Does Expensive Beer Taste Better?

[joxaal]

I have one issue with tests like this. My theory is: when people are confronted with such a test of personal judgement, especially on the spot, they would prefer to defer the responsibility of making their own personal judgment, and instead go with whatever initial metric they were given e.g. price. I would try to give the same taste test, but this time tell them nothing about the price of either beer and ask them to choose which is better. Also give the option to say they taste the same.

[ElcrianMusic]

$20 a sixpack? damned, u guys have got a serious problem with your prices down there. in germany ur paying $5 maximum for a sixpack.

nice vid btw. i'm pretty much saying this for years now, but people won't believe me. but as long as i ain't forced to buy other people's beer, i don't give a damn on it. cheap beer is the better beer. \o/

[MsHojat]

@ElcrianMusic 5 euros or 5 USD? whats the price of very expensive beer though too?

Where I am (Canada) the cheapest 6 packs are ~6$ which I think is about the lowest legal price, but most common six packs to which people typically drink are more like 8-12$. In fact I didn't see any beers that came in sixers higher than that — had to buy individually 21$/750ml 4$/330ml

Lastly, bottle/can size may be another factor, since 341 and 355 make for a small difference, but other sizes may also exist.

[chronousnemesis]

If anybody wanna try this experiment, maybe they should leave out the placebo effect. Instead of using same beer, buy 1 cheap beer and another expensive beer but say it to them that they are the same.

[MsHojat]

@chronousnemesis yes, but that alone isn't the best thing, because it's possible that the expensive beer tested could be rated worse than the cheap beer tested due to bad luck of choices

The best test would be to test like 3 beers of X type (IPA, tripel, imperial stout, lager, etc.) which are cheap (at the lowest legal price, or maybe within 20-30% of it), then compare with 3 expensive ones of the same type.

Beer rating websites already do the testing for you as well- just compare local prices

[x3no]

Dude you're awesome!

[01gt46]

they got to drink YOUR beer for FREE, so they really weren't that dumb.

[qttytn]

Use independent groups motherfucker!

[FIGHTTHECABLE]

You can even say there is alcohol in a non alcohol beer and some will get drunk on the beer that has no alcohol in it. WTF?

I'm not kidding, read it or watched it somewhere

[Engineer245]

The answer for me is yes. Bud and Miller etc... has no taste or taste like rockgut so I can not stomach them except in just an attempt to get a buzz going. All of these taste bad unless they are ice cold so they have no taste at all. I can not drink these cheap beers with food. When a beer is good at room temperature now that is a good beer. No idot like this guy can change my taste. Those that love the taste of cheap beers have IQ's of 60 or lower and none of them have IQ's over 80.

[WntrSolstice2012]

$28 for a 6 pack? Who the fuck is gonna pay that?! I know desperate times calls for desperate measures, but come on!! I won't pay more than $20 for a case (in cans).

[Ketobbey]

well done. i belive you rock!

[matttcunt]

You try and fucken tell me that VB tastes the same as corona.

They both taste shit but theyre not the same.

[lukiep8]

Yes people are stupid, which is why flavourless lagers are the biggest sellers in Australia. :)

You should have used Corona, which is generally light affected because of the clear glass, and ridiculously expensive. A great example of peoples stupidity.

[Ripe0503]

전부영어야 'ㅅ'

[subaroo2]

get a bundy in to ya

[ynnebbenny]

This reminds me of the story of the emporers clothing. It took a small boy to not be influenced by external pressures, and say it how it was.

A great experiment, and well presented. 5 stars.

[Crazee108]

what the hell? hahaha good video.

[raygabmiamizzi]

a weird but interesting dude but he did NOT ACTUALLY DO THE TEST. HIS ARGUMENT IS BASED ON EXISTING FACT. WHAT EVIDENCE DOES HE GIVE THAT HE DID THE TEST OTHER THAN RESULTS. ... I like his nutty ways though. :)

[TheProfessorFunk]

As a matter of fact I did. I've got data collection on it and can pretty much name all the participants.

Look at any science paper: what evidence do they give besided the methods and results? The point is that the test should be repeatable and should give the same results.

But thanks for your support otherwise :D

[raygabmiamizzi]

ALL LEGITIMATE TESTING HAS CONTROL. cONTROl IS ANOTHER WORD FOR V A L I D A T I O N otherwise there is NO MERIT. One can (and does) say anything like, my product is the best, or this is the safest baby seat, or that on average I recorded 75% more Fords on the highway than any other car, Or skin cream causes cancer or blue eyed people are racist. A TEST WITHOUT LEGITIMATE CONTROL IS N O T a test.

much dumb love from this conspirator.. looking  left and now looking right. Good work freaky dude.

