Overrated beers

[Oneflewover]

True

Guilty m'lud!
To be fair, what I meant was that it appears that some people think that you can, for example, chuck tons of hops in or brew with a particular yeast and you'll automatically get great beer. I suppose that really I was getting at overrated elements of brewing at the expense of solid processes and quality ingredients, rather than particular beers or styles of beer.

 

[obscure]

Guilty m'lud!
To be fair, what I meant was that it appears that some people think that you can, for example, chuck tons of hops in or brew with a particular yeast and you'll automatically get great beer. I suppose that really I was getting at overrated elements of brewing at the expense of solid processes and quality ingredients, rather than particular beers or styles of beer.

Your pretty much summoning up about half the micro breweries, while a lot of the beer coming out of the macro breweries is pretty mediocre it’s at least a) drinkable b) consistent and c) not ridiculously over priced.

So I would say the common assumption that micro breweries are automatically superior is a good example of over rated beer. Sorry if this seems like a rant there are some excellent micro breweries however being small and independent does not excuse putting out consistently poor and sometimes undrinkable beer.

 

[Galena]

Just because a beer isn't rated highly here doesn't necessarily mean it isn't overrated by the millions who drink it.

 

[531Man]

Just because a beer isn't rated highly here doesn't necessarily mean it isn't overrated by the millions who drink it.

Fair point, well made.

 

[JohnB]

Lots of interesting thoughts on this one, I fully agree with Clint (post 112) re Boddy's. And what stands out is that it's personal taste as much as anything. I recently brewed a wheat beer, followed the destructions, got a beer which to me tasted like sh i t e ! but I gave a couple of bottles away (daren't give more away) to a guy who used to live in the Black Forest - he loved the stuff! I couldn't believe it, he got the remaining bottles and said if I ever brewed it again, he would have a few bottles off me.

So for me I have one over-rated beer - John Smiths keg bitter - sorry to all the Smith's drinkers out there. But I have had a few pints of John Smiths cask and it was very good.

 

[IainM]

Sounds like your Cork dried out. Did you store it horizontally when ageing?

I did, and it wasn't dried out.

 

[IainM]

Estralla Damm. I used to live in Barcelona and the bar at the end of my road sold 'em a euro a bottle. It was cheap and cheerful, bland, easy-drinking lager to drink ice cold on a hot day, which was most days. Over here in the UK they appear in bars and gastro pubs, with fancy tap handles and branded whatnot, as if it is some sort of exotic luxury, and of course costs more than five times the price.

 

[MickDundee]

Estralla Damm. I used to live in Barcelona and the bar at the end of my road sold 'em a euro a bottle. It was cheap and cheerful, bland, easy-drinking lager to drink ice cold on a hot day, which was most days. Over here in the UK they appear in bars and gastro pubs, with fancy tap handles and branded whatnot, as if it is some sort of exotic luxury, and of course costs more than five times the price.

It’s the “foreign = premium” phenomenon. The same reason why the Italian hipsters go crazy for Tennents Special.

 

[dalecek]

I am a regular Guinness drinker in pubs (or I was); my local sells lousy beer, sweet, keg, barely alcoholic. But the Guinness is pretty decent as draught Guinness goes, However, my satisfaction with draught Guinness is decreasingly rapidly when I start to compare it to the stouts I am making myself! , which, whilst no stronger, are a lot tastier and just generally have a lot more going on.

Can't agree more. I used to drink Guinness before I started home brewing. Had one recently and it tasted like dirty water compared to tasty stouts we brew at home

 

[alfajerry]

My problem with Guinness is that their powerful advertising has obliterated most English stouts which were better beers.

 

[dweb]

Would struggle to call it a beer to be honest - its in the same category as the crap larger that the industry tried to force down our throats.

Dont like Guinness either - totally overrated, the poor Irish had to put up with it for years, I understand things have improved now somewhat.


Do like a Plum Porter now and again though, guess we are all different

Unfortunately here in NI, the large commercial breweries have all the pubs tied up to sell the same old pish-Harp, Tennents, ud, Coors, Carling, Smithwicks, Rockshore and. Guinness is the best of a bad bunch. The only time I can get a decent pint is when I'm in Belfast or Derry.

 

[Brew_DD2]

Unfortunately here in NI, the large commercial breweries have all the pubs tied up to sell the same old pish-Harp, Tennents, ud, Coors, Carling, Smithwicks, Rockshore and. Guinness is the best of a bad bunch. The only time I can get a decent pint is when I'm in Belfast or Derry.

Boundary tap room is excellent.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Surely a bad/overrated beer is not one that’s not to your taste. A bad beer is technically bad or has unintended off-flavours, or maybe has been stored/handled incorrectly. An overrated beer is quite likely one belonging to a culture you’re not part of.

Beers may change over time and no longer be to your taste, your tastes may change over time and beers you liked may no longer suit - even if they are unchanged.

I like most beers but do struggle with many sours - they’re not all bad or overrated just because I don’t like them.



…except lagers

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Overrated? Pretty much anything Brewdog, I mean it's ok.... Also London Pride, I like Fullers mainly but Pride is Thames water rebranded yet it's drunk all over.

Someone said Coors Light earlier, absolutely the worst beer I have ever tasted.

 

[Simoncbr600steelie]

I bought a can of what I thought was regular Sol when on holiday near Acapulco in Mexico opened it took a big swig & nearly threw up , it was 2% Abv & infused with tomato & onion dirty ba574rds.

 

[Brewnaldo]

Someone said Coors Light earlier, absolutely the worst beer I have ever tasted.

Playing fast and loose with the word there.....

 

[Moe]

Just read this thread and enjoyed it.

I agree about doom bar.

I love Jaipur, with an abundance of pale hoppy beers, this stands out as a pale hoppy beer with a lovely malty/grainy backbone.

A few months ago I bought a selection of strong stouts to sample. Without looking too carefully at the can I picked up a can of BD nacho libre.

Poured it later that evening and had a mouthful….. easily the worst thing that’s ever been in my mouth (and unfortunately I can include out of date oysters and kestrel super on that list).

Looked at the can: Mexican chocolate chilli stout.

Maybe not over rated by all, and presumably by the amount they sell it’s a good beer to some people, but certainly not to my taste

 

[TonyT]

Just read this thread and enjoyed it.

I agree about doom bar.

I love Jaipur, with an abundance of pale hoppy beers, this stands out as a pale hoppy beer with a lovely malty/grainy backbone.

A few months ago I bought a selection of strong stouts to sample. Without looking too carefully at the can I picked up a can of BD nacho libre.

Poured it later that evening and had a mouthful….. easily the worst thing that’s ever been in my mouth (and unfortunately I can include out of date oysters and kestrel super on that list).

Looked at the can: Mexican chocolate chilli stout.

Maybe not over rated by all, and presumably by the amount they sell it’s a good beer to some people, but certainly not to my taste

I like chilli, it goes well with all sorts of things. But it shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near a brewery.

 

[micklupulo]

Personally I have never understood how anyone could enjoy Doombar.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

For me overrated is any beer called Session, I.e. Session IPA.