Say what you need to say. I hate that song but love the expression. Since the expression existed way before the song, we’ll assume that I can use the phrase without referring to John Mayer.
Have you ever read beer reviews that described a certain beer as “interesting”? Or have you read a beer review that said a beer had some “very nice qualities”? What does that stuff really mean? Are those just social pleasantries that avoid saying what they really intend to say?
There seems to be a culture forming that fears anything but affirming everything. As a result, words like awesome and horrific seem to be losing their shades or meaning, or at least the power that was once evoked by those words. I’m warning the reader that I’m not attempting to be comprehensive in this article (who could cover all the expressions and nuances involved in human language?). What I’m doing is giving people a feel for what I’m talking about; in other words, I’m giving you the spirit of what people are saying in order to “get a feel” for what they mean.
Having had such an amazing (not that that word actually means anything anymore) insight into the human psyche, I’ve found it necessary to help us all decipher what we beer reviewers mean when we say certain things in our reviews. Think of what I’m giving you as a compass to navigate the sea of beer reviews out there.
Interesting: Here is a term that I’ve seen used to describe many beers. What does it mean? Well, reviewers could simply mean that the beer was interesting. And by that it means that it’s not like any or most beers they’ve had. It had a quality that they may or may not have been able to put a finger on but that was, generally speaking, enjoyable. It peaked their interested, and they would like to revisit the beer.
A second and more heinous meaning is more often attached to this word. This is a way of saying that the beer was a little better than turpentine and just as corrosive. Interesting often means that reviewers were able to find one quality or particularity in the beer that they actually enjoyed. The rest, however, would have been better suited for stripping paint off model cars. Another thing they could be saying is that one aspect or particularity of the beer stuck out to a degree that it was too emphatic. This might be called, in the words of Hamlet, “a mole of nature.” By saying, some quality was interesting in this or that beer, they might mean that the brewer put far too much orange zest or Australian ferret nectar in a beer. So, “interesting” is not always so interesting.
Very nice qualities: The phrase “very nice qualities” can mean much the same thing that interesting does. However, this phrase can be levels above “interesting.” Some reviewers mean that there are multiple aspects of the beer that were good or that more than one thing was interesting. This one can be a complementary idea, which might be like saying that your girlfriend has some cute quirks that you really appreciate. However, saying that the beer has some nice qualities might mean that it had some not so nice ones, too.
As the previous statement, the phrase “very nice qualities” can be a euphemism for saying that the beer stunk except for a few qualities. Maybe this one could be another type of less offensive paint thinner than the last one, but it essentially means that they didn’t want to badmouth the beer too much: “After all, maybe the brewery will send me some of their other terrible beers to say veiled things about.”
One for the Connoisseur, Adventurer, or Aficionado: This is the last set of expressions that I want to mention here. This is actually a thorny sort of expression. What do people mean when they say this? As a surface statement it means exactly what it says, that this beer will only be appreciated by a very strange and gluttonous group of people, in other words, those who have had enough exotic or eccentric beers that they actually love and appreciate these beers. Most generally, these beers are extremely eccentric and over the top. They are bold, well-made, and emphatic in their approach. These might be the type of beers of which someone might say, “I don’t like it, but it’s well made and I appreciate its qualities and craftsmanship.”
I really do like some of these “beers for the connoisseur.” Having had over 600 beers, I’ve really tried to venture out into uncharted territory without a map or compass. But these beers take time to get to genuinely like and enjoy. They are not starter beers or one that you would recommend to someone who has only had PBR. They are certainly not beers you would recommend in your beer-vangelism efforts. So, all three of these phrases really mean that if you haven’t pushed yourself on tasting eccentric beers, you will hate this or that beer. The reviewer is signaling to you that you might not be ready for this beer that doesn’t taste like anything you’ve ever experienced. On the other hand, if you are an adventurer, try one of these beers when these terms are attached and see what I mean.
I couldn’t agree with your observation…our society criminalizes pure critique. Everything has to be, as you said, “affirming.”
How can true dialogue exist in this atmosphere?
I like the ever popular excuse…”Perhaps my taste buds were not functioning properly from the atomic hot wings I just hate…I’ll have to try it again later with a clean palate.”
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This was a rather interesting post. I found it to be full of very nice qualities, and definitely one for the blog connoisseur, adventurer, or aficionado!
Some reviews I read on some review sites make me feel like I missed some important classes in college! That’s why I like your reviews – you know what you are talking about, but you write in a way that makes sense to normal people who just want to get an idea about how a beer tastes, or compare notes to something they might have tried someplace.
Now about those atomic hot wings….I thought one was supposed to clean the palate with them? Must be missing something!
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Thanks for your gracious comments Scott. I am always humbled by such compliments. It is so great to know that I am achieving what I set out to do. Namely, use understandable and precise language to tell normal people about beer. We are gratified by people really liking content like this.
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I need to do a follow-up to define terms that some people use on the sites.
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