Comments on: Monday musing: Nothing like tasting it yourself http://appellationbeer.com/blog/monday-musing-nothing-like-tasting-it-yourself/ Sat, 11 Feb 2012 03:38:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Stan Hieronymus http://appellationbeer.com/blog/monday-musing-nothing-like-tasting-it-yourself/comment-page-1/#comment-108593 Stan Hieronymus Tue, 18 Mar 2008 15:46:07 +0000 http://appellationbeer.com/blog/monday-musing-nothing-like-tasting-it-yourself/#comment-108593 Not that I ever have much of an idea, but no way I would have predicted the comments here. I've been thinking about something a friend brought up over the weekend. He was at Cost Plus, eavesdropping on a woman "tasting" customers (don't you love that term; sounds as if they are being licked) and she was talking about a wine from old vines. "Do I really want wine from old vines?" he asked me. Not unless you can taste the difference (and you like it). Brewpubs have given literally millions of drinkers a chance to get at least a general idea of what porters, German hefeweizens, hoppy and hoppier beers taste like. Not that I ever have much of an idea, but no way I would have predicted the comments here.

I’ve been thinking about something a friend brought up over the weekend. He was at Cost Plus, eavesdropping on a woman “tasting” customers (don’t you love that term; sounds as if they are being licked) and she was talking about a wine from old vines.

“Do I really want wine from old vines?” he asked me.

Not unless you can taste the difference (and you like it). Brewpubs have given literally millions of drinkers a chance to get at least a general idea of what porters, German hefeweizens, hoppy and hoppier beers taste like.

]]> By: Alan http://appellationbeer.com/blog/monday-musing-nothing-like-tasting-it-yourself/comment-page-1/#comment-108458 Alan Mon, 17 Mar 2008 20:54:04 +0000 http://appellationbeer.com/blog/monday-musing-nothing-like-tasting-it-yourself/#comment-108458 How the heck else do I have an inkling of the value of something I have yet to try? How the heck else do I have an inkling of the value of something I have yet to try?

]]> By: Swordboarder http://appellationbeer.com/blog/monday-musing-nothing-like-tasting-it-yourself/comment-page-1/#comment-108447 Swordboarder Mon, 17 Mar 2008 18:54:07 +0000 http://appellationbeer.com/blog/monday-musing-nothing-like-tasting-it-yourself/#comment-108447 I never said it was a bad thing, I was just amused that you required it. I never said it was a bad thing, I was just amused that you required it.

]]> By: Alan http://appellationbeer.com/blog/monday-musing-nothing-like-tasting-it-yourself/comment-page-1/#comment-108444 Alan Mon, 17 Mar 2008 18:21:28 +0000 http://appellationbeer.com/blog/monday-musing-nothing-like-tasting-it-yourself/#comment-108444 SB: I think the chances that you are female just went from 50/50 to 0.0001%. But, to continue the analogy, what makes someone stand out? There used to be an adage that the most attractive girl/guy at a party was the one from another country...ok, one beginning with "S" maybe. But what makes anyone attractive: an honest and interesting story with a bit of humour and decent body. Beer is no different. SB: I think the chances that you are female just went from 50/50 to 0.0001%.

But, to continue the analogy, what makes someone stand out? There used to be an adage that the most attractive girl/guy at a party was the one from another country…ok, one beginning with “S” maybe. But what makes anyone attractive: an honest and interesting story with a bit of humour and decent body. Beer is no different.

]]> By: SteveH http://appellationbeer.com/blog/monday-musing-nothing-like-tasting-it-yourself/comment-page-1/#comment-108432 SteveH Mon, 17 Mar 2008 17:02:47 +0000 http://appellationbeer.com/blog/monday-musing-nothing-like-tasting-it-yourself/#comment-108432 <i>"...a couple of them admitted that all vodka essentially tastes the same, and that the biggest difference was the back-story and marketing."</i> Yikes! “…a couple of them admitted that all vodka essentially tastes the same, and that the biggest difference was the back-story and marketing.”

Yikes!

]]> By: Swordboarder http://appellationbeer.com/blog/monday-musing-nothing-like-tasting-it-yourself/comment-page-1/#comment-108425 Swordboarder Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:15:54 +0000 http://appellationbeer.com/blog/monday-musing-nothing-like-tasting-it-yourself/#comment-108425 Alan, I believe you're requiring the equivalent of foreplay for mind blowing sex. Alan, I believe you’re requiring the equivalent of foreplay for mind blowing sex.

]]> By: Lew Bryson http://appellationbeer.com/blog/monday-musing-nothing-like-tasting-it-yourself/comment-page-1/#comment-108424 Lew Bryson Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:15:23 +0000 http://appellationbeer.com/blog/monday-musing-nothing-like-tasting-it-yourself/#comment-108424 Just did a vodka story, and one of the questions I asked was why vodka continued to sell so strongly when they're faced with the same brand profusion that craft beers faced in the mid-90s, when everyone talked about how 'brand confusion' was going to overwhelm consumers. The response: new brands continued to break out (Svedka, Russian Standard, Three Olives), and...surprisingly, a couple of them admitted that all vodka essentially tastes the same, and that the biggest difference was the back-story and marketing. Wow. Just did a vodka story, and one of the questions I asked was why vodka continued to sell so strongly when they’re faced with the same brand profusion that craft beers faced in the mid-90s, when everyone talked about how ‘brand confusion’ was going to overwhelm consumers. The response: new brands continued to break out (Svedka, Russian Standard, Three Olives), and…surprisingly, a couple of them admitted that all vodka essentially tastes the same, and that the biggest difference was the back-story and marketing. Wow.

]]> By: Alan http://appellationbeer.com/blog/monday-musing-nothing-like-tasting-it-yourself/comment-page-1/#comment-108422 Alan Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:48:07 +0000 http://appellationbeer.com/blog/monday-musing-nothing-like-tasting-it-yourself/#comment-108422 Not blashphemy so much as short sighted if one's eternal expectations are aimed towards to up more than the down. On the informing, ought that information be available even if it is not always provided? There is an associated thought that what is called information need not be marketing. When I say a beer over a certain price needs some 'splaining, I mean it needs back story. Don't tell me it's off-centered. That is like saying it is "new and improved." But definitely tell me all the date what is on the Rogue and Southern Tier bottles as well as why that is or should be important to me. That backstory ought to be at hand if the beer is worth the price being claimed and I expect it is interesting enough that it makes the price equal the value. Not blashphemy so much as short sighted if one’s eternal expectations are aimed towards to up more than the down.

On the informing, ought that information be available even if it is not always provided? There is an associated thought that what is called information need not be marketing. When I say a beer over a certain price needs some ‘splaining, I mean it needs back story. Don’t tell me it’s off-centered. That is like saying it is “new and improved.” But definitely tell me all the date what is on the Rogue and Southern Tier bottles as well as why that is or should be important to me. That backstory ought to be at hand if the beer is worth the price being claimed and I expect it is interesting enough that it makes the price equal the value.

]]> By: SteveH http://appellationbeer.com/blog/monday-musing-nothing-like-tasting-it-yourself/comment-page-1/#comment-108413 SteveH Mon, 17 Mar 2008 14:16:56 +0000 http://appellationbeer.com/blog/monday-musing-nothing-like-tasting-it-yourself/#comment-108413 Isn't it blasphemy to be drinkin' the angel's share? Isn’t it blasphemy to be drinkin’ the angel’s share?

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