[LurchibaldBioshock]

and how exactly do you make or get a control beer?

[raygabmiamizzi]

you don't get a control beer you run a control test, that is the science of testing, before you run a test or any merit, develop a meritorious method of testing. PS check out TESLA (1904)

[chfalcao]

Sorry mate, but science paper do have a lot more of evidence than just naming all participants.

A few things such as, was the size & nature of your sample random enough and other qualitative & quantitative measures do make a difference.

On your behalf I truly appreciate the video. To me it reminded I should always live an examined life and so question & investigate blind statements such as "more expensive is better".

That on its own already made my day.

Keep on the good work1

[pookenheim]

@TheProfessorFunk As my old Air Force crew chief used to say, "It all makes your head ache." Manduck Kibble

[overhang88]

Just look at cars, people think new ones are better cus there expensive but really they are unreliable hunks of shit made of plastic and cost cutting

[xSTEVExDB]

"people are dumb" Hmm i and here i was wondering how two different beers had the same lid......1:10

[TheProfessorFunk]

Very observant!

[DJTDT]

Wtf is up with that doll.why the fuck was it like a micro oven

[jambi1983]

great video. very interesting. I'd like it so much better without all the ebonics though. homie, you needs to take a look in da mirror and reelize you isn't black.

am I right people?

[ilYasHD]

thumb up

[slipNslideGoon]

no offense but anybody can talk how they want to talk are u trying to stereotype people and say only black people can say homie and that how black people should talk. Or are u saying black people cant talk in a sophisticated way

[ugrage]

He's doing it as a joke, a common gag to make fun of something that is not cool but people attempt to make it cool is to put on "Ebonics" so to speak, here in Australia.

[raygabmiamizzi]

absolutely wrong or all the black people have to give up making pop music and go back to Africa. For there attachment to is a wonderful evolution of the marriage of west and eat..hmm we are global bro, I kiss black women with the same passion and would marry a yellow one too, f i could just get lucky ducky.

[ynnebbenny]

Translation : Jump back into the box of conformity, as it threatens me because I dont dare to be different myself.

[humananus]

i saw it coming, but i shat my pants anyway.

[overthemountain67]

funny dude gr8 vid people plz check out

my music vid to my original song over the mountain comment and ill return the favour same beer ha ha ha

[StackCityEntOfficial]

cool vid man lol same beer, didnt see that comin haha

[Exestenz]

fuck yeah little creatures.

[kobbsno10]

Good Vid mate, I must keep this in mind next time someone gets me to try something just because it's expensive!

[bensy010]

kinda funny. i like beer too.

[Passwordcracks]

Fuck you man, you obliviously don't have dogs because you fucking said "then feed it to my dogs"It would have fucking been "then fed it to my dogs" Fuck you tosspot.

[macmanue]

Wouldn't that mean he has bad grammar? Or made a typo?

Rather than he doesn't have dogs?

[Passwordcracks]

Look, he's a tosspot with bad grammar. Anyone with bad grammar I reffer as a tosspot.

[macmanue]

What's reffer??

Sorry, I'm getting confused by your poor English skills as well...

[Passwordcracks]

to direct for information or anything required: He referred me to books on astrology.

[macmanue]

-_-

I know what "refer" means.

However, I was asking what "reffer" was....

Let me break it down for you:

M-e w-a-z h-a-v-e-i-n-g a g-o a-t-t y-u-o-r s-p-e-e-l-i-n-g

Also, your grammar isn't the best.

"Anyone with bad grammar I reffer *(TO)* as a tosspot."

Anyway, I'm not going to reply again. I only chipped in at the start because you seemed pretty agro.

[LurchibaldBioshock]

Obliviously? really? or were you going for OBVIOUSLY?

Because i mean, you OBVIOUSLY can not spell, you fucking tosspot

[Imsomassive]

Hey man first time seeing one of your videos. That was sweet. Good humour, effects. Good explanation of everything.

I loved the nut pie graph haha, and the science!!!1

Bravo

[megsmad]

woot!

awesome vid :D

great way to advertise for science week!!

booyeah!

[doasinfinity01]

You should have given them all FOSTERS! lmao!!!! And said it cost a lota dough!

