Sounds like a complete crapshoot. All comps are, really. I have no advice except to brew the best beer that you know how to brew, the one that tasted the best to you and all your friends and hopefully that you’ve been able to duplicate more than once. And that is all. Commercial appeal is a crapshoot, luck of the draw.
+1
well of course it is. still fun to speculate though.
Okay. I’ll tell you what I would make then. An American honey rye, or wheat, your pick. This is without a doubt the most popular beer I’ve ever made, well except maybe for the jalapeno porter. Also great if you change the wheat for chocolate wheat or chocolate rye.
http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=77133&p=722621&hilit=honey+wheat#p722621
looks yummy.
I say CAP for similar reasons. When I first tasted Jeff Renner’s at a club meeting years ago, I was transported back to when I would sneak sips of Dad or Grandpa’s beer, some of that was the Cluster hops.
Number 2 would be the Oktoberfest/Maerzen. Like those, and they are crowd pleasers.
Nope. I hate BA.
I do too, Keith. I’ve read a few of their reviews on occasion in the past, to try to get a feel for the people reviewing all these ‘99’ and ‘100’ point beers in the liquor stores. All in all, not good to say the least.
Too many beer snobs hung up on high gravity stouts and judging every other beer in the world against those beers. There are 5% ABV beers that are every bit as good (or better than) 10+% beers.
Agreed but they got Founders Porter right…
The other thig that really gets on my f’ing nerves is untapped. So, I go out to have a beer with a friend and he has to check in every beer he drinks on his phone. Sorry guys, that’s f’ing stupid. Stop doing it.
When I go to places with 20+ beers on tap, I admit to looking them up - this only after getting a wit that was described by the server as a German style lager…but I know what you mean, Major. (She claimed to be a certified Cicerone, but when pressed she admitted that the staff all took the test together with an experienced bar tender “helping out”).
Haha! I’m starting to sound like a grumpy old man. 
And managed to hijack Jonathon’s thread.
sorry man.
What about Dortmunder Gold? That’s a style I rarely see on these interweb forum discussions.
Agreed as to Doetmunder - the malt of a Helles and the hop of a Northern German Pilsner. That is a fine beer not seen often in Homebrewer sites. Great Lakes makes a fine one. I am inspired for the weekend now!
That’s how I feel. No way the top 50 beers in the country are almost all RIS and IIPA.
+1 for sure not where i live.
All you need to do is read some of the reviews to know the majority of the people writing them have no business describing beers. The more obscure the style the more ridiculous the reviews. My favorite are probably biere de garde reviews that complain the beers are too malty without enough hop flavor. It reminds me of a podcast out of Austin I made the mistake of listening to exactly once. They were tasting some beers and one host said every beer was grassy and another said every beer was like juicy fruit. And this is a podcast fairly well regarded among Austin beer geeks. Yikes…
I think pre-pro CAP is a good style that people may not be intimately familiar with but at least have some idea of what a pilsner should taste like to be able to judge and appreciate it.
Yeah, beer style attributes aren’t a real strong suit for some of the reviewers. I’ve seen APAs reviewed negatively, with comments like " Doesn’t have the level of hop flavor and aroma common to better examples like Yukon Jack and ". Probably shouldn’t either, with Yukon Jack being an IPA and all.
My favorite beers are. And most people are like me. I have great taste.