Day 236 – Momentum

I just spent a few minutes reading over some past blogs and saw that Day 14 (Week 2), I was already gaining some key insights. For instance I wrote "I can see a time down the road where I elect not to try certain beer styles because I know I won’t like them." Can anyone say IPA?

I also wondered at times if I would make it to the end. The first time was Day 21. I could see then, having eliminated IPAs and other bitter beer styles, that it would be a challenge. At yet, here I am, Day 236, at 381 beers tasted. Hitting 400 is a guarantee.

That doesn't mean I'm cocky, that 524 is in the bag. 124 beers is still a lot of beers. I have some contingencies, of course, some backup plans, but I need to be careful not to use them too soon, like a street racer hitting the nitrogen a quarter mile before the finish line. Let's just say I'm optimistic. Let's just say that I am already envisioning the finish line even though I am not positive I'll make it.

It's called momentum.

It's not easy finding 12 new beers every week. I take my list with me every week to the store and I still sometimes pick up something I've already tasted. And yet, I'm 40 beers ahead of schedule, 4 weeks ahead of schedule, the same place I was at Week 12 at Week 33. With 19 weeks to go, that's pretty damn good, even though it is far too soon to declare victory.

Momentum.

So let's check out a few stats, courtesy of my friends at ratebeer.com

Most sampled: Amber ale, pale ale, wheat beer.

Favorite stye: Stout & German Hefeweizen (3.44), Brown Ale (3.25), White Beer (3.24)

Least favorite style: IPA(0.95); surprised?

Most tried by country: US (258); next closest: Germany (35) (not even close)

Most tried by state: California (57) and Colorado (50); no one else even close

Best liked by state: Massachusetts (3.19), Colorado and Maryland (3.11)

Best liked by country: Belgium and England (big surprise)

Most sampled by brewer: Boston Beer Company (16) and New Belgium (10); coincidentally, they also happen to be among my favorite brewers

And finally, I am #1549 out of 3468 of the top raters with at least 100 ratings, putting me in the 45th percentile. In other words the upper half of raters. Is that cool or what?

Life is good and so is beer.

"Sagliginiza" which is Turkish for "To your health."

Goal...............524.....365
Progress.........381.....236
Remaining......143.....129