This is one of your epic studies.

[Blackingoutt]

You're Australian that's even more awesome than this kick ass video.

[Linkowl]

You are not Ali G

[OrganicTwiggs]

Seen rivastakeout . com yet?

[CozmoNz]

Same thing happens with Placebos and Drugs... (Prozac is a good example in double blind tests)....

its also misguided trust on their part.... they trust when you tell them that it is expensive and shit... Were as if a bum from the street came along, offered the same thing... (even if its $90 wine..) it would probably still taste (In the subjects opinion) like the bum just pissed in the bottle lol.

Mind you goodluck with that :D.

Nice Experiment though.

[emmelawrence]

Lol... fabulous vid- I guess we are pretty impressionable aren't we?

[SWPryor]

one of the better beer commercials I've seen, nice work little creatures marketing team!

[magicbox667]

haha awesome

[TheBlairSmithProject]

his chair is about to break...

[TheProfessorFunk]

Yeah I dropped the damn thing during filming... Bent the heck out of one of the legs. Damn Ikea quality

[ICKratia]

No u.

[yeahyeah1821]

you remind me of drop dead Fred =)

[TheProfessorFunk]

= Awesome film

[killamatt9822]

Nice video mate :D

[Shadow1986]

Hybrid - Finished symphony... one of my favourite tracks ever.

[TheProfessorFunk]

Got to be one of my favourite bands ever.

[Goodlesmilan]

i love little creatures pale ale

[blad3runn69]

upin ya grill G

meh this is old news

mo' money... heh ;)

[qert079]

whats the diff between cocaine and baking flour?

[k3vin00123]

u look like the clown, with the hair, red cheeks, big jeans and the vest(well i think its a vest) and jacket

[TheProfessorFunk]

Ronald McDonald? Nah, not sure who you mean but I'll take it as a complement!

Cheers

[Ckyranen]

Little creatures brew co is 5 mins from my house ^_^

[TheProfessorFunk]

Dude - Love their pizzas!

[TheMorningCoffee]

lol hollandia is awesome

[electroclick]

you remind me of john safran

[SpinnerKontrol]

OMFG! I was so gonna say: "This is my first view of this chan & it's very John Safranish!" lol already been done tho! meh!

...not a bad little presentation....I just wish I hadn't killed so many brain cells, otherwise I might be able to come up for a scientific rationalisation for my alcoholism.... hrmm... that wasn't your point!? oh well!

[TheProfessorFunk]

Thanks for leaving such awesome comments Spinner!

Is the fact that it's fun scientifically rational enough?

[TheProfessorFunk]

Thanks for the compliment! Love Safran's work but I'll never be as clever as he is.

[XxAdeliOxX]

i cant believe uve done this

btw do this stuff but dnt try be funny by acting gangsta,

its not funny

[DSLDARTH]

You need to comb your hair =D

[lastcontagiousvictim]

You didn't have a control group.

[RizzoTheRat121]

i just surprised that you actually did the t-test

[shtoyshted]

yay! awesome vid!! i think for my friends birthday i should give her a cheep bottle of wine but with an expensive looking lable.

cheers!

[TheProfessorFunk]

Yes make sure you ACCIDENTALLY leave the price tag on it.

Woops!

[SpinnerKontrol]

hahahha (great tip - one I've never used for anything!!! ;-) I swear!)

[zone510]

man r u for real

[eedobee]

Should have gone double blind,

[scjforever]

hhh

[tonylybao]

more some money and show time expensive beer

[songcovers]

man this video was realy cool.. 5 star subscribed...

make sure you subscribe people

[pete519]

$20 fucking dollars for a 6 pack???? GOD DAMN!!

[toadmaster1000]

Statistics expressed with snackfoods. Great. Now I'm hungry.

[L4210]

brilliant prof..

awesome job .

[djdivot]

Mate, you rock! that was so much fun to watch! 

Thank you.

[ujameswq]

Very Clever Professor

[kagebushinuplate]

And subscribed. Great vid

[oscarmk1985]

mm nothing new really...

[37uber]

awesome

[davoh2]

@ 4.57 its say "buy little creatures" i think this guy can't afford corona like the rest of us

[brownbmx91]

woahhh!

hey big spender.....

[TheRedTexta]

either that or he's australian and likes to support local brands and not send his money overseas.

[Martinj16]

i think his friends are just idiots maybe

[696styx]

Corona is fermented skunk pee

[tjv21c]

Quality job.

