The best, like taste, is subjective

Posted on Aug 14, 2012 by Nathan

“You’re wrong! That isn’t the best beer! Tooheys Old is the second best seller in NSW, its not even on your list.”

Happy Tuesday Nathan, you’ve got no idea what you’re doing!

This is essentially the gist of an email I read this morning from an unhappy camper out there in Internet-land. The complaint made by this lad is fair and I don’t dismiss his concerns lightly, however, I believe he’s completely missed the point of an opinion.

An opinion is meant to be different, contraversial or a talking point. If we all had the same opinion there would only be one beer available on the market.

There are two points I want to raise that were pointed out in his email.

1. Consumption does not equal quality
2. Just because you don’t like a beer doesn’t mean its a bad beer

In his email he accused our readers of not knowing what a good beer tasted like because in his opinion the majority of the beers in our top 50 were not to his liking. This is okay, it’s not a problem; for him it was and I say his accusation is wrong. Why? Because “the best”, like taste, is subjective and will vary depending on your up-bringing, ethnicity, work, religion etc.. your whole life will dictate what you like and don’t like.

For example, I love really aggressive and overly hoppy beers. It’s often a sore point at parties when someone asks for a beer and I hand them what I believe to be a top-notch IPA or Pale Ale. Quite often the response is “what is this rubbish”? I respond with a chuckle and ask why are they swilling down a dozen ice cold big brand lager that has no taste? Who is right and who is wrong? Neither. We’re both right, there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to taste.

The other arguement this sender put forward was that Tooheys Old is the second highest seller in NSW and doesn’t even get a mention on the list on our website. There are a two points I’d like to discuss on this.

1. I don’t believe Beer Guide has reached a critical mass by where we can be the “leading authority” on beer. We’ll get there, but it will take time, until then use us as a resource to help guide your way around the hundreds of beers on the market – this is why we launched in the first place.

   We need more member reviews to help weight everyone’s opinions, which in time will provide a better overview of the wider population of Australia. At the moment we have a number of dedicated members who have an interest in the craft-beer scene meaning we are bias towards these types of beers. Other popular websites that offer similar services as ours have been operating for up to 6+ years before we even launched.

2. Consumption does not equal quality. Australia has had a strange history when it comes to beer in that the majority of pubs are contracted to major breweries, such as Tooheys or in days gone by Tooths etc.. The result of this is that the beers in the pub are by that brewery only – a Tooheys pub will generally only sell Tooheys products.

   It means the new upcoming breweries have a very hard time getting their product in fridges or taps in pubs and as a result their product (no matter how good or bad) remains unknown to the wider drinking population. Only if you have an interest in craft-beer do you find out about these new upcoming brands. This is why many breweries are now launching their own pubs or selling directly online. Look up Murrays if you want an example of a once small brand that launched their own pub in Manly and are doing really well.

There are beers I’ve enjoyed that you cannot buy unless you go to the brewery and drink it on site. Does this make it a bad beer because thousands of Australian’s aren’t drinking it daily? Hell no! Some of the best beers I’ve tried are not available in bottle shops or pubs.

Under-pinning all of these points however is one key point. Taste is subjective!

Just because you think something is rubbish doesn’t mean your in the majority, there may be thousands of people who think you’re a goose for not enjoying what is presented in front of you. On the flip side, maybe you’re alone…..

This entry was posted in Beer Reviews, General Beer Chat, Misc Chat and tagged australia, beer, beer guide, craft beer, opinions, reviews, taste. Bookmark the permalink.

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