Comments on: My Personal Beer Rating System

By: nate

nate — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 18:15:31 +0000

How postmodern of you Bob…your “own” system. haha, just kidding. It actually makes a lot of sense. My system has changed over time, becoming more objective to standards. I look for flaws more, but at the end of the bottle, I just have to yield to some degree of subjectivity.
.-= nate´s last blog ..Guest Review: Don from Beer and Whiskey Bros Reviews Black Cauldron =-.

By: Scott-TheBrewClub

Scott-TheBrewClub — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 18:40:07 +0000

Thanks Nate – For me, Bob was able to put into words what I was thinking when trying to rate beers, and now that he has its actually much easier for me to distinguish. Still, its mostly a personal thing but at least we’re not just winging it!
.-= Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Irish Beer – Past, Present and Future =-.

By: Nate

Nate — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 17:59:33 +0000

Hey guys,
I had never considered how I actually attempted to quantify how I rate beer until I read this. I guess I’ve just gone with the ‘heart’.

But this got me thinking and so I went away and actually generated my own list. Turns out I’m much less scientific about as you Bob, nonetheless it was just good to see where I’m coming from and to share it with others.

It’s really interesting to see how everyone else has defined their categories as well. It is also great to see such variation in the ways we all drink and consider our beers.

By: Scott-TheBrewClub

Scott-TheBrewClub — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 22:24:35 +0000

@Micheal – I think the last line of that post regarding how you rate beers sums it up pretty well – “…they are still somewhat subjective. The only way for you to find out if you like a beer is to try it for yourself. We are only telling you whether or not we would drink the beer again.”

I think that’s it in a nutshell!

@Jim – is there any such thing as an unscary clown? PS – you guys are great – keep doing what you are doing!
.-= Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Beer Tasting Notes =-.

By: Michael Reinhardt

Michael Reinhardt — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 22:14:27 +0000

How fast it gets me drunk. Of course, I’m just kidding. When Nate and I first started the sight, I wrote a whole post about how I rate beers. I’m sure some of it has changed a bit but it seems to work well for me. http://thankheavenforbeer.com/2009/02/25/how-do-we-decide-the-stars-that-we-give-to-a-beer/

I think that I’m a little less uptight about it now.
.-= Michael Reinhardt´s last blog ..Baby Beer Drinkers =-.

By: Jim

Jim — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 18:05:03 +0000

I like your rating system. It’s a good blend of practical considerations (such as does the beer do what it sets out to accomplish?) and emotional factors (would I recommend this beer to others?).

I stopped doing pass/fail ratings (based on if I would I buy that beer again – akin to your three star rating) because I pretty much gave up on reviewing crappy beers. If I have something that stinks, I’ll usually not mention it, unless it’s a beer that’s been hyped or there’s a funny angle for the post (like Don’s review of that awful strawberry beer he did as a guest post on ThankHeavenForBeer. That was hilarious).

Anyway, if it’s not entertaining or a little controversial, then I shy away from spending time writing about bad beer. If it’s a great beer, I have lots of energy to write about it.

But in the end, Don is right – we’re Idiots. But neat ones, like Jesters or unscary clowns.

By: Bob the Brit

Bob the Brit — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 16:53:22 +0000

Yes Don, that was me, at a beach resort enjoying Lion Lager in Sri Lanka…

As you can see from my explanations, I try and keep my ratings pretty relaxed and casual, but at the same time I figure that if you’re taking the trouble to do something – and people take their time to read your stuff – then you owe it to your readers to do the best you can.

And I quite enjoy it when people disagree with my ratings or opinions… that’s all part of enjoying a drink with friends.

By: Don

Don — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 15:29:50 +0000

I heard he was from Switzerland and was riding a St Bernard down a ski hill after a wipeout. I guess I'll just have to rent the movie and watch it to see what really happens. .-= Don´s last blog ..THE BOX! =-.

By: Scott-TheBrewClub

Scott-TheBrewClub — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 15:19:59 +0000

@Don – That is indeed Bob with an official ‘The Brew Club’ t-shirt at some exotic resort. (We send him all over the globe to review beers.) I think that some beer rating systems are way too complicated and involve too much math – I think our system is easier albeit not entirely scientific. For me, the ‘wow’ factor plays a big part in how I rate a beer. Hard to describe, but I know it when I taste it!

Peter used to do a more scientific type of rating if you look @ the older stuff, and I know you guys used to do a pass/fail type of thing when you started up. There’s lots of ways to skin a cat (or so I’ve been told) but so far this has worked for us and I particularly enjoy hearing why people agree or disagree with a rating.

PS – That guy was not from Iceland or Norway, he was from Finland and he was riding on an elk when the button was pushed.
.-= Scott-TheBrewClub´s last blog ..Founders Breakfast Stout =-.

By: Don

Don — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 14:03:19 +0000

I think it is pretty safe to say that Jim and I have no system for ratings. Why would anyone listen to what we say anyway? We’re Idiots, and yes that is with a capital “I”, we take it to that level. Is a matter of fact we have purposefully stayed away from a ranking system. We prefer to let the reader judge based on our words and reactions. We’re similar that way to Peter over at Simply Beer, although he is not an Idiot. Sometimes when I’m in a hurry I find myself just skipping down to the rating and sometimes I’ll come back, and others I don’t . That can be good or bad. But I do like your ratings because they help me find new and interesting beers.

I that a picture of you Bob? Because if it is, I had you pictured all wrong in my head!
.-= Don´s last blog ..THE BOX! =-.