[buskerbuoy]

Churches came to the proffitable, conclusion about people 2000 years ago

[Lachy101]

mmm very nice stuff! Thank you!

[SANHEDRIN666]

As i mentioned to customers when i was a barman.

America cant make beer but make good whiskey

Australia cant make whiskey but make good beer.

Europe cant make beer or whiskey but make good wine.

Japan cant make anything but Sake

[whitbread0]

What you talking about German beer is the best in the world

[SANHEDRIN666]

Its only opinions. But actually belgium won the last beer competition. That was a while ago.

Which i dont mind stella Artois. Australia came second.

[jesseinmontana]

I don't know what US beers you have tried, but I'm assuming it was the mass produced piss-like swill that Budweiser or Coors tries to pass off as beer. There are actually many excellent brews in the states, with most made by smaller craft breweries.

[SANHEDRIN666]

James Boags draught/premium, Carlton Dry, Hahn extra dry, Carlton draught.

Probably the best beers in Australia.

[SpinnerKontrol]

OH C'MON!!!! you mean you've never been to SA!? Where's Coopers in that list!? hrmm....ok ok, maybe I'm getting a little defensive here so I'll back off, but I luv my palies! :-P

cheers & bottoms up tho no matter what your choice! :-)

[splintercell99]

victoria bitter is good value and taste great in a glass

[marktube10]

that's pretty good!

[Jordan3312]

I'd like to see a test with actual cheap beer versus actual expensive beer instead of the same beer; perhaps the placebo is more noticeable in this test than if somebody could actually taste something different.

[TheProfessorFunk]

Good point. Or I was thinking to test what people rate little creatures when they know what it is. To see what the difference is.

[jesseinmontana]

Also, I question the tasters' knowledge of quality brews. I drink many different beers and could certainly recognize a quality beer, although this is not always indicative of price.

[TheProfessorFunk]

Yeah, that's part of it. I pretty much used friends who are students and don't have a developed taste for beers.

A professional taster could easily taste the same beers but I guess this represents an average drinker.

The benifit is that you'll not easily be fooled by this type of stuff

[jesseinmontana]

Lemons are used by people in the tropics to keep flies away from the bottles. That's why Corona is served with a lemon traditionally.

[netspectre101]

After 3 beers, it doesn't matter...

[SANHEDRIN666]

lol amen to that!

[higgsfield08]

good video

[skotup]

ive also done the lime vs lemon in a corona test. Limes are more expensive per kg. Gave people 2 corona bottles, one with a lemmon and one with a lime but had covered the top clear part of the bottle. They all picked the lemon as the better tasteing one and declared that it was infact a lime.

[skotup]

something alot of people have known for a verry long time. I buy cheaper beer fairly consistantly, when i find one i dont like, i wont buy it again. Ive found alot of the expensive beers i dont like.

[TheProfessorFunk]

Haha some of us aren't as blessed as you BD. Plus German's serve their beers in epic glasses. And interesting point about glasses v. PET - it's like whether a wine tastes better in a plastic cup or a proper glass.

[BattlefieldDoktor]

When I see the price of the cheap sixpack of AUD 12 then I must say that this beer is also expensive ;o)

Here in Germany you pay around 3-6 Euro per sixpack, that's around 5-10 AUD ;o) And I also got some cheap great beers here ... but some cheap breweries sell their beer in PET bottles and this just doesn't taste as good as if it is from the bottle (but maybe coz I know it is in the PET bottle).

[jared5050]

yeah i know its really stupid.. you can buy a carton of 24 stubbies for easly 50 AUD

and a reall cheap cat piss beer for 25

and i have never seen any lower than 20..-

[lordkeeperoftheseal]

This same test was featured in the 1954 play by Agatha Christie, entitled Spider's Web. The opening scene has Hugo and Sir Rowland engaging in a contest devised by Clarissa to test three different types of Port. One is kitchen port, one is a modestly priced bottle, and one is vintage bottle. In an amusing fashion Sir Rowland argues with Hugo over which is which. The episode ends when Clarissa tells them that they are all the same kitchen port. The placebo effect is not new to our knowledge.

[TheProfessorFunk]

Thanks for the info - and great example. No it's certainly not new, but fascinating no matter how many examples you see it in!

[skattersone]

take that you posh bastards the bums with the wine in the paper bags are drinkin the same shit as you are at 1/4 the price...lol...

