their hefeweizen. Okay, I admit, I stacked the deck a bit. I like wheat beers...really like wheat beers...so I was sure I would favor this one. I did.
So, two not so good and one good. Score one for the other side.
Just like Michigan State and Butler.
Go Blue!
Goal...............524.....365
Progress...........32.......18
Remaining......492.....347
Friday, April 2, 2010
Day 17 – Rating Beer: The Learning Curve
I commented yesterday on the Ratebeer.com website. I’ve been rating beer for over two weeks now and even though I am far from achieving expert status – and probably never will – my learning curve has been an interesting experience. Most notably is that I have found that my senses are opening up to the complexities of taste and aroma inherent in various beers. I’m still not using all the terms that are commonly found in a rating, but I am trying to pick out what my senses can discern, a good first step, I think. As I learn the styles, perhaps I will be able to one day pick out the scent of banana or the taste of chocolate, but for now, I’m happy that I have progressed beyond the purely subjective toward a more objective evaluation.
I am both pleased and concerned, however, by my scoring. How so? I’m so glad you asked. Allow me to tell you.
I’m pleased that my scoring has been fairly consistent and in line with what I would expect from a mathematical process. In statistics, the normal distribution of data around a mean is a bell curve. On a scale from zero to five, one would expect (or wouldn’t be surprised) to have the mean at the midpoint and the upper and lower bounds to be some equal distance away. That is exactly what I’m seeing with my ratings. The beers I think are okay to drink are in the 2.5 area, the beers I really like are around 3.5, and the beers I won’t ever drink again are around 1.5.
On the other hand, I’m concerned that the curve isn’t wider. I did have a 0.8 score (0.5 is the absolute lowest one can go) once and a 1.1 on another occasions, but nothing close to a 4 ever (3.5 is the closest). Is it because I haven’t tasted a great beer yet or is it because I’m too narrow in my scoring? A good example is the Overall rating, one of five factors that go into the final calculated score. The Overall rating is from 1 to 20. Now, granted, the beers I don’t like are around 3, the ones I like are around 9, and the ones I really like are around 13. BUT…the ones I really like, for example, range from 12 to 14. So while there is a wide band between the lowest and the highest, there isn’t a wide band in any of the three classes. I fear I’m not discerning enough as I rate the various beers, which leads to a narrow band of final scores.
That’s why I bought Randy Mosher’s book “Tasting Beer.” I’ve not progressed as far in the book as I would have liked, but what I’ve read so far has been a big help. Color charts and bitterness quotients have helped me understand beer styles and establish expectations when I try them. I’m looking forward to reading more, however, because I want to get better at picking out the various components that go into the all-important factors of aroma and taste.
I also think, however, that experience, or lack thereof, plays a big part as well. I’ve been drinking beer for a long time, but I’ve only rated 29 beers to date. And I’m just now trying styles I’ve never tried before, like IPA’s. So I think in time, with Randy’s help and a few hundred samples under my belt – literally – I will get better at distinctions in color, taste, aroma, and palate. At least I’ll have a good time trying.
So what have I tried today? I’m so glad you asked. Allow me to tell you.
I tried a couple of brews from the Boston Brewery Company (Sam Adams). The first was a Blackberry Witbier, which I found...entertaining, shall we say? In other words, it was okay, but not at the upper end of my favorites. The same can be said for the second, their Imperial Double Bock. Beautiful in appearance (color and lacing), hints of chocolate in the aroma and taste, a fine beer, but above average, not great.
See what I mean? I can't seem to find anything I want to give an 8 or better for aroma and taste or above 14 for overall. I can only hope that there is something out there that gets me over the hump, so to speak, because otherwise, I'm destined to never break out beyond above average.
Go Michigan State!
Goal...............524.....365
Progress..........29......17
Remaining.......495.....348
I am both pleased and concerned, however, by my scoring. How so? I’m so glad you asked. Allow me to tell you.
I’m pleased that my scoring has been fairly consistent and in line with what I would expect from a mathematical process. In statistics, the normal distribution of data around a mean is a bell curve. On a scale from zero to five, one would expect (or wouldn’t be surprised) to have the mean at the midpoint and the upper and lower bounds to be some equal distance away. That is exactly what I’m seeing with my ratings. The beers I think are okay to drink are in the 2.5 area, the beers I really like are around 3.5, and the beers I won’t ever drink again are around 1.5.
