Bradford on Beer
Why so much silence?
Posted May 5, 2009 3 Comments | Post a Comment
I am simply not making the mental and behaviorial transition from publishing a magazine to blogging. People keep telling me that it’s about frequency not depth, conversations and not exegesis. I guess I’m simply not that quick or spontaneous. My daughter likes to remind me that I’m not a chatter. Furthermore, the past three weeks have been a blur of travel and events — Siebel, Legislative Conference, Craftbrewers Conference, World Beer Festival, a new All About Beer Magazine issue to press to name a few.
What I’m working on right now is a piece on the Craftbrewers Conference which could go up today. I’ve also got three pieces on the Siebel class which will be done this week. Finally, the latest World Beer Festival was somewhat special.
Most of these will have to do with learning how to taste beer. However, I will confess to a loss of gumption with that project. I’m pretty frustrated at the extent to which I can distinguish and identify aromas and flavors. I hope it’s because I am too fussy and not either sensory dull or mentally lazy; or worse yet just old. Did I mention I also celebrated a 59th birthday amidst all that travel? Yech.
No frustration needed.
True there are supertasters and those who have diminished sense of taste. But for most of us, it’s not the inability to discern a flavor or aroma but the lack of the vocabulary to describe that sensation. For me, for example, it takes a lot of diacetyl to discern ‘buttery’, but well before that I can sense a different sort of maltiness. A superior palate is developed not born with.
I don’t know who’s telling you it’s about frequency and not depth and conversation. I would totally disagree. Regular, quality content, even if it is infrequent, is better than frequent drivel that no one cares to read.
The first goal is to create quality content, then do it as often as you can. If that’s only once every two weeks, that’s ok. It may take longer to build an audience that way, but your readers will be more loyal and will advocate for you through links and referrals in their own communities.
As for beer tasting, I wouldn’t be too hard on yourself. It does take a long time to be able to pick up on subtleties, and then you need to learn how to articulate what you’re sensing. It can be overwhelming.
One other thing to keep in mind is that each person’s palate is different. Some people are more sensitive to bitter, some to sweet, etc. So what one person can detect, it’s possible the next person may not physically detect it.
I often struggle with the urge to “impress” my readers with my beer reviewing skills. However, that adds pressure to what I’m writing, and that’s not why I started writing. I do this to have fun and share knowledge. To me, if you just keep it real, people will respond to that, moreso than a writer throwing around a bunch of fancy descriptions that few others can pick up anyway.
Sounds like you have some exciting projects. I look forward to reading them!
Great comment, and thanks, Brian. I keep getting sidelined by running the business, too. I spent this morning, before work, going over the chapter in Randy’s book on senses. Quite a great read.