Ratings

Somebody asked me why I don't have a rating system. It never occurred to me that I should implement one so I thought about it and decided it wasn't for me. I don't want somebody to feel that one beer is better than another just because I said so. I love beer and I want to share that love.

A lot of publications and websites like to give beers ratings. I don't like it. People who know me will tell you that it's because I'm lazy and not very good at math. That's partly true but the real reason is because my enjoyment of a particular beer is going to be influenced by a number of factors. I do read the reviews but I put very little stock in the score or grade applied.

Asking me to pick my favorite beer is like asking me to pick my favorite band or my favorite movie. If I can manage to nail down a top five in either category you can bet that list will change 20 minutes later. I say top five because I have never been able to narrow it down further and my list is going to be influenced by my mood at the time. I know that Coldplay won't ever make my top five bands but outside of that it's a crap shoot.

So if I did score beer on a 100 point scale it stands to reason that the same beer could receive different scores on different occasions. On as hot day I'm not going to be as enthusiastic about an Imperial Stout I would have run naked through a blizzard for in January. So if I happen to sample a beer that I simply wasn't in the mood for at the time is it fair to stick a number on it?

The other problem with rating beer is that everybody likes something different. Arrogant Bastard Ale is a beer I find myself consistently happy with but a friend of mine thought it tasted like Drano. Granted, that friend is more of a "lite" kind of guy and I'm using the term friend loosely. More loosely after his reaction to the Bastard.

Some people like hops, others prefer malty beers. My brother-in-law is a Pilsner guy who struggles with the bigger beers I enjoy. He likes a good pale ale but double IPAs are too much beer for him. I prefer a crisp finish and I'm a big fan of dry hopping but I still enjoy beers that aren't as aggressively hopped. Is it fair for me to allow that bias to influence the grade I would give a beer?

So I don't quantify things. I talk about the beer and focus on the impressions I have when I'm drinking it. I don't chug beers but I'm not going to fawn over a 2 ounce pour for 20 minutes so I can talk about mouth feel and chewiness. I hope I never describe a beer as chewy. I like to enjoy the aroma of a good beer, I take note of the color and clarity (clear isn't always better), but what really matters is how it tastes. Ultimately we are putting the beer in our mouths so I tend to address that.