BrewChief.com : Chief Chat : Best Beer in the World? Says who? : By Chops

Chief Chat » Best Beer in the World? Says who?

Posted by Chops on Thu, June 14, 2012

I came across this news article on the Huffington Post not too long ago. Apparently Beer Advocate has named Russian River Brewing Company's Pliny the Younger as the best beer in the world. World-class yes, but best beer in the world? This article highlights a very big gripe I have with the more snobbish side of better beer.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/17/pliny-the-younger_n_1525647.html

Let me put it like this: I understand why Yo-Yo Ma is the best cellist in the world. He possesses a skill unlike anyone else on the planet. I understand why Lionel Messi is the best footballer in the world. He possesses a skill unlike anyone else on the planet. More to the point, they possess things that are actually measurable.

On the other hand, when you take something as subjective as taste and apply a ranking to it, the term "best" loses its meaning. Sure, Pliny the Younger is a world-class beer and it deserves to be recognized. But, once you reach that world-class ranking, the playing field has been leveled. Why would a world-class IPA trump a world-class Belgian, a world-class Doppelbock, or even other world-class IPAs? What specifically about this one beer makes it better than all the rest? The answer is, of course, nothing. And even if you factored in aspects like artistry, history or complexity, I seriously doubt that an IPA wouldn't even make the short list.

Before inciting a fierce debate, I should take a moment to clarify the difference between "better" and "best". Beers can certainly be better than others. There is a measurable difference in quality. A poorly made beer is not better than a well made beer. You might prefer the taste of one over the other, but the quality discrepancy does not change. To say a poor quality beer is the best in the world is a factually incorrect statement. But to say any given world-class beer is the best in the world doesn't really mean anything.

I think when all is said and done, this is just a matter of improper language. I wouldn't have even batted an eye if the title had read something like "Beer Advocate's Favorite Beer in the World" or "One of the Best Beers in the World". But I digress.

Member Comments (4)

	Posted on 6/20/2012 at 10:42 PM EST by Brew's Your Daddy (loved) This is one of those cases where I want to yell very loudly at the Huffington Post. I did some digging on Beer Advocate, and I never could find an article that stated Pliny the Younger was the best beer in the world. According to the reader submitted reviews, which look to be around 724 reviews at the time of this post, it seems to garner a 100 rating. But with a little more reading, the Founders KBS also seems to clock in with a 100 rating, and it has almost three times as many ratings with 2,073. It seems that the Huffington Post just pulled up the website, went to top beers, and took some extreme liberties in their story. In any event, it is some very irresponsible journalism at the least. Now if there is an actual proclamation by Beer Advocate on the website where they designate Pliny the Younger as the best beer in the world, then shame on them as well. There is no way to actually compare all beers to an ultimate end in a fair manner. That's the same as saying the Lamborghini Gallardo is the best vehicle in the world. Is it an amazing vehicle? Absolutely. Is it the best in the world? Well, based on what? Speed? Possibly. Practicality? Not even close. Towing power? No again. You see how this could go on, and on, and...on. The simple fact is that there are too many variables involved in such a broad category such as "vehicles", just as there are in beers. Just think if someone who didn't have a lot of experience with the craft beer movement saw this article and then happened to be lucky enough to get their hands on some Pliny the Younger, and it turned out to not be the best beer they have ever had. That could really push them away from craft beer simply due to them not agreeing with what a "reputable" source proclaimed the best in the world. Again, it all comes back to subjectivity. When taking all aspects of of all beers into account, there really is no way to narrow it down to one singular "best".
	Posted on 6/21/2012 at 9:57 AM EST by Chops (loved) That's a very astute observation, nice digging sir. Shame on Huff Post for taking such an irresponsible liberty in their reporting. Course, this isn't exactly surprising coming from American media outlets (which is why I typically get my news from the BBC). It would be one thing if Beer Advocate had actually posted an article declaring the best beer in the world. But for Huff Post to basically allude to that with no link and then tack on a slideshow of the "Best Bay Area Brewed Beers", well thy ruse is discovered. You also bring up a very, very good point. Making "best" declarations with no discernible factors is actually detrimental to consumers. There are many seasoned craft brew enthusiasts who wouldn't enjoy Pliny the Younger simply because they don't like the style. They understand the difference and that "best" doesn't bring anything to the table. But if this declaration suckers brew novices into trying a Triple IPA, then it's going to do more harm than good. They are just going to think that quality beer is way too hoppy and in turn stick with their trash beer. Sigh.
	Posted on 6/23/2012 at 12:00 PM EST by Brew's Your Daddy (loved) And like I said, if there is an article on Beer Advocate proclaiming this, I will gladly retract my statement about the Huffington Post and their sloppy tactics, and in turn target all my disdain towards Beer Advocate directly. In either case, while I am glad that debates such as "Best Beer in the World" can exist in our community(and be somewhat entertaining), actually writing an article proclaiming an absolute winner based on no concrete guidelines is amateur at best.
	Posted on 6/24/2012 at 6:16 PM EST by Chops (loved) Since this conversation began, I scoured Beer Advocate for any sort of proclamation. Nothing, nada, zippo. Looks like all blame lies solely on the Huffington Post's sloppy reporting. Sigh.