浩瀚啤海中，如何找出佳酿，尽量减低碰上难喝啤酒几率可算一门功课，过程中，大家各有方式，各有看法，不一而足。
In the world of craft beer---with so many choices of different beer styles/different brew from thousands of breweries--- One question some newbie always have is--how to decide on a particular beer over the others?
To arrive on that choice---different people have different ideas--but who has got the final say on which beer to drink?
WWW SAY
The World Wide Web has got all sorts of info--obviously there's many many beer related web/blog/apps...
There's the PRO level website such as Brewers Association, or say BJCP(Beer Judge Certification Program) among others...
And of course there's many other PRO-Amateur sites/blog/apps promoting craft beer---of all these, probably Ratebeer, Beer Advocate & Untappd are the most commonly used.
网上说了算？
网络世界有很多Craft Beer相关质料可供参考，包括像是BJCP（啤酒专业评级课程）或BREWERS ASSOCIATION（美国酿酒师协会）倡导啤酒专业级别资讯网站，又或是集合专业和业余爱好者的各类啤酒网站/部落客/手机应用程式等。
这当中较多啤迷接受使用的就有Ratebeer, Beer Advocate 和 Untappd 等三个评酒相关媒介，都有为不同类别啤酒列出基本资讯，也为不同啤酒打分，甚至衍生出类似排行榜东西，比如Ratebeer 就有年度100大，不同啤酒类别最佳50大，最佳酿坊等各类评级。
作为参考，这些啤酒评价可让饮客了解一款啤酒基本风味，由来自世界各地不同饮客，大家口味不同观点不一情况下，综合评分得来。至于是不是一定管用，是不是一定很准确，或许可以这样比喻，单靠啤酒评级做决定就像看别人写的影评决定进不进电影院，虽说心里没底情况下可能有帮助，却也可能因此错过一部会喜欢的电影。
All 3 mentioned above do list out basic info of a beer such as beer style/brewer's note and so on--but most users would inevitably check on RATING of a particular beer--in another words--check on others opinion--either as reference or simply as deciding factor.
While the info listed on all 3 mentioned above does in some way help newbie/not so new drinkers understand the basic style/taste of a particular beer (they yet to taste)---the Rating part is very much debatable since it's combination of various drinkers opinion--i mean--no matter how detail the tasting note might be--or how PRO the rating was given--one still need to drink a beer personally to understand a beer--no rating/words/descriptions can replace the real taste of beer in mouth.
喝啤酒前参考网上评分/评语这件事，虽然有人觉得那样会比较大程度上减低买到难喝啤酒几率，不过，啤酒讲究尝味，再怎么看详细形容都比不上自己喝上几口来的真实，自己没喝过，怎能知道高低？
类似Ratebeer个别啤酒类别风格全球50大概念来说，能在几百几千或上万支同类型啤酒中被评选为最佳50并不容易，说会好喝，理论上没错，只是，这些都只是供参考，都是大多数别人意见，高评分不代表一定好喝或适合自己口味，太过盲目相信评分/排行榜可能意味着倾向“不高分不喝”，会因为那样错过一些评分低但好喝的优质啤酒。
至于因为太过相信排行榜或名牌效应而愿意付出很多钱在二手市场/黑市盲目追求大酒的话，那要醒醒了，啤酒不适合那样玩法。
Hence the question of basing a decision purely or largely on Rating--for examples--Ratebeer TOP 50--a beer is listed as one of the best 50 in the world--so naturally it must be damn good--but the problem is--everyone react to taste profile differently--a TOP 50 beer is NO GUARANTEE to your palate enjoyment--good it might be--you might not like how the beer taste.
The perils of believing too much in Rating/Hype of a certain beer on social media is that one might fall into the " I ONLY DRINK HIGHLY RATED BEER" trap--while missing out on lesser known/not highly rated(yet) good beers.
AS for people who are into "blindly chasing big/hyped beer"at whatever asking prices--it's time to wake up--craft beer should never go down the whisky/wine sky high reselling/profiteering path.
THEY SAY
Most newbie would have been either advised by a craft beer bar/bottle shop owner/beer server or a more "senior" drinker during the early stage of trying out craft beer.
