Ranking Mysteries / Mephistopheles

Talk Discussion in 'BeerAdvocate Talk' started by Thomas_Wikman, Dec 7, 2017.

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  1. Thomas_Wikman

    Thomas_Wikman Pooh-Bah (2,323) Jan 8, 2016 Texas
    Pooh-Bah

    Lately I've been paying attention to the rankings of beer and for the most part it makes sense. It seems to be a combination of the average score (1 to 5) and the number of reviews/ratings. But sometimes it does not make sense to me. For example, Mephistopheles' Stout currently has an average score of 4.22 and 933 reviews and 2,350 ratings, and yet it does not even have a ranking. It just says Ranking: -.

    Another thing I find strange is that the number of ratings seem to be way too influential on the rank. I understand that if there are too few ratings/reviews you can't trust the score, but it seem to go far beyond that. For example Biere De Syrah from Jester King has a BA Score of 4.46 with 25 reviews and 138 ratings. 138 ratings should be enough to trust the average score, statistically speaking. However, its ranking is #544 while St. Bernadus with exactly the same score (4.46) is ranked #133. Sculpin IPA with a lower score of 4.39 is ranked #246 and the Backwood's Bastard with a significantly lower score of 4.35 is ranked #333.

    Any thoughts on such oddities?
     
    #1 Thomas_Wikman, Dec 7, 2017
  2. superspak

    superspak Grand High Pooh-Bah (10,927) May 5, 2010 North Carolina
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Read the info on the top 250 beer list page. Retired beers aren't ranked. Mephistopheles is retired. Secondly, rank is sorted by weighted average. Abt 12 has WAY more reviews than the jester king.

     
    #2 superspak, Dec 7, 2017
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  3. Thomas_Wikman

    Thomas_Wikman Pooh-Bah (2,323) Jan 8, 2016 Texas
    Pooh-Bah

    OK thank you! I had not read that information. I guess I can't find out how it works since it is a proprietary formula, but I worry that the ranking seem to favor common beers. I also did not realize that Mephistopheles Stout was retired. I had it recently, but it is retired. Again thank you.
     
    #3 Thomas_Wikman, Dec 7, 2017
  4. Squire

    Squire Grand Pooh-Bah (4,385) Jul 16, 2015 Mississippi
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Oh I wouldn't worry about small anomalies, which is to say I don't, I was hosting blind wine tastings before Robert Parker came out with his 100 point scale. After some 50 odd years of drinking beers from around the World I figure the only important score is the one we assign because numbers are at best a guideline.
     
    #4 Squire, Dec 8, 2017
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  5. drtth

    drtth Initiate (0) Nov 25, 2007 Pennsylvania
    In Memoriam

    That's an interesting comment given how many on here seem to feel the rankings seem to favor the more rare, hard to obtain beers. Just a quick trip through the Top 250 list reminds me that both the Pliny's (Younger and Elder) from Russian River have extremely limited distribution. Their number of ratings is relatively large, but they have been around for a very long time and lots of people trade for Pliny the Elder. (Younger is tap only.)
     
    #5 drtth, Dec 8, 2017
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