old ras vs. speedway?

[hopjack13]

i dont f@#*ing believe that!
old ras won!? speedway stout blows old ras out of the water!
i think it's an availability thing, more people know what old ras is vs. people who have tried the speedway stout! it's bull sh@# i say! does this hold true for any of the other beers in the battle?
i've tried some of the beers in the battle but haven't voted on any cuz i haven't tried them both, except the old ras vs. speedway. to vote otherwise is kinda being bias i think.

[steveh]

Originally posted by hopjack13
i've tried some of the beers in the battle but haven't voted on any cuz i haven't tried them both, except the old ras vs. speedway. to vote otherwise is kinda being bias i think.

That's the way I'm voting this year too. If I haven't tried both, I don't vote in that bracket.

S.

[newportstorm]

You're right. The voting is completely skewed based on availability. Hell, if people in North Cali can't even score some Alesmith, how the hell would people on the east coast score any unless someone hooked them up with a trade ;)

Regardless, I am voting in all brackets based on which beer I'd rather try. I've heard of nearly all of them and can use BA or RB for the ones I haven't. It's all in fun and nobody should take these results too seriously. Now Dayton losing to Depaul in 2OT last night and screwing up my bracket is something to get upset about!!

Cheers!

[Beaver]

I agree with newportstorm. They do phrase it as which beer would you rather have, not which beer is better.

[batkins]

You people need to start doing some trading! ;)

[steveh]

Maybe, but I'd rather rely on my own experience to decide which one I'd rather have. I can't base it on a name only, and I'm about 50/50 with BA reviews and my own likes/dislikes.

So yeah, Black Watch and Brutal Bitter? No idea which one I'd want. I like Old Rasputin, but I've never had the Downtown Brown. I just don't see my votes being fair on pairings like that. I suppose I could research the brewers' web sites, but I'm too busy this week! :P

S.

And no, I don't use that excuse in the presidential elections! ;)

[newportstorm]

Well, I guess I don't take it that seriously. Fair? Life's not fair, so why should some silly beer tourney be. It's all in fun. Win or lose, the breweries got exposure (if only in name) to people that otherwise might never have heard of them. Hell, I'd like to be able to sample all of these brews, too, before I decide. But time, $$ and geography get in the way.

Medals and awards and beer contests mean little to me in my beer purchasing. So the fact that beer 'X' won the RealBeer Battle of the Beers and Beer 'Y' got trounced in the first round is trivial to me. And any brewery that really hangs their hat on winning this contest is silly. I know Sam at DFH was pushing for votes of 90 Minute IPA last year at a beer fest in Boston - but it looked like he was using it as a morale booster or "brewhouse bragging rights", y'know? Nothing real serious.

I know I've disagreed with half of the results already, but I'm still voting. It's fun....at least, it supposed to be.

Cheers!

[sallad]

i think its actually printed on the DFH 90min 4pk box that it won "RealBeer.com's Battle of the Beers" last year. now thats taking full advantage of your bragging rights!

[beer editor]

Understanding, of course, that I remain neutral in all matchups ;>)

Isn't there a chance that you could answer this question without having tasted both Grant's Mandarin Hefeweizen and Alaskan Smoked Porter: Which beer would you rather drink?

I mean, you may hate smoked beers. You may hate porters. Or ...

Prosit,
Stan Hieronymus

[newportstorm]

Originally posted by sallad
i think its actually printed on the DFH 90min 4pk box that it won "RealBeer.com's Battle of the Beers" last year. now thats taking full advantage of your bragging rights!

Hmmm, I never noticed it - I'll have to look next time. Still, claims like that and things like "GABF Medal Winner" don't make me pick up a beer. And, imvho, the 12 oz. 90 minute pales in comparison to the 750ml version that was still in circulation when last year's "Battle of the Beers" was going on.

Cheers!

[barley ben]

i think its actually printed on the DFH 90min 4pk box that it won "RealBeer.com's Battle of the Beers" last year. now thats taking full advantage of your bragging rights!

Yes it does. "Voted BEST AMERICAN BEER realbeer.com '03".

I knew there was a reason I have a pile of flat six packs (four pack in this case) between my tool box and fridge. Never know when you have to do some research!!

[fretlessman71]

We all need to remember that although this is a lot of fun, this is simply a POPULARITY CONTEST, and is no different than voting for your class president in 4th grade. If you don't know the poor bastard, how the hell are you gonna vote for him? And are you really going to abstain from a vote, given the opportunity?

There's nothing scientific about this contest, so let's not kid ourselves into believing that there is. And certainly, popularity and name recognition have a lot to do with a given beer's success in the tournament. I was one who voted for Old Rasputin, not because I didn't like Speedway Stout as much but because I had never tried it. If I was at hopjack's house and he told me all he had was a bottle of each, I'd probably choose the Old Rasputin (if I wasn't in a adventurous mood) because I KNEW it was a great beer. Whether or not I'd be missing out on a superior beer would be beside the point; I'd get to enjoy a beer I knew I liked. (I'd probably ask for a sip of the Speedway, though, and who knows... I might regret my decision, but that's life.)

The worst thing about beer is that there are so many in existence that even MJ probably won't get to try ALL of them in his lifetime... and that means we're all missing out on some truly remarkable beers.

