Ortega on Beer: Is It Really Better Because I Can't Get My Hands On It?

I recently got my hands on what many consider the "Holy Grail" of beer,Trappist Westvleteren 12 (don't ask me what I had to do for it). It's the number one beer on planet Earth according to BeerAdvocate.com. It's the heavyweight champion of the beer world. What God him/herself would drink when feeling thirsty. But is it really that much better then more readily available Belgian Quads on the market like St. Bernardus Abt 12 or Rochefort 10 or Chimay Grande Réserve?

This isn't a new phenomenon caused by modern technology. Back in the day (i.e.: ask your parents about it), there was time you couldn't get Coors east of the Mississippi which gave it a buzz. Hell, they even made a movie about getting some back in the 70's; a comedy classic by the way. Today there is still buzz/demand going on in the craft world for whatever beers that can't be had whenever the public wants it, seemingly making said beer better because of it. But I'm willing to bet that your local watering hole has something similar & probably better then beer X from brewery Y in location Z. However, due to the increase and ease of access to beer-related information that the web has brought into our lives (like this site & blog which I'm glad you found and thank you for reading); enjoying a good beer has sometimes become a more obsessive activity.

Is there ever going to be a time when I can go to my favorite local watering hole and get whatever "trendy" beer I want? The answer to that is no. There's always going to be a Westvleteren 12 or Fat Tire out there, just out of our reach for whatever reason. The main reason for this is because there's going to be new brewers making exciting new beers every day. We just don't know who & what they are yet. But when we do find them, I guarantee someone will ask if I can get some for them. And no you can't have any of my Westy.