[majorvices]

The other thig that really gets on my f'ing nerves is untapped. So, I go out to have a beer with a friend and he has to check in every beer he drinks on his phone. Sorry guys, that's f'ing stupid. Stop doing it.

[ynotbrusum]

When I go to places with 20+ beers on tap, I admit to looking them up - this only after getting a wit that was described by the server as a German style lager....but I know what you mean, Major.  (She claimed to be a certified Cicerone, but when pressed she admitted that the staff all took the test together with an experienced bar tender "helping out").

[majorvices]

Haha! I'm starting to sound like a grumpy old man. And managed to hijack Jonathon's thread.

sorry man.

What about Dortmunder Gold? That's a style I rarely see on these interweb forum discussions.

[ynotbrusum]

Agreed as to Doetmunder - the malt of a Helles and the hop of a Northern German Pilsner.  That is a fine beer not seen often in Homebrewer sites.  Great Lakes makes a fine one.  I am inspired for the weekend now!

[HoosierBrew]

Too many beer snobs hung up on high gravity stouts and judging every other beer in the world against those beers. There are 5% ABV beers that are every bit as good (or better than) 10+% beers.

That's how I feel.  No way the top 50 beers in the country are almost all RIS and IIPA. 

[Wort-H.O.G.]

Too many beer snobs hung up on high gravity stouts and judging every other beer in the world against those beers. There are 5% ABV beers that are every bit as good (or better than) 10+% beers.

That's how I feel.  No way the top 50 beers in the country are almost all RIS and IIPA.

+1 for sure not where i live.

[reverseapachemaster]

All you need to do is read some of the reviews to know the majority of the people writing them have no business describing beers. The more obscure the style the more ridiculous the reviews. My favorite are probably biere de garde reviews that complain the beers are too malty without enough hop flavor. It reminds me of a podcast out of Austin I made the mistake of listening to exactly once. They were tasting some beers and one host said every beer was grassy and another said every beer was like juicy fruit. And this is a podcast fairly well regarded among Austin beer geeks. Yikes...

I think pre-pro CAP is a good style that people may not be intimately familiar with but at least have some idea of what a pilsner should taste like to be able to judge and appreciate it.

[HoosierBrew]

All you need to do is read some of the reviews to know the majority of the people writing them have no business describing beers. The more obscure the style the more ridiculous the reviews. My favorite are probably biere de garde reviews that complain the beers are too malty without enough hop flavor. It reminds me of a podcast out of Austin I made the mistake of listening to exactly once. They were tasting some beers and one host said every beer was grassy and another said every beer was like juicy fruit. And this is a podcast fairly well regarded among Austin beer geeks. Yikes...

I think pre-pro CAP is a good style that people may not be intimately familiar with but at least have some idea of what a pilsner should taste like to be able to judge and appreciate it.

Yeah, beer style attributes aren't a real strong suit for some of the reviewers.  I've seen APAs reviewed negatively, with comments like " Doesn't have the level of hop flavor and aroma common to better examples like Yukon Jack and <other IPA>".   Probably shouldn't either, with Yukon Jack being an IPA and all.

[yso191]

Too many beer snobs hung up on high gravity stouts and judging every other beer in the world against those beers. There are 5% ABV beers that are every bit as good (or better than) 10+% beers.

That's how I feel.  No way the top 50 beers in the country are almost all RIS and IIPA.

My favorite beers are.  And most people are like me.  I have great taste.

[HoosierBrew]

Too many beer snobs hung up on high gravity stouts and judging every other beer in the world against those beers. There are 5% ABV beers that are every bit as good (or better than) 10+% beers.

That's how I feel.  No way the top 50 beers in the country are almost all RIS and IIPA.

My favorite beers are.  And most people are like me.  I have great taste.

[majorvices]

Too many beer snobs hung up on high gravity stouts and judging every other beer in the world against those beers. There are 5% ABV beers that are every bit as good (or better than) 10+% beers.

That's how I feel.  No way the top 50 beers in the country are almost all RIS and IIPA.

My favorite beers are.  And most people are like me.  I have great taste.

I love IPAs and iipas and RISs - but a beer should be judged on its own merits not against a different style. I don't want to drink a RIS on an 90 degree day. A lighter beer around 5-6% abv would be perfect. But because it is not a 12% hop bb it's not a "great beer" worthy OG high praise no matter if it is as finely drafted as any beer in the country.. Perhaps it is a perfect Kolsch or pilsner and ithas 0 flaws but it gets rated an 85 or 90 or whatever.

My wife thinks that IPAs and stouts are beginner beers because all the guys who go gaga over them are usually fairly new to the craft beer scene. They think an alt is a poorly brewed IPA. And how many times have new brewers come on the forum and said "I hate lagers"

[Jimmy K]

...it's a hybrid sort of comp. first you have to get past a BCJP style homebrew comp and then there is a final round between the top two beers that is a peoples' choice situation.

Ohhhhhh kaaaaayy... That's different.
 
Hard to guess what would win people's choice. Lighter beers like CAP can be crowd pleasers, but get passed over as too average for a competition win. In the end, I'd go with whatever I felt most confident at making really well.

[HoosierBrew]

I like hops as much as anybody I know, but I'm not always in the mood for an IPA.  When I find a great dopplebock, Dortmunder, Belgian or whatever, it's no less a great beer than the great IPA I just had. A great beer is a great beer to me.  And ironically, with the hop bomb craze, APA has kind of gotten too tame which is a shame .  I've always thought a really well made APA is one of the most drinkable beers around.

[erockrph]

When I go to places with 20+ beers on tap, I admit to looking them up - this only after getting a wit that was described by the server as a German style lager....but I know what you mean, Major.  (She claimed to be a certified Cicerone, but when pressed she admitted that the staff all took the test together with an experienced bar tender "helping out").

I use BA for the same thing - if I want to find out some basic info on a beer. I have a pretty good BS meter with those types of sites, so I take the reviews with a grain of salt and ignore the numbers.

Sometimes you're in a bottle shop and have no way to tell by a bottle's label what style of beer it is. I'm not generally looking for all the 95+ rated beers when I'm in a shop. It's more like I'm in the mood for dark Belgians, or English bitters, or saison, etc. There's often no way to tell what style a beer is by looking at an avant garde bottle label with bizarre artwork and a random mythological name. I can never remember if "By Odin's Goat" is a Wit, a Porter, or the new Amon Amarth album...

[chinaski]

I'm in the same boat, registered for the same competition, I"m sure.  I waffle between a style that's not represented much in the VT craft scene and which of my beers will likely score well in BJCP-style.  The bud/miller/coors crowd won't be the target audience for these beers that's for sure.  I don't expect that the judging will be done by many BJCP judges either so score itself might not matter a heck of a lot.  Just brewed a potential entry from a newly formulated recipe that I'm not sure is going to make my cut.  Good luck!