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| This meme is not meant to imply that Dos Equis is a bad beer. |
At the same time, as a beer blogger, I believe that I have an obligation to report my unbiased opinions to readers. After all, it's good to know what bad beer tastes like so that you have a point of reference for good beer. You really can't define something without its opposite. I like how Boak & Bailey puts it:
Taking the time to drink bad beer is a useful way to calibrate the tastebuds, correct your perspective, and stimulate the tastebuds. Sometimes, it's just about remindering yourself that bad beer is still beer and won't kill you.So what do you think? Do you want to read occasional reviews about bad beer? Or would you rather just read about the good ones? Let me know what you think in the comments, or on Facebook, Google+, and/or Twitter.
I would appreciate posts about beers you don't like. Maybe you shouldn't call them bad beers but just beers you didn't like. I remember your post about Sam Adams Summer Ale. You didn't like it but I do. To each his own and let's try something else!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the feedback, Steve! I appreciate the suggestion to say "beers I didn't like". Maybe I'll even create a separate category to capture those reviews. That could be interesting.
DeleteI sort of struggle with that as well. I guess I have decided to go ahead and write about them, and say I didn't care for them. I try to point out that just because I don't like the beer, it doesn't mean that it is a bad beer (except those absolutely awful Low-Carb beers and things like Bud-Light Lime ... yuck).
ReplyDeleteThe example that jumps out to me is when I tried DFH's 120 Minute IPA. I really didn't care for it (too much alcohol flavor). I wrote that I didn't care for it, but then I explained that lots of people do like it and tried to communicate what others would like about it.
I guess that I agree with Steve. Go ahead and write about what you didn't like about the beer. Be as descriptive as possible and others can make their own decisions.
Good points all, especially the low-carb beer part, haha! Thanks for the input.
DeleteI think you can definitely objectively assess a beer, then state whether you like it or not (and why). Sometimes I even seek out negative reviews. As long as it is detailed and well-reasoned, sometimes they can be just as helpful as a positive review. Besides, nobody vocalizing their displeasure with a beer would be disastrous. Craft brewers would be worthless if they were lulled into thinking that nobody disliked anything they brew. That being said, I often find myself mostly reviewing stuff I like.
ReplyDeleteWell stated, Scott. It's crucial to provide objective details as to why one doesn't like a beer. Doing so would actually allow readers to make well-informed decisions. If I say I didn't like a beer because it was sour, someone who likes sour beers might decide that's his/her next 6-pack. You also make a good point about craft brewers. They need to know the truth, and what better place to get the truth than a beer blog, i.e. the voice of the customer!
DeleteI think it's a good thing to have a review or something of a bad beer. It shows that you're at least somewhat objective and not coming off as this new brew fanboy that just jumped on the bandwagon. Unfortunately, sometimes bad reviews don't go well with others in the brew world, but that's just part of blogging.
ReplyDeleteYep, good point, Bill. For example, I am aware that I post many favorable comments about Tröegs. Granted, they are well-deserved, and I am proud to live nearby in order to claim them as "my own". At the same time, I don't want to be so laudatory as to lose credibility with my readers.
DeleteOf course, I have written some less-than-favorable reviews in my time.
ReplyDeleteSteve reminded us of Sam Adam's Summer Ail...I mean, Ale (http://goo.gl/OOc1f).
Then there's the (appropriately?) watery Shipyard Brewing Pupmkinhead Ale (http://goo.gl/J0Me0).
And the last one I can think of was a very brief mention of Dogfish Head's Festina Pêche (http://goo.gl/JN0tM), but I don't count that against them because it was a 3-ounce sample that I had during a beer-tasting event last year.
But like Scott, I find myself mostly writing about the good stuff. That's what I really care about anyway.