Stop. Go back and sing the title of this post to the tune of Eminem’s “will the real slim shady please stand up.”
Ok, now we’re ready to talk beer…A while back I wrote a confessional of an article that proposed that many of the beloved beer reviews floating across the Internet are laden with bovine excrement, and that I, for one, have a hard time taking many of them seriously. Mosey on over to RateBeer.com and read through any number of craft beers, and note that the point spread is very minimal between beers. Now head on over to beer advocate and you’ll note that if the majority of the reviews were missing the name of the beer in question, you’d have a hard time pinpointing the style. It’s “caramelly this” and “hoppy that” on nearly every review. And the spread of opinions can be drastic per beer. One beer dudette rates it a C-, next beer dude rates it A+.
This disparate trove of opinion and rate are as noticeable in the beer blogosphere, only there’s a little more ego involved. What makes a guy or gal a “beer expert” these days? Apparently $49.99 in self hosting fee, a little php/html knowledge, a big mouth, and a fridge full of beer.
Yes, I know…beer is subjective TO A POINT. I mean, if someone hates IPAs, it would be unfair for them to pick up an IPA from some well known, quality brewery and flunk the poor beer despite the fact that it was produced with quality ingredients and labor, and is without error. Sometimes, I read through the comments of a beer review and for some reason and am weirded out that all the “experts” seem to have a different opinion. I just wish they would admit that there are objective elements of a brew.
I propose we need a real beer expert…you know, the type who speaks from an ivory tower, whose authority is recognized, who is objective in reviewing a beer and the industry, but isn’t a jerk. The wine industry has them (though their getting lost in the fray). The food industry has them? Is it so horrible that we should not? I know a few people reading this are, at this point, irritated and busting out their “Don’t Tread On Me” flag. But please, keep reading…you are just as valid (in my opinion) as the non-beer-expert writing this article. All I desire is another Michael Jackson (The Beer Hunter) who we can all revere, who we can compare our beer notes with, and who, if needs be, can be an authority in cases of general dissent.
As a guy who would like to open a brewery someday, I’d love to have this figure around to honestly dissect a future brew of mine. I suppose in his absence I could randomly send samples to the mass of bloggers and/or high ranking members of the Alstrom Brothers’ site, and, while I’d be sure to nail at lest a few home run reviews, it just wouldn’t compare to the accolade (or constructive criticism) that would come from the expert. The community that is formed via beer rating sites is beyond valid, as is their input…it is just to varied for the likes of this guy. And while I am a beer blogger, I’m not (at this point) the next Michael Jackson. I know a heck of a lot about beer, true, but I am not prepared to be that voice of beer authority.
Agreed. It is amazing how many people don’t shy away from calling (or allowing others to call them) experts.
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I hate doing reviews. I do them to keep track of what I know I like and help me decide if I would try that beer again.
I’m not expert. I so know that. I sound like an idiot half the time. Hah. I really don’t see a real expert out there. There isn’t a person out there that I really respect when it comes to reviews because like you said people are bias against certain styles. I can’t stand Pilsners, its why you don’t see many reviews on my site when it comes to Pilsners. Actually I’m going to review one next week from one of my favorite breweries and well it’s not going to be pretty.
Hope you guys are doing well. I’m totally dropping buying beer and working on my dream of perfecting some recipes and hopefully get my beer out there. I know you guys want to do the same. All the luck in the world to you guys. Fantastic people.
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I’m a beer lover. I’m a beer knurd. Sometimes I even masquerade as a beer czar. Expert? Nope. Do I have sufficient knowledge to help others learn about beer? Sure. But I ain’t an expert. There’s always more to learn and more to drink.
However, I do tend to avoid the beer rating sites because of much of what has been said. It’s chock full of noise. Actually, it’s quite a cacophonous drone of blah blah blah friggin blah.
But if you ever need a beer czar, I’d like to apply for the position.
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Here in the UK I can think of several beer experts who are both knowledgeable and erudite.
Off the top of my head I would name Roger Protz (a contemporary of Michael Jackson), Pete Brown, Tim Hampson and Adrian Tierney-Jones. I might not agree with all their reviews and opinions but they are experienced and their reviews are well informed.
We also have, here in Blighty, the ‘Guild of British Beer Writers’ (https://www.beerwriters.co.uk) whose stated aim is “To improve standards of beer writing and extend the public knowledge of beer.” Most guild members write for the print media while some of us are online writers and aspire to ‘real’ print. The Guild arranges brewery tours and tastings and, next week, is holding its annual Beer Styles Seminar at the Meantime brewery in Greenwich. Sadly I’ll be out of the country and will miss it.
So yes, there’s a lot of dross ‘out there’ in the blogosphere but there are those who seek to maintain and raise standards, even if we don’t (yet) aspire to Michael Jackson’s crown.
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I’m an Idiot, don’t listen to me…I put this disclaimer out there all the time. I actually like the 10 Commandments of Craft Beer we posted on our site last week. Commandment number 2 is “drink what you like”. There are no rules when it comes to beer, and there are certainly no rules on the internet. It is just trial and error with beer, and with beer reviewers. If you find one you like drink it…and read it.
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I think there are a few of these, though no global one yet.
As Bob the Brit points out, there are several in the UK, though I would maintain at this point that national tastes are different enough that the US needs its own. Actually, I think regions of the US are different enough that each can have its own one or two “experts”. In PA, for example, we have Lew Bryson and Don Russell. I know that Colorado, the Upper Midwest, San Diego and Atlanta – all distinct beer markets with distinct flavor and style preferences, also have established names that are respected in their area.
I would submit that that’s enough. I don’t think the world needs another Michael Jackson, I think the world needs a collection of Pete Browns, Jeff Alworths, Lew Brysons and the like. And largely we’ve got it, or at least we’re on our way to getting it. We’ve got Cicerone to separate technical from traditional knowledge, and we’ve got a growing community to vote with their tongues on who’s worth listening to.
Part of what’s working against us is the relative youth of the industry. There’s really only two ways to become an expert, as I see it. One is to be the first/only person to care about something (e.g. I am an expert on beer label design, since no one else gives a hoot), which is sort of a hollow honor, at least until you convince other people that it matters. The more honest way is just through work and dedication. Write for a long enough time, consistently and with insight, and sooner or later people trust your opinion, or at least rely on it for guidance. Michael Jackson was both; he wrote a great deal, but it helped that he was the first international voice to treat beer with respect and reverence.
Now, as the industry grows, matures, and diversifies, I think we’re in a second stage of finding a number voices we trust to comment. Food doesn’t have one authoritative critic, and neither does wine. I see the lack of one dominant voice as a sign of growth, and even if it’s tougher, I think it’s a sign of strength for the community.
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Kudos to Greg for eloquently voicing exactly what I was thinking after finishing the post.
I would like to add to the list of regional folks whose opinions carry weight with me. Garrett Oliver, Lisa Morrison and Tomm Carroll.
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