[Doomedlight]

OKaye, we're dumb :D

[kendo512]

I suppose it could be the price. Or could it be the power of suggestion? You're telling them that they're drinking cheap stuff, so they believe you and agree that it taste bad. I don't know, just a theory.

[TheProfessorFunk]

Yeah that's a factor too. If they think they are tasting two different samples then they'll naturally expect a difference.

When I ran it I tried to be as truthfull as possible with the terminology I used. I never said they were 'different' and said that they were 'advertised as'. It's hard to illiminate that effect, so it really is a mix of both.

[kendo512]

Haha yeah i guess you're right. Regardless, its a good experiment, im sure you had fun. XD

[TheProfessorFunk]

Fair call, but not everyone does a commerce degree at uni so its probably new to those people.

[squishablez]

Woah.. Thats heaps cool!

Nice video

[aranyung]

Pfhyyhtsche thats gotta be the fuckn worst threat spam ive ever heard haha.

But nice video, liked the twist in the results

[deadeyeDD]

creatures is a good beer

[nakonamy]

this a very interesting experiment Good job

[seamoremonster]

Yeah... Couldn't agree more...but...Little Creatures is a mighty fine beer though!

[TheProfessorFunk]

Oh definitely. I'm luck enough to live in WA near their brewery. They brew a fine beer and cook a mean pizza. Totally big up a little.

[gosfordjohn]

And this is why I've always referred to Crown Lager as Gold Label VB. It's ordinary, yet plenty of friends drink it and swear it's unreal. Idiots lol

[TheProfessorFunk]

Power of marketting really. Stick a new label on something, pitch it to a new crowd and they'll be convinced it's different.

Mt. Franklin v. Pump. Same bottled tap water, different market.

[Dragaron]

Yea, this is all true.. It's all in the mind. It's just not about money, it's all about how people think.

[TheProfessorFunk]

Yep, you've hit it on the head - and it's a fascinating topic.

We like to think we are the masters of all our decisions but we are just so easily influenced. It's a bit frightening really!

[tekkag13]

great stuff mate!!! very clever

[Melo15xSTAT1]

good shit

[chopin65]

Great. But you must be careful. because the idea that all cheap beer tastes the same as expensive beer is not true.

[TheProfessorFunk]

Definitely, and good point.

But the idea isn't that they are essential the same - they aren't - but it's that your brain gets two conflicting messages. The taste, where you brain registers that it's pretty average and the price, where you consciously expect it to be better.

What this shows is that people's expectations influence their rating. But your point stands; a jag will always be a better ride than a matiz because quality shows.

[ramio1983]

I loved this, highly enjoyable dude.

[jardine64]

thats facinating

[Jezzzaa]

you my freind are very clever :)

Love the 2 girls one cup refrence

Jeesus i wondered how many people had seen that

[TheProfessorFunk]

Too Many.

One person seeing it was too many.

Thanks for the comment!

[j0407218]

HAHA. I didnt see that comeing!

[deagsy]

yep ran this experiment/saved money myself. I have long said that some beers taste so similar that the extra dollars are not worth it. Lets put it this way... those jugs of asahi's were not asahi but something that cost me less. My rich mates will never know and refuse to know that much like many things they are just paying for a label.

[TheProfessorFunk]

A trained tongue(& nose) should be able to pickup on almost any difference, but yeah the difference to the average person is easily over looked by what they EXPECT the difference to be.

Remind me never to let you buy me a round ;P

[maxpainfu1]

Haha 2 girls 1 cup reference. - Quality vid!

[SpinnerKontrol]

lol yeah! that made me lol too! I recall there was some TV show on around Oct/Nov '08 (GNW maybe..??) that ALSO made a reference to 2girls1cup - come to think of it, that is Paul McDermot's style hahaha!

cracked me up that it was on free to air TV tho & that only those that wouldn't complain would be the ones that would get the joke lolz

[EvaOnVideo]

Ha ha. Great video. Although, I dont care what anyone says, a Stella Artois tastes better than a VB.

[elliotcocofishing]

even though it says there is only 1 comment, there is actully 4. :O

[WhichDoctor1]

cracking vid. Really fun whilst being good science, not much of that around these days. Keep it up!

[TheProfessorFunk]

Thanks heaps Doc. I'm glad those two words weren't mutally exclusive in you case.

Cheers for the support.

[EC17MEISTER]

Nice work Funk

[samelf]

Thanks Frank...And congratulations on your Feature..

[Patatie01]

GENIUS. Asking the hard questions that no other scientist is game to.