I could sit here and complain that Odell's 90 -/ not only got canned in the first round, but that it lost to an average beer at best - Moose Drool Brown Ale. Now, Moose Drool is pretty good, but it's just not worth writing home about (IMHO). However, more people have had Moose Drool, and they're just a teensy bit headshy about trying yet ANOTHER lighter ale (the 90 -/ is more of an amber, but that's beside the point). So people know the Drool; they like it; they vote for it. That's just the way it goes. Our presidential primaries work much the same way, don't they? I mean, Kerry is the only Dem. candidate whose face I can see if I close my eyes. I wonder why that is...?

[steveh]

Originally posted by fretlessman71
We all need to remember that although this is a lot of fun, this is simply a POPULARITY CONTEST,

While I completely agree with all you said (except maybe the part about MD being average - but that's another debate), isn't this the sort of ignorance we've been trying to fight around here? If sales and popularity are the benchmarks, it's probably a good thing that Miller Lite and Bud Light aren't in the brackets...

AFA the Grant's Mandarin, I'd never heard of it before the contest, so I don't know how "popular" it really is - and I still contend there's a conspiracy afoot to make it appear more popular than it really is. That said, yes - I know the BoB is all for fun - but you have to wonder how the tag-line on DFH 90 Minute is helping sales.

S.

[steveh]

Originally posted by beer editor
Understanding, of course, that I remain neutral in all matchups ;>)

Isn't there a chance that you could answer this question without having tasted both Grant's Mandarin Hefeweizen and Alaskan Smoked Porter: Which beer would you rather drink?

I mean, you may hate smoked beers. You may hate porters. Or ...

While correct on a high level, I don't know that I can boil it down (no pun) that simply. There are certain styles I like best and seek out whenever I can, but I've found that not all brewers make the style as well as others - and I may not enjoy a certain brand's rendition of the style.

New Glarus' Oktoberfest, for example. While it's a nice, well made beer, I haven't found it on par with the true German style of Oktoberfest that I enjoy. I'll pick a Spaten or Paulaner - even a Sprecher, over the NG.

To that order, I've chosen to vote only on beers I've sampled - but that's just me.

S.

[fretlessman71]

I still belive that it's a popularity contest... the difference being that Bud Light and PBR aren't going to get any votes in a contest propped up by "realbeer.com", just as Big Macs don't get any respect from those in the culinary arts. And it is indeed going to be a measure of people's "ignorance" (maybe that's too strong a word, but your meaning is clear) simply because everyone hasn't tried every beer, and there are undoubtedly going to be those who vote between two beers they've NEVER tried. I know I have! Basically, I vote for what sounds better to me. And cool names have something to do with it - would Arrogant Bastard have nearly the same mystique if it were named something like "Recipe 25"? Just not nearly as cool, let's face it. The name doesn't make the beer TASTE any better... but I submit to you that, on a subconscious level, it makes a difference. It's kinda stoopid, but then again, so are we humans...

[steveh]

Originally posted by fretlessman71
I still belive that it's a popularity contest... the difference being that Bud Light and PBR aren't going to get any votes in a contest propped up by "realbeer.com"

I think we'd be surprised! Just as the Grant's followers have definitely stepped up, I'd bet the BL and PBR promoters might ramp up a campaign.

And it is indeed going to be a measure of people's "ignorance" (maybe that's too strong a word, but your meaning is clear) simply because everyone hasn't tried every beer,

Sorry, I meant that directed only at those who have never enjoyed good brew and think Swillsner is the only thing to drink -

and there are undoubtedly going to be those who vote between two beers they've NEVER tried. I know I have! Basically, I vote for what sounds better to me.

I can fully understand that strategy, but I've decided to take a different direction this year.

And cool names have something to do with it - would Arrogant Bastard have nearly the same mystique if it were named something like "Recipe 25"?

To that thinking, how about the "Batch" beers from Bell's? Batch 4000, et al?

Just not nearly as cool, let's face it. The name doesn't make the beer TASTE any better... but I submit to you that, on a subconscious level, it makes a difference. It's kinda stoopid, but then again, so are we humans...

And it works opposite too - I've tried some pretty mediocre beers that had terrific sounding names - so that brings us back to my stance that I only want to vote for what I've tasted.

S.

[hopjack13]

im a little late here , and i can see it from all sides, but im with steveh on this. if it's just a popularity contest then you mind as well throw bmc in to the mix too. im only voting if i've tried them both, i can there for cast an honest and educated vote. maybe not scientific , and maybe my hypocrisy's are getting the better of me here. if it was say ...an amberbock from michelob (which i have never tried) i would intentionally vote against it!
but good beers deserve a fair shake im(not so)ho.

[newportstorm]

If you remember BoB's of the past, the Big 3 were included in the "competition". They got destroyed! Hence, they aren't included this year. I think the FAQ section covered this.

Anyways, I'm still voting for fun - even if some of my faves got beat out. If a title like "BoB Champion" helps a craft brewery sell more beer, then so be it. Is that a bad thing?

Cheers!

[hopjack13]

no ...it's not a bad thing, im just still pissed at the speedway vs. old ras thing. not that old ras is by any means a bad beer...just speedway is better 10 fold.
oh and newportstorm, be on the look out for the big brown truck soon, i heard he'll be in your area! does the word alpine mean anything to you? i got some pure hoppieness to balance out those malts for ya!;)