Obsession with BA ratings

Then he probably had a shitty record collection.

 

I've always preferred Ayinger to Weihestaphaner...against the numbers!

 

I wouldn't criticize them for looking up beers. Maybe they were from out of the area and looking for things not sold in their hometown. Maybe they were shopping for a tasting.

You should have let them know that just as important (if not more so) as the rating is the bottled on date.
Who cares if a DIPA is rated 95 if it is 6 months old?

 

i love this site and the Bros are usually right on, then theres the crowd source ratings. super over hop, throw in some brett, jam it in a bourbon barrel, only produce 20 bottles. instant 90+ i will say from a retail point of view the ratings push sales, but in my experience ive come across a lot of beers that get, what seems to me, under rated. Or dare i say hated on. but such is the beer world and we move on. i really cant stand people not willing to take a chance. if it got put in a bottle or can traveled hundreds of miles to get to the store your in, obviously a group of people tried it and said,"damn this is some good shit we should bottle this up and sell it!" then enough people agreed. those are my thoughts exactly on the topic.

 

For some reason I wouldn't expect you to discourage use of the site, whenever, wherever, however...

Yes, statistically speaking you're more likely to end up with more beers you'll like if you stick to a "90+" rule, especially with beers that have lots of reviews (say 100+). But I agree w/ the OP that it should never be the deciding factor on what you buy, unless perhaps you have only $10 in your pocket and are looking for a "sure thing," if such a beer even exists.

Half the fun of trying all the new, different beers available to us is being pleasantly surprised by something unexpected. I don't think you can do that if you always stick narrowly and strictly to the tried and true. This practice also doesn't necessarily help new breweries just getting a foothold in the market.

 

I buy based on the art on the label. Prettier the better.

 

I was telling someone where to get some founders breakfast stout online and mentioned he should grab some Bells expedition stout in the same order. After he placed the order and got his beers, I asked him why he didnt get the expedition. He said because the "bros" gave it a score of 65.
The reviews of nearly 2000 people giving it an avg of 93 will say a lot more about the beer than one person's from nearly a deade ago.

 

'zactly.

 

Just out of curiosity, what beer were they looking at?

 

I used to look up beers online when I started into craft beer, but not anymore really. I found that by seeing a certain rating it would subconsciously bias my opinion of the beer. In addition, I find it shelters you from really experiencing the art of beer. Not all beers are good, but it takes drinking the stuff you don't like in order to really appreciate the stuff you do like. My advice, don't refer to ratings.. just have fun with it & don't shelter your palate with the foresight of others opinions.

 

Me too. I use 80 as my guide. Rayon Vert doesn't reach 90 as an example

 

I will pick my beer my way and you pick it your way. In the end we at least have one thing in common. We both are going to drink beer.

 

There are many times for me that I will see the score of a beer on here after I have drank it and am checking the "had" box to track it. Many of the more readily discussed beers on here have been added to my "wants" list out of hype/curiosity/recommendation. For me it comes down to personal palate and the continued reason I go for singles to try as many beers to find those I really enjoy and want to drink more of.

 

The ratings are a nice way to get you on your feet in this hobby. I doubt they would have it on this website if it wasn't useful. It is however something that I think is necessary to grow out of. Other peoples opinions are like the training wheel for you to form your own, but you can't keep them on forever. I still glance at ratings when I look up beers but that's about as far as I take it at this point. I never look beers up to see what it's rated anymore.

 

Maybe the guy was just Christmas shopping and wanted only grade A beers for his kids. I mean wouldn't you?

 

Well, I look after the fact. Just stopped at Julio's and picked up a few. Some winners, some dogs. As someone said, the idea of self discovery seems lost. So I bring home a St. Bernardus Chrustmas Ale and find out it is highly scored. I also picked up a four pack of Celia and find out it is apparently a dog. Going by the reviews, my total haul is fifty fifty. OK, I can live with that. Will drink em all and if I don't like em, won't buy em again.

What about the other side of the coin? I've brought home some 90-plus rated beers and personally thought they sucked. Granted not many, but it has happened.

I'm a find out for myself kinda guy. I don't much care what is trendy or anything. I do, however, value reading other opinions, especially to get some grounding on what to expect or if I find something confusing. It is all good in the end.

 

Depends....if they been naughty or nice? Couldn't resist......

 

The body of the review is more important than the rating imo. Sometimes a reviewer will rate a beer lower for the same reason you would rate it higher.