On the other hand, I’m concerned that the curve isn’t wider. I did have a 0.8 score (0.5 is the absolute lowest one can go) once and a 1.1 on another occasions, but nothing close to a 4 ever (3.5 is the closest). Is it because I haven’t tasted a great beer yet or is it because I’m too narrow in my scoring? A good example is the Overall rating, one of five factors that go into the final calculated score. The Overall rating is from 1 to 20. Now, granted, the beers I don’t like are around 3, the ones I like are around 9, and the ones I really like are around 13. BUT…the ones I really like, for example, range from 12 to 14. So while there is a wide band between the lowest and the highest, there isn’t a wide band in any of the three classes. I fear I’m not discerning enough as I rate the various beers, which leads to a narrow band of final scores.
That’s why I bought Randy Mosher’s book “Tasting Beer.” I’ve not progressed as far in the book as I would have liked, but what I’ve read so far has been a big help. Color charts and bitterness quotients have helped me understand beer styles and establish expectations when I try them. I’m looking forward to reading more, however, because I want to get better at picking out the various components that go into the all-important factors of aroma and taste.
I also think, however, that experience, or lack thereof, plays a big part as well. I’ve been drinking beer for a long time, but I’ve only rated 29 beers to date. And I’m just now trying styles I’ve never tried before, like IPA’s. So I think in time, with Randy’s help and a few hundred samples under my belt – literally – I will get better at distinctions in color, taste, aroma, and palate. At least I’ll have a good time trying.
So what have I tried today? I’m so glad you asked. Allow me to tell you.
I tried a couple of brews from the Boston Brewery Company (Sam Adams). The first was a Blackberry Witbier, which I found...entertaining, shall we say? In other words, it was okay, but not at the upper end of my favorites. The same can be said for the second, their Imperial Double Bock. Beautiful in appearance (color and lacing), hints of chocolate in the aroma and taste, a fine beer, but above average, not great.
See what I mean? I can't seem to find anything I want to give an 8 or better for aroma and taste or above 14 for overall. I can only hope that there is something out there that gets me over the hump, so to speak, because otherwise, I'm destined to never break out beyond above average.
Go Michigan State!
Goal...............524.....365
Progress..........29......17
Remaining.......495.....348
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Day 16 – April Fools...Or Not
Today is April 1, 2010 - April Fool's Day. Trick or treat? Okay, that's seven months from now, but you get the idea. Is today's blog for real? Or just one big joke?
Well, let's try it out and see, shall we?
Yesterday, I tried a beer called Fat Tire on tap. It was a very good amber ale. The previous two I’ve tried were on the bitter side for me, but this one was more balanced, so it was more to my liking. Ratebeerians, however, didn't care for it as much as I did.
Today, I tried a hefeweizen and two India Pale Ales. The hefeweizen was from the same brewery that brings you Shiner Bock. It was decent, but not great, and the ratebeerians were in agreement with me. The two IPA's were (1) really bad and (2) the worst ever. One was from Dogfish Head called 90 Minute Imperial IPA and the other was called Shipyard Fuggles IPA, not to be confused with Muggles, which is a Harry Potter thing. The latter smelled and tasted like industrial cleaner, worse than the Torpedo IPA I had the other day. The former was bad, but better than the Torpedo stuff.
Believe it or not (this is April Fool's Day, after all), the ratebeerians loved the Dogfish Head beer to the tune of a 4. Four! That's an average! Which means that some loved it more than that! I saw my first 5 today with this beer. Someone on Ratebeer.com thought this beer was the best beer that could EVER be made. THE BEST! No room for improvement, the best beer that has ever been made, could ever be made, would ever be made.
Call me crazy, but what serious beer drinker would EVER make a statement like that? A 4? If that is your style, I can see it. A 4.5? If this was the best beer you've ever had and you've tasted hundreds or thousands of beers, I can see that, too. But a 5? I'm sorry, but unless you've tasted every beer ever made, how can you possibly give a beer a 5 and be taken seriously as a beer taster? This guy either worked for Dogfish Head or was drunk on his ass when he submitted that rating. And no, it isn't because it was a beer I didn't like. I would question his sincerity even if it was for a beer I loved.
Is this a joke or real?
I'm sorry to say, but everything I've put down here is true. I like Ratebeer.com, trust me on that, but an astute observation: the majority of raters there are hopheads. To prove my point, simply take a look at the ratings of the IPA's and other bitter beers on the site. Many/most are above 4.0. Now take a look at the wheat beers, Belgian ales...in other words, the styles I favor...none are greater than 3.6. The top wheat beers are not on par with the top IPA's on this site.
