CBR 70: Stouts
- Artist: Craft Beer Radio
- Title: CBR 70: Stouts
- Album: Craft Beer Radio
- Track: 70
- Year: 2007
- Length: 49:21 minutes (16.95 MB)
- Format: MP3 Mono 44kHz 48Kbps (CBR)
Roasty and Dark. Stouts take the stage early this march getting us ready for St. Patricks day. Jeff reports that he has found a new favorite imperial stout, and we have a discussion on the value of beer rating sites.
Reviewed:
-
Boulevard Dry Stout (MO)
Lost Coast 8 Ball Stout (CA)
Dicks Cream Stout (WA)
Deschutes Obsidian Stout (OR)
Ranking:
- Greg - 1. Boulevard, 2. Obsidian, 3. Loast Coast, 4. Sierra Nevada, 5. Dicks
- Jeff - 1. Obsidian, 2. Sierra Nevada, 3. Boulevard, 4. Lost Coast, 5. Dicks
Extras:
Preshow
Postshow
- Sierra Nevada Stout (CA)
- Starr Hill Dark Starr Stout (VA)
Craft Beer Radio is an Internet talk show about craft and micro brewed beers. The mission of the show is to spread the word of good beer. We introduce people to craft beer, and teach them about different beer styles, brewers who make them, and beer history. Whether you are new to craft beer or have been drinking it for more than 20 years we have something for you.
If you have comments or questions that you would like us to read over the air, Email Us.
Comments
Ratings Response
In regards to your question about how beer ratings influence our impression of a particular beer's quality, I must admit I succumb to biases in judging beers. On one end of the spectrum, a beer's high rating and overall notoriety can lead to expectations that simply cannot be met. For instance, Westvleteren 12 was very disappointing during my initial taste. My expectations were so high I was anticipating a near spiritual experience or something. After I realized my naivety, I re-tasted the beer, cracked open a Rochefort 10 for comparisons sake, and the near perfection of the Westy slowly sunk in.
On the other hand, I think beers that have been historically rated high remain highly-rated even if the quality of the new product has declined. Case in point: Chimay Blue. My opinion is that Chimay Blue has become a much lesser version of itself from 10 years ago. I look at all comparable trappist/abbey ales and think that the Blue is middle-tier at best. But ratebeer and beeradvocate tell me I'm wrong, it's actually in the top 98 percent.
And yes, Jeff, I too favor certain breweries and defend their products to the hilt, specifically Dogfish Head. Their Red & White is fantastic. I'm looking forward to their Black & Blue release in April - a golden belgian ale made with over 300 pounds of blackberries and blueberries.
BA
I shop a bit different I guess, I want to try every single beer I can find, so if I find a new beer I buy it... regardless of what BA says. BA is a great community (same as RateBeer), but they have no influence whatsoever on my beer purchases - either in stores or online. I enjoy reading some reviews, but don't actually review beers myself online.
Regarding the vinegar beers...
I shared a fun experience with a man named Jeff at the Budweiser plant in Fairfield, Ca where we sampled a fresh and clean Bud and an abused aged Bud. They had us sample to prove that the new Bud was better, but both of us judged that aged and abused version over the new and fresh one. I can fully understand that adding a 'bit' of balsamic vinegar could enhance some cheap beers.
However, brand bias is clearly a fact that all beer enthusiasts understand.
BA Review section
The review section is useful sometimes but the overall arrogance of the Todd sickens me and make me stay away
The green board is so much friendlier and open for differing opinions
If you disagree with Nazi Todd he will try to make you feel like an ass and then get all of his minions behind him to agree blindly.
The Review section will make me stay away from some beers though which is nice - For instance - If I dont know what style a beer is I can find out and save myself from a "sour" experience.
I have made some nice trades there also.
Ye shall know the Bastard, And the Bastard shall set you free
Ratings/purchasing
I, for one, almost completely neglect ratings until after I've had the beer. Which is not to say that I didn't anxiously seek out The Abyss when it hit shelves or that I wouldn't head way out of my way to get a bottle of Westy 12. In general, I purchase beers that show up in spots I buy beer or are recommended by someone I know and trust--not some anonymous BAer named XTREMEHOPS4EVA.
When you add what are essentially flawed ratings (is the 4 I give to a beer I really enjoyed comparable to the 4 given by someone who's review revealed that they were in it for the name?) and the obvious cache certain brands and styles have ... it just doesn't seem to be a terribly good indicator. All that said, The Abyss deserves its high BA ranking ... amazing beer
As for the vinegar + beer experiment, we all know that anything you put in a Bud Light can will make some people just as happy as the real thing; it's clear people judge long before they taste. I recall a woman drinking lime rickeys at a large beer bar taking a tiny sip of whatever lambic or gueuze we had offered, grimacing and dismissively judging that "it tastes like beer and all beers taste like Rainier." Just the way it is. Oh, and it was indeed an MIT study--the author is now a professor at Columbia.
Ratings/Internet on TV
I find the BA ratings to be a useful tool to find new beers, but I certainly don't rely exclusively on them, nor do I take raw scores without a grain of salt. The reason I prefer BA to RB is that the written reviews are longer and you can get a better feel for what the rater is detecting. For instance, if Greg saw an Imperial Stout with super high score and reviews that read, "It smacks you in the face with alcohol and hop bitterness... The mouthfeel is viscous and sticky," he would know to avoid it or at least not expect it to be his new favorite beer. You can also recognize the BA's who have similar, and opposite, likes and dislikes, and of course you shouldn't buy a beer because some frat guy, who's one other review rated Busch Light a 5, because "you can drink 10 cans and get fucking waisted for only $7," gave it a high score.
On a extras note, my editing professor creates websites and programs that appear on computer screens in movies and tv shows. His friends ask him to make them websites and he tells them he could, but they wouldn't be online or do anything other than look cool.
For us nerds
CakePHP kicks ass. Glad to hear a fellow beer nerd has utilized it!
Great show.
Possibly one of the best shows ever. It just "popped" with so much energy. Greg, you are a delightfully opinionated bastard. Don't ever change! :) Nice to hear a beer I've actually tried (Deschutes Obsidian) reviewed. :)
BA reviews
I tend to look at the reviews for new beers that I try or beers that I really like to see other people who may have a similar palatte to mine. It's like movie reviews, you read and like those who have similar tastes to your own.
I don't think I'm a full-on Beer Geek, more of an Enthusiast. I don't brew my own, but I do enjoy good beer. My wife says we are beer snobs, but even that may be going a bit far. We just don't drink MacroMuck even if it's the only beer around, and we are constantly trying new beers. Personally, I have gotten over the super-hoppy west coast beers, and most people on BA have a palatte for those types of beers. So, I don't have a lot of like-minded folk on there to listen to the reviews. I do find some of the reviews helpful, but I pretty much use it now to find other breweries for styles I like and to see if they are available in my area.
I've only posted 2 beer reviews, but I am constantly adding beers to the BeerSpy section. Hopefully, it helps others to find the beers they like.