This is spot on because the Heady Topper point completely backs it up. There's NO WAY as many of us have tried Heady Topper as Bud Light ... hell, I hadn't *heard* of Heady Topper much less seen or tried it until I found this website. But I'm going to rate every beer I try, like it or no. I might be in the minority, but at some point, I'm going to buy a 32 oz. can of Miller Lite, pour it into a pilsener and rate it. And I'm sure it's going to suck, but I don't want to review just the beers I like -- if for no other reason than comparison's sake. It's a great point, though. How many reviewers only review beers they like? I bet it's well over 50%.
The only issue I find with beer ratings is that people think a "good" rated beer should taste awful, or "not good" for some reason.
Local breweries do from me ... I freely admit it. Or let me say this: A beer brewed locally is going to win any 50/50 balls with me and always get the benefit of the doubt. But I won't overrate Karbach's Weisse Versa because I didn't love it despite the fact that I'm Texan, love Texas, live about 90 miles from the brewery and want all of Houston's breweries to succeed. However, I overrated Karbach's Sympathy for the Lager -- let's not say overrate, but I gave it a great rating on only one try, whereas most beers I'm trying not to review until at least a second or third try. Anyway, I fully expect local/craft beers to get a bit of a ratings boost. Prejudice will always factor into ratings like these. I still love the reviews/ratings here on BA because my system of going through them and looking for solid averages had led me right so far.
Can a beer really be overrated? Each persons personal tastes are different, therefore, however high or low they choose to rate a beer is a personal opinion more or less. Any type of rating system stems from an individuals, or group of individuals opinion. So in short, what some might consider to be an exceptional or "world-class" brew, should never be looked at as a rating that is going to be agreed upon across the board.
I've said it before and I'll say it again simply because its relevant to this discussion. But calling a beer "overrated" isn't the same as calling it bad, poorly made, or anything else negative. It simply means it doesn't live up to what someone may have expected based on the rating or opinions they've heard about said beer. When I call a beer overrated, I am not attempting to bash it, at least in most cases.
Makes me think of Chimay Blue ... good beer that in no way is worth the price (for me). But it's still good beer.
I mainly use this site to record the beers that I've tried for my own records. I tend to drink a lot of really good beer, and thus my ratings tend to be high. If I ever try a really bad beer, my reaction is generally to try and forget the experience as quickly as possible, thus, those beers don't end up on this site.
everything is overrated how many guys only date 8's and above when in actuallity they're really dating 6's.same with beer an average beer is a 3 but everyone wants to only be seen drinking 4's and above. nobody wants to be seen with no standards. they certainly don't want to not like a beer everybody raves about.
Well you could also make an argument that the more popular styles are more popular for a reason. I know you are suppose to rate to sytle, and for the most part I try to do that, but only to a certain degree. The best, say, Vienna Lager in the world probably wouldnt even stack up to even mediocre barrel aged IS's or english barleywines, and I think ratings reflect that appropriately.
I find myself having a hard time getting beers that I think are just "ok". Really depends on the occasion.
While there is truly amazing craft beer being made, and some are absolutely delicious I say yes,the hype is always greater than the sum of it's parts. It's the same in the wine world as well. Cheers.....
That's one of the many reasons a beer can be overrated...price. Under that same example, a beer I absolutely love but rarely ever buy is Lost Abbey Angel's Share (Bourbon). That beer rating-wise, is a little underrated to me at a 94. But $17 for a 375 mL bottle, it has priced itself out of my fridge in most cases.