Granted, there are always winners and losers in the world. The majority rules. I get that, I understand that, I accept that. It is simply discouraging as a new beer taster/rater to see my ratings substantially below that of the average for some beers and substantially above that for other beers.
Now here comes the dichotomy for me: Ratebeer.com encourages its members to rate beers on the appeal of the beer itself, not on the style. I love that because I don't like bitter beers any more than I like very dry red wines, so to give a good rating to a beer I despise simply because that is the way it is supposed to taste/look/smell doesn't appeal to me. But that does open the door for the majority to rule. The really serious tasters - those with thousands of ratings - will be fairer in their scoring, I'm sure, simply because that is what they do. But the hopheads rule on this site. It's a fact of life and I will have to deal with it, not the other way around.
How will I do that? Well, for one, I'm just not going to play in their sweet spot any more. Simply put, I'm bailing out on those styles. I hate IPA's and I won't be buying any more, so I won't be giving them bad ratings any more. I refuse to pay $2.50 for a bitter glass of Pine Sol only to pour it out after one sip. There are plenty of other beers that are more to my liking and that is what I'm going to focus on. That isn't to say that I won't find some other beers I don't find appealing. I'm sure I will. But once I identify a style I don't like, that will be the end of that style for me.
The other way is to ensure the beers I like get a good rating. No, that doesn't mean an inflated rating. I want to become a studious taster, a serious rater, and I want to do that with integrity...as opposed to the moron who thought they had tasted the best beer EVER made, ever could be made, ever would be made. If I don't think a particular beer deserves a good rating, it won't get one. But because I like the wheat beer style, I can be part of the voice that nudges the rating up a tad, that balances at least one of the bad ratings the hopheads give it because they like the bitter pill instead of the balanced one.
In case this comes across as acrimonious, let me assure you that it was unintended. Everyone likes different things. My wife loves brussel sprouts, for instance, which I can't stand. She hates seafood, which I love. To each his own. Or hers. It just offends my sense of fair play when some really good beers are denigrated by those who don't like the style. True, I trashed three IPA's, but only three. There won't be any more. Can the hopheads say the same? I don't know the answer to that. All I know is that the top 50 IPA's and the top 50 Double IPA's received substantially higher scores than THE top Belgian White.
Hello! Just don't drink a witbier if you don't like the style! I mean, c'mon, the best IPA is a 4.3, but the best Belgian White is a 3.6? What's up with that? Shouldn't the top beers of each style be closer than that? But they're not, not on Ratebeer.com. Maybe not on any beer rating site, for that matter. And, granted, I may be in the minority, the kind that likes a crisp chardonnay over a dry cabernet sauvignon or a Belgian White over an IPA. That is my cross to bear, not anyone else's. As I mentioned, though, it is disconcerting as a new rater to see such wide disparity between what I thought and what others thought of a particular beer.
The good news, of course, is that I’m under the five hundred mark, a milestone of sorts, a small one, to be sure, but we all take our motivations where we can. The one I’m looking forward to is the one hundred beer point, which should be in about six weeks. I will then get an icon next to my ratebeerian name, which is kind of a badge of honor that signifies I will no longer be considered a newbie.
How cool is that?
Goal...............524.....365
Progress..........27........16
Remaining.....497.....349
Well, let's try it out and see, shall we?
Yesterday, I tried a beer called Fat Tire on tap. It was a very good amber ale. The previous two I’ve tried were on the bitter side for me, but this one was more balanced, so it was more to my liking. Ratebeerians, however, didn't care for it as much as I did.
Today, I tried a hefeweizen and two India Pale Ales. The hefeweizen was from the same brewery that brings you Shiner Bock. It was decent, but not great, and the ratebeerians were in agreement with me. The two IPA's were (1) really bad and (2) the worst ever. One was from Dogfish Head called 90 Minute Imperial IPA and the other was called Shipyard Fuggles IPA, not to be confused with Muggles, which is a Harry Potter thing. The latter smelled and tasted like industrial cleaner, worse than the Torpedo IPA I had the other day. The former was bad, but better than the Torpedo stuff.
