Ratings

Before I launch into my first beer review, I would like to explain how I rate beer. I have a simple rating system with two components: Rating, Score

1) Rating – I rate all my beers using 5 categories. I rate all my beers according to their style. That means that all IPAs get compared to other IPAs. Brown Ales will get stacked up against other Brown Ales. I will NEVER do an apples vs. oranges comparison. Here is my rating scale:

Sewage (WTF did I just drink?) – reserved for legitimate swill like Budweiser Chelada, this category is for beer that is not drinkable. Very few beers should make it into this category, and I would never put a beer into this category that has been exposed to the sun or that has an obvious defect.

Below-Average – crappy beer goes here. Any beer that gets this rating has some obvious style shortcomings, is particularly uneventful, or just misses the mark.

Average – these are beers that are drinkable, follow the guidelines of the style they represent, and don’t have too many shortcomings. The difference between an average beer and an above-average beer is that average beers do not separate themselves from the pack. 

Above-Average – these are beers that not only meet the style guidelines, but go above and beyond to provide a unique drinking experience. 

Divine Brew – reserved for the best of the best, divine beers are going to be at the top of the class. These are really special beers.

2) Score – People like numbers, so within each rating is a percentile. The higher the percentile, the better the beer is within its respected rating category. You can ignore the number score, or you can cling to it and cherish it. Here are the percentiles:

0 - 25% = Sewage

26% - 50% = Below-Average

51% - 75% = Average

76% - 90% = Above-Average

91% - 100% = Divine Brew

For example: if two beers get “Divine Brew“ status, but one is ranked at 93% and the other is ranked at 97%, the 97% beer is the better beer. But isn't it somewhat arbitrary at that point? Oh wait, it isn't. Because math, that's why.

A few final thoughts…

Again, I am not going to compare beers across styles. If you see a Pale Lager with a Divine Brew rating, it is because that is a divine beer for its style. Truthfully, I'm a beer geek, not a snob. I love good beer, but I still enjoy shitty beer given the right situation. Finally, taste is completely subjective and everyone has a different palate. Sometimes I will have conflicting and contrasting opinions. I'm not formally trained in beer tasting, I am not a professional connoisseur, and my only goal is to have some fun while drinking beer and learning about beer in the process.