Monday Rant: Untappd Profile Favorites

Behold.

I've noticed that when I venture over to my Untappd profile on the web version, that I pay particular attention to the "Your Favorites" section of my profile. I've also cruised through the profiles of other Untappd users and paid good attention to the very same section as I do on mine. I've taken into account those five beers that are shown and deducted somewhat of a sense of the beer tastes of said users.

Now, there's a few distinctive questions that I have concerning the top-five beer list on our Untappd profiles. Is it meant to communicate to other users our tastes in beer? If not, are they influenced by whether or not we own a case of a certain beer? Do some Untappd users drink a beer multiple times just to check-in to it and get it on the favorites list?

I've somewhat become compulsive about what beers show on my favorites list. I first became obsessive about it when I finished a case of Sam Adams Octoberfest last fall and slowly started to have more of a hate relationship with Sam Adams brews. Due to the fact that I had a case of it and had checked-in to the beer so many times, Octoberfest was obviously displayed on my favorites list. Thus, I began a mission to rid my Untappd favorites of Sam Adams Octoberfest.


I often wonder if other Untappd users follow a protocol similar to mine when checking-in to other beers. If I have a case of the same beer, There's a good chance that it will end up appearing on this Untappd list. I obviously don't check-in to every beer in a case as I don't want a situation where I end up with 24 check-ins of the same beer and have no way of bumping it from the favorites list. As I write this I'm grinding my teeth in anguish that i have too many check-ins for both Yuengling Traditional Lager and Blue Point Blueberry Ale.


I've been outspoken about Anchor Steam Beer being among the greatest beer in existence, and recently received a case of it as a college graduation present. I will adhere to my normal policy of not checking into all 24 beers, but I most certainly want Anchor Steam Beer appearing on my favorites for others to see. It appears to be a two-way street.

I'm really interested in seeing somewhat of a response on this issue from fellow Untappd users. I think this brings up an intriguing point. It also reminds me of how many MySpace users, back in the day, ranked their top friends on their profiles.

Lost Beers: Fat Head's Autumn Sunset

In the latter parts of 2011, an evening spent on Carson Street introduced me to one of the most intriguing brews I've ever had. It was a glass of amazing liquid that set itself far apart from other beers of its style. It was a hefeweizen, but it was far from a typical edition of the infamous hazy brew.

Autumn Sunset or "Rot Weizen" as it is to referred to at Fat Head's Saloon didn't taste nor look like your regular hefeweizen, but it made me wish every other beer of the style was made in accordance with this one.

Ironically, I'm the last person to check into this beer on Untappd.

I distinctly remember getting my witbier glass full of the lovely concoction and looking at what looked like a glass full of the Monongahela River just a few blocks away, but with some remnants of a reddish glow. The taste was amazing. It featured hints of wheat, banana and bubble gum. It was even a bit peppery on the back of the tongue, which I love in a beer.

From what I can find, this beer was only a limited-time brew. The time I came across it was one of its few times on tap. I can't find any trace of it on the Fat Head's website. It's of my opinion that one of the worst experiences a beer fan can go through is really enjoying a beer and not realize it's a limited-release until you're desperately on a mission to relocate it once more.

If anyone from Fat Head's Pittsburgh sees this, here is my plea to you to brew Autumn Sunset once more. The Lost Beer's series is young and blooming, but this is certainly the first beer that has been realized as a limited-release brew.

Yes, I'm one of only two people to check into "Autumn Sunset" as well as the last on Untappd, but there are approximately three or four different versions of the same beer from Fat Heads to select from on the app. Still figured it was comical.

New Social Drinking App Unveiled on Smart Phones

Fellow beer snobs, how many times haver you been around the friend that has a smart phone and always brags about how he's the mayor of this place and he has to check-in when you get to each pub?

I've been there too. I'm also a participant in the Foursquare location app on my smart phone and I went through a number of stages of depression when I lost my mayorship at my favorite drinking establishment. For you beer fans out there that don't care much for letting everyone know where your are all of the time, there's a new app that enables you to check into whatever beer you're enjoying.