Believe it or not (this is April Fool's Day, after all), the ratebeerians loved the Dogfish Head beer to the tune of a 4. Four! That's an average! Which means that some loved it more than that! I saw my first 5 today with this beer. Someone on Ratebeer.com thought this beer was the best beer that could EVER be made. THE BEST! No room for improvement, the best beer that has ever been made, could ever be made, would ever be made.
Call me crazy, but what serious beer drinker would EVER make a statement like that? A 4? If that is your style, I can see it. A 4.5? If this was the best beer you've ever had and you've tasted hundreds or thousands of beers, I can see that, too. But a 5? I'm sorry, but unless you've tasted every beer ever made, how can you possibly give a beer a 5 and be taken seriously as a beer taster? This guy either worked for Dogfish Head or was drunk on his ass when he submitted that rating. And no, it isn't because it was a beer I didn't like. I would question his sincerity even if it was for a beer I loved.
Is this a joke or real?
I'm sorry to say, but everything I've put down here is true. I like Ratebeer.com, trust me on that, but an astute observation: the majority of raters there are hopheads. To prove my point, simply take a look at the ratings of the IPA's and other bitter beers on the site. Many/most are above 4.0. Now take a look at the wheat beers, Belgian ales...in other words, the styles I favor...none are greater than 3.6. The top wheat beers are not on par with the top IPA's on this site.
Granted, there are always winners and losers in the world. The majority rules. I get that, I understand that, I accept that. It is simply discouraging as a new beer taster/rater to see my ratings substantially below that of the average for some beers and substantially above that for other beers.
Now here comes the dichotomy for me: Ratebeer.com encourages its members to rate beers on the appeal of the beer itself, not on the style. I love that because I don't like bitter beers any more than I like very dry red wines, so to give a good rating to a beer I despise simply because that is the way it is supposed to taste/look/smell doesn't appeal to me. But that does open the door for the majority to rule. The really serious tasters - those with thousands of ratings - will be fairer in their scoring, I'm sure, simply because that is what they do. But the hopheads rule on this site. It's a fact of life and I will have to deal with it, not the other way around.
How will I do that? Well, for one, I'm just not going to play in their sweet spot any more. Simply put, I'm bailing out on those styles. I hate IPA's and I won't be buying any more, so I won't be giving them bad ratings any more. I refuse to pay $2.50 for a bitter glass of Pine Sol only to pour it out after one sip. There are plenty of other beers that are more to my liking and that is what I'm going to focus on. That isn't to say that I won't find some other beers I don't find appealing. I'm sure I will. But once I identify a style I don't like, that will be the end of that style for me.
The other way is to ensure the beers I like get a good rating. No, that doesn't mean an inflated rating. I want to become a studious taster, a serious rater, and I want to do that with integrity...as opposed to the moron who thought they had tasted the best beer EVER made, ever could be made, ever would be made. If I don't think a particular beer deserves a good rating, it won't get one. But because I like the wheat beer style, I can be part of the voice that nudges the rating up a tad, that balances at least one of the bad ratings the hopheads give it because they like the bitter pill instead of the balanced one.
In case this comes across as acrimonious, let me assure you that it was unintended. Everyone likes different things. My wife loves brussel sprouts, for instance, which I can't stand. She hates seafood, which I love. To each his own. Or hers. It just offends my sense of fair play when some really good beers are denigrated by those who don't like the style. True, I trashed three IPA's, but only three. There won't be any more. Can the hopheads say the same? I don't know the answer to that. All I know is that the top 50 IPA's and the top 50 Double IPA's received substantially higher scores than THE top Belgian White.
Hello! Just don't drink a witbier if you don't like the style! I mean, c'mon, the best IPA is a 4.3, but the best Belgian White is a 3.6? What's up with that? Shouldn't the top beers of each style be closer than that? But they're not, not on Ratebeer.com. Maybe not on any beer rating site, for that matter. And, granted, I may be in the minority, the kind that likes a crisp chardonnay over a dry cabernet sauvignon or a Belgian White over an IPA. That is my cross to bear, not anyone else's. As I mentioned, though, it is disconcerting as a new rater to see such wide disparity between what I thought and what others thought of a particular beer.
The good news, of course, is that I’m under the five hundred mark, a milestone of sorts, a small one, to be sure, but we all take our motivations where we can. The one I’m looking forward to is the one hundred beer point, which should be in about six weeks. I will then get an icon next to my ratebeerian name, which is kind of a badge of honor that signifies I will no longer be considered a newbie.
How cool is that?
Goal...............524.....365
Progress..........27........16
Remaining.....497.....349
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