Entry 121: Still Pouring Truth: A Reflection on Beer Reviews from Craft Beer Bucket List

 

Although we’re no longer actively recording new episodes of the Craft Beer Bucket List podcast, our library of episodes is still available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and most major streaming platforms. And while the mic is off for now, the conversations—and the beer—are still worth revisiting.

As part of our show, I made it a point to diversify my beer experiences. I avoided beers that consistently got terrible reviews, but I welcomed those with mixed opinions. Often, those “meh” reviews were justified—some beers are just average. But every now and then, I found a hidden gem that was unfairly panned… or the opposite: a hyped-up beer that didn’t live up to its fanfare.

I often compare beer reviews to restaurant ratings on Yelp or Google. They can be helpful, sure—but context matters. One person’s five-star burger at McDonald’s might be another person’s biggest food regret. The same is true in the world of beer (and movies, too). Personally, I enjoyed Solo: A Star Wars Story—but man, did the critics roast it. Was it the best movie ever? No. Did I have fun watching it? Absolutely.

That’s the point: truth in beer reviews often floats somewhere in the hazy middle ground. So take the reviews with a grain of salt—your experience may vary.

When people ask me what beers they should try, I usually respond with a couple of quick questions:

• What types of beers or drinks do you already enjoy?
• How adventurous are you?

From there, I can usually make a decent recommendation. For folks who are a bit more tech-savvy, I often suggest finding a beer reviewer whose taste aligns with theirs. It takes a little digging, but it can really level up your beer exploration. As for me? I try to be honest—if you want a sour beer suggestion, I’ll probably steer you toward someone else. Hazy IPA? I’ll connect you with the right beer nerd. It’s not that my opinion doesn’t matter (I happen to like it a lot!), but I know there are others out there who live and breathe specific styles more than I do.

If you’re feeling adventurous, I always say: try something within the same style range. Already a fan of IPAs? Branch out into hazy or black IPAs. Think you don’t like stouts? Maybe a milk stout or oatmeal stout will surprise you. And who knows—you might confirm what others have said… or proudly disagree.

So even if the podcast isn’t recording new episodes, the spirit of exploration continues. Cheers to trying something new, questioning the hype, and always supporting local breweries.