Drinking, reviewing and respecting styles you don't like

Well, if I'd want to know a good Wheat beer then I'd want to ask an expert in Wheat Beers. And with IPAs, likewise. Review whatever you want to, but it's a good idea to disclose that you're not a fan of the style you're reviewing. That's okay. Not everyone will like everything.

 

I am not going to give a beer I don't like high marks but I am not going to kill a beer for qualities I do not prefer when they are appropriate for the style. I keep style in mind but judge each beer on its own merits, it usually works out for me.

 

As for the "drinking" part...for some reason I keep giving U.S. craft lagers chance after chance after chance; and I keep being disappointed. I will say that at least I don't review them. I attribute it to the "Cream of Wheat Effect", which means I want desperately to like them (like I have always wanted to like Cream of Wheat, with their tempting commercials) -- and will give them a try over and over -- but it's probably not going to happen.

 

Reviews on BA should be read as a personal preference endorsement rather than as if they were scores at a competition. However, one should make reviews with BJCP guidelines in mind as well as personal preference.

 

Personally I wouldn't review a style I don't like because no matter how unbiased you try and be, bias will still be in the review.

Good thing there aren't any styles I don't like!

 

This is always a tough call. I'm always trying to expand my knowledge of beer and sometimes that means trying/reviewing a beer brewed in a style I don't particularly care for. I would never slam a beer just because I don't like the style. I just refer to the judging criteria for that style and go by that as best I can...
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I like to think that this keeps me from turning it into a ``contest between styles''. I also try to remember that just because a beer is rated higher in its style, that doesn't mean I'll like it. It's like comparing apples to oranges. I'll take a 3.9 Belgian Quad over a 4.9 Pilsener any day of the week.

One last comment. It's not unthinkable that I may actually grow to like and appreciate a certain style more over time as my palate develops. I remember the first time I tried a Barleywine. I found it repulsive. Now, I drink them regularly.

 

You shouldn't bother to review a beer if you don't like the style. In fact, if you really don't like the style, you probably shouldn't drink it in the first place.

 

I'm not a fan of wheatwines so I try to avoid them. When I do end up drinking/reviewing them I try to be as objective as possible. Some of my lowest scores are for wheatwines but out of the five I've reviewed, two of them got a score of over 4.0.

 

This is my biggest criticism of the review section of this site. Reviews that are on "likes" should be isolated or somehow differentiated from reviews on style. I've been a wine judge for almost 40 years. I consistently judge wines that I hate! However, I frequently vote to award medals and other awards to some of these wines if they are proper and well made to varietal and style. Same thing should in my opinion, hold true for beer. I hate it when a very well made gueuze is given a 2 or a 2.3 because someone has no idea what the beer is supposed to taste like. It's sour and they hate it! Period! Forget that it's a perfect example!

Same thing holds true with one of my favorite styles - Gose. People who don't "like it" simply have no idea, perhaps, of what it should taste like; i.e., how the style is supposed to taste.

All of it's a matter of opinion. But, if we review, at least review to style so that a perfect "X" style is not graded down because it's a style that someone, subjectively, doesn't like. JMO (And, I don't have a solution! Sorry. But, for myself, I grade to style and then make comments in my review as to whether or not I subjectively like it - generally having nothing to do with the grade/score I may give it).

 

I don't like when people review beers when they are decidedly not fans of the style.

 

However, we are reviewing and not judging. I believe there is a huge difference between the two. This is not a site for certified and accredited judges nor is this an official competition. This is a consumer opinion site. I agree that many people take the wrong approach when it comes to reviews however too many people apply standards to reviews that are far too lofty for this specific environment.

 

i've yet to find a style i don't like.

stouts and porters are among my least favorite probably just because they tend to be heavy. I love Edmund Fitzgerald and Breakfast Stout, but I couldn't drink more than one.

I think only two of my beereviews -- Tasman Red and Whitewater IPA -- are probably inaccurate. I reviewed those two before I really had many IPAs (they were actually among my first), so my reviews on those basically just say "OMG SO BITTER".

 

Be open minded and train your mind to be unbias. It was very tough for me originally. The best thing to do is use the BJCP guidelines for stylistic proficiency. Whether I like the style or not I tend to give it a fair shake based upon BJCP. My good friend trevorjn06 and fellow BA is masters level and has taught me to be very open-minded when reviewing and exploring. Nearly every beer I review now I apply to BJCP guidelines.

When you look at the Top 100 on BA you see a proponderance of IPA's and Stouts because that is where the heart is for most beer drinkers. The tasting profiles are just fantastic. Not one single Amber/Red ale in the Top 100. So does this mean no one has brewed a fantastic Amber/Red ale? No. I recenltly rated a Imperial Red with a perfect 5. Did it taste good? Yes. Was it stylistically accurate? All the way! How many breweries make a Amber/Red? Thousands!

People tend to base their ratings based upon what they like and tastes good versus what is stylistically accurate and tasty. You may not be agree with my approach or theory but me and a handful of local PNW BJCP judges and brewers I know tend to agree.

 

Nugget Nectar is in the top 100 but I agree with what you're saying.

 

These are consumer reviews on an internet website, the people writing them are not certified beer judges and most have probably never heard of the BJCP. The reviews are going to be subjective and there's nothing anyone can do about it, it just is what it is. To expect hundreds of thousands of random people on the Internet to conform to an objective standard or review against the BJCP guidelines is absurd.

 

Dont buy it or review it. no ones forcing you to buy something you dont like.

 

This.

 

Recognizing that most beer drinkers won't follow BJCP, yeah, probably won't happen. Asking "beer advocates" to actually consider beer style guidlines is absurd? LOL. Ok. Wow. Maybe I should just rate every beer an A. With no guidelines, whose to judge. Just sayin. Maybe we should ask the FDA to pass drugs that taste good versus what acutally works or safe. Nice.

 

Ha. Good catch and thank you.