It's quite a crucial stage where who you meet--what advise given would affect the perception of newbie about craft beer initially. Some newbie would flourish with the right advise/meeting the right people--while some might just run off having been given the wrong beer/wrong advise.
别人说了算？
新朋友开始接触Craft Beer时，除开少数自己比较用心研究的，一般都依靠店长，店员或较资深饮客推荐，这阶段，视乎遇到什么人介绍什么啤酒，有时新人会受益不浅，也有新人因为初体验感觉不佳，就此对Craft Beer持有成见或敬而远之。
Those who are still very much into MACRO BEER--many people would say it's who you drink with that matters--what's in the glass is Not important--being with friends/ at a happening place would make any beverages taste better.
There's no denying the importance of good company and the right place to drink--but what those 2 factors would just make bad beer slightly more bearable--HOWEVER a bad beer is still a bad beer--it wont suddenly taste fantastic just because you're in good company.
绝大多数只喝大厂啤酒的，一般三五成群出来喝，总有人说，朋友一起，气氛比较重要，喝什么是次要。
跟朋友一起喝什么都变好这件事值得研究，或许，难喝啤酒可能因为朋友一起气氛变得稍微比较可以忍耐，只是，难喝总归难喝，不会因气氛好就变超好喝。
无论是刚开始接触Craft Beer或相信热闹开心就好的朋友们，听别人话喝酒这件事，听之后，还得靠自己消化判断，什么素质啤酒才值得送进自己嘴里。
Next time when you had a bad craft beer recommended by someone--or have to drink crappy MACRO because of friends--it's all good--it would only serve to make you appreciate more when you drink a beer that hits all the right notes with your palate.
"ME" SAY
Beer is a matter of personal taste.
That's quite true and quite often heard.
自己说了算？
喝酒本来就很个人口味事，啤酒需要感觉对味说法没错。
喝Craft Beer其实和吃东西一样，是味蕾美味探寻，如果说食物有慰藉人心作用，酿得好的啤酒也有异曲同工之处。
The thing is --over emphasizing about beer must be suited to own palate can be a hindrance--if one is more serious about exploring varieties of beer styles. It's kinda like "Picky Eating"--preferring to eat only a certain/few types of food--while NOT touching any other types--in craft beer--that could means only drinking 2 or 3 different beer styles even after a few years of discovering craft.
喝啤酒必须对自己口味是个关键词，却也是值得探讨的关键词。
我们都了解“偏食”这个词的意思，有心探索更多不同啤酒类别风格美味的话，就不能过于执着在只偏向某种类别风格啤酒，而不去碰自己觉得味蕾承受不了或享受不了的风格类别，一旦被“啤酒一定要对自己口味”观念牢牢掐住，喝来喝去只是三两个自己舒适范围内啤酒类别的话，肯定会错过很多不同类别风格啤酒的美好。
That's certainly not ideal for palate training--anyone intending on discovering the kaleidoscope of craft world--need to drink out of comfort zone--try something never had before--try something maybe of taste profile which you don't like that much in food form.
在味蕾训练过程中，尝新尝不熟悉类别也是重点，喝一些一开始可能并不是很对自己口味啤酒更是必须的尝试，这是让味蕾和鉴赏力层次提升的不二法门。
下次，坚持啤酒一定要对味的同时，不要忘记，过于坚持只喝对味/熟悉啤酒等同于固步自封，那个对味感觉就像孙悟空头上那玩意儿，而魔咒是你自己给自己唸的。
Next time when you wanted to reject a beer you never had before because it's "NOT my favourite style/taste profile"--think again--that unfamiliarity could just be the few stepping stones you need to get to the next level of palate training.
SO WHO'S GOT THE FINAL SAY?
just like many things in life--be it the WWW--what OTHERS SAY or what "ME" say--there's useful info as well as rubbish all over --you just need to pick the brain/pick out the useful ones from all and decide for yourself.
到底谁说了算？
就像生活那样，无论网上，别人或自己都有值得参考值得学习讯息，就结合一起去蕪存菁使用吧。
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