Beer Rating/Scoring

Well, after about 3.5 months of making beer posts, I'm happy to say that it's still a lot of fun for me. And in the process, I've done 17 beer sessions so far. Today, I wanted to talk about why I call them beer sessions, not beer reviews.

If you look back at my first 2 tasting posts for Samuel Smith's Taddy Porter and Summit ESB, you'll notice that I did actually call them reviews. However, every tasting post after that I called a beer session. Why did I decide to change this one word? It's simple, really. I don't believe my sole opinion should decide whether or not a beer is "good" or "bad."

From the start I knew that I didn't want to "review" beers, but that was the first word that came to mind for my early posts. You can find internet and print sources everywhere that are willing to judge, rate, and/or score beers. Some of these sources are very professional and some of them are obviously amateurish, but they often have something in common: a rating or scoring system. Some use a scale from 1 - 100, some use grades A - F, and some even use a star system similar to those used by movie critics. I choose to stay away from those methods.

To me, beer tasting is a very subjective thing. Each person's perception of taste and smell can be quite different. People also have certain personal likes and dislikes that will affect their opinion of each beer. This can make it hard for you, the reader, to understand whether or not you will like a specific beer, because you usually don't know the reviewer's taste preferences.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not against rating systems. If you can find a few reviews of the same beer, they can help you find out if the majority enjoys it. That could mean there is a good chance it is a quality brew. Rating and scoring is also useful for trying to judge whether a beer fits specific style guidelines, like the BJCP program. I just feel that my own beer sessions should convey what each beer is about and let you decide if it sounds good.

I enjoy writing a little about the style or the brewery and then giving you my observations about each beer. I definitely like some more than others, but that's because of my own taste preferences. However, I want you to be the one who decides whether you like a beer. I might love a beer that you hate, or vice versa. That is why I always encourage you to try the beer at the end of each session. You're the only one who can decide.

My passion is to educate and help people open their minds to craft beer. That's why I love doing this. And that's why you won't find a beer rating system on this blog.