The Session No. 83: Against the Grain

The Session, a.k.a. Beer Blogging Friday, is an opportunity once a month for beer bloggers from around the world to get together and write from their own unique perspective on a single topic. Each month, a different beer blogger hosts the Session, chooses a topic and creates a round-up listing all of the participants, along with a short pithy critique of each entry

For the first round of Session posts in the newly-christened 2014 Rebecca from The Bake and Brew has chosen a topic curiously entitled "Against the Grain." The question she poses is as follows:

How much is our taste or opinion of a craft beer affected by what friends and the craft beer community at large thinks? What beer do you love that no one else seems to get? Or what beer do you say “no thanks” to that everyone can’t get enough of?

The phrase "against the grain" has always been an important term for me as it should be for just about any male out there. We first hear that phrase upon being taught to shave once we reach the proper age, or whenever it is that the stuff begins to sprout from our faces.

That group of words resonates with me especially because I've gotten quite serious about shaving over the years. I'm very adamant about wet shaving. Water, cream and a razor are all it takes. I hate the scratchiness and tugging of electric razors. Thus, I have my blades and cream that has some sort of peppermint essence delivered to my doorstep every month via Harry's Razor Company. The phrase "against the grain" comes into play on the second razor stroke on an area of the face. At least I was always taught to shave downward with the grain first, then bring the blade back upwards against the grain to smooth everything out. As someone with a beard that feels like copper wire when it grows back, that sound and smooth feel that follows is the tops. The euphoria lasts only for matter of hours before that tingling sensation of regrowth comes back.

Now, how do we apply this when it comes to tasting, trying and enjoying beer? I've been known as one of the few beer bloggers that goes against the grain when it comes to hops and IPA's. This is no secret. I'm a strong proponent that hops should only act as a compliment to the rest of the beer. My favorite IPA's have a decent hop bitterness, but with a strong bready backbone.

Sometimes I write my thoughts on social media about beers I end up trying. Sometimes I end up in discourse with other Twitter users/readers on thoughts about a certain beer. This has even happened on Untappd at times. From my recollection only one beer style has drawn sharper responses from readers/tweeters when I've expressed my thoughts - IPA's.

I've seen alarmed responses upon seeing that I might not have liked an IPA or Double IPA. I've mentioned numerous times on this blog and on my Twitter feed about how I sometimes feel pressured to say good things about beers I might not like because of the fact they are popular within the confines of the beer community. I guess you could say that it kind of works like peer pressure. If I don't like it, I'm probably not going to like it again. There have been a few exceptions.

Indeed, I have gone against the grain when it comes to sharing my thoughts on beers. Still, I've always made it clear that taste and preferences are strictly subjective. Everyone likes what they like. That's why I have some distorted view that tastes aren't uniform throughout society. Extremely hoppy beers to me are just hops and nothing else in most cases. For some of you, it might be nectar from the gods. Here's the thing - it's entirely possible for many to like the taste of something and others to not enjoy it as much. Quite a concept!