Why do you review?

I review beers on BA;

• To mark which I've had since I mostly buy new-to-me beers and generally avoid repeats
  
• So my score can remind me which I liked enough to buy more
• To help ensure that beer ratings and reviews are available for others
• To achieve personal goals of all styles and all states

When shopping for a new-to-me beer to review, the BA score weighs heavily in my decision. I use the untappd score too, but only if there is no or not enough reviews on BA.

 

Ego.

Not really. I'm just fairly OCD and I need something to obsess about. So let's make it beer and beer reviews.

 

To bring the thunder.

 

I started reviewing 11 years ago when I first got into craft beer. Looking back at my first reviews, they were a bit rough. But they got better over time as I learned more about the brewing process and ingredients, as well as descriptors of each style. Beer Advocate was and still is the best source for information, and I feel that this community is probably more experienced than any other online beer community/forum.

The primary reason I review is because it is enjoyable, but also helps the community. I also LOVE all of the broken down statistics that BA offers. It's nice knowing that I've reviewed 170 pumpkin beers, or that I've reviewed 50 beers from Founders, or that I've had more beer from CA than any other state. I also like to be able to tell someone in casual conversation what my top 10 imperial stouts of all time are. I'm hoping that BA offers a backup option at some point, because there's a lot of time and effort put into these!

 

I love reviewing beer! It really helps me feel connected to it and pay attention to what I'm drinking. I've liked the learning aspect of it since the beginning and I still learn about the beer I consume almost daily. I'm also huge on variety so I like to constantly try new beers and share my thoughts about them. It's an oddly calming thing to do

 

Agreed on both of these points.

There are many styles I wouldn't have learned about, or maybe even known about, had I not gotten into reviewing. Faro, Kvass, and Sahti all come to mind. I enjoy finding these odd styles and reviewing them, at least for memories sake.

Sadly, I missed out on both, a Faro and a Kvass this year. Those Faro ticks don't come by very often.

 

Go figure, those are 3 styles I've never actually had. I have found some stuff that I wouldn't have otherwise, but I wanna get more exposure to these other styles. There's only a few styles left that I don't have any ticks for

 

They're difficult to find. The only Faro I've had is by Lindeman's. It was fairly common on the shelves with Lindeman's other options, at least it was a few years ago when I had it.

The other styles I've almost always traded to acquire.

 

I just recently got into beer and started trying different kinds to see what I liked. There was a lot of hit or miss choices and I didn’t really know what I liked or why I liked it, or why I didn’t for that matter. So I started reading reviews to see what others thought. I then ran out and purchased whatever had extremely high reviews- which was not always a good thing for me. So instead of focusing on what everyone else likes, I look at what they like or don’t like about certain beers and I compare use that as a comparison. I guess it’s just fun to write down my own thoughts and then read what others think.

 

I've always liked trying different beers, but had found myself in the store knowing I had tried a certain beer and not sure if I had actually liked it. Now I can read my reviews to see what I thought. This comes in handy when I see a mix pack with an exclusive to the mix pack beer that I haven't had and wouldn't mine buying it to try if I had liked the rest of the mix pack. Sometimes I found that I didn't like the other beers in the pack so I end up not buying it.

Reviewing also helps me to understand what I am tasting and smelling. I'll know that it smells like something, but don't know what that is. When I look at other reviews on what they thought then I make the connection and realize what it is that I am smelling. Same thing with flavors. It helps me to appreciate the nuances of the beer more when I can relate to the smells and tastes better.

 

I've come to an age where, unless I write down my impressions of a beer, half an hour later I cannot remember it at all.

 

For me its simple. I find it fun, and can actually articulate and figure, why I do or don't like something,. Don't care at all how many I have reviewed, so being a list is not important, and I don't tick, but review when I actually get a chance to think contemplatively about something. Thats all I got

 

Pretty much just to keep track of beers that I've had and what I've thought of them. I don't really reference them all that much, but the act of writing reviews helps cement an impression in my mind. I actually started doing it on my MySpace page several years before I joined BA.

It also helped me to develop a bit more of a sensory vocabulary, although I tend to get more to the point now than I did when I first started.

Another plus is it helps me to think about why I enjoy certain aspects of different beers in relation to others, time and place, just understand the moment of drinking the beer. There are some beers that were perfect in a moment when I drank them outside of a review, but fall flat when I'm at my desk. If you can honestly say that you haven't experienced a moment when an AAL was the perfect beer, I don't think I would like hanging out with you.

 

You can't swill a beer while reviewing it. Writing a review gives me the discipline to think about the beer I'm drinking. I've found that I enjoy a beer more when I have to describe the appearance, smell, taste, and feel. In addition, after I review a beer, the next time I drink it I really enjoy it. I've always thought the best wedding you ever attend is the first one after your own.

 

So many great points in this thread, and a wonderful topic @Beer_Economicus -- and doing it for your own growth / edification hits home for me on a lot of posts here.

Sadly, this post is the most important for me. I'm practically a goldfish at this point!!

 

I love traveling with my notebook. Even during hectic work trips, I try to fit in a couple reviews during the week. Pour a beer, either in my hotel room or at a brewery, and jot down some notes. Gives me a chance to work on my hand writing, maybe test out a new pen ink, and put my mind at ease focusing on a simple task.

Plus, it's fun to flip back through the notebook. I can 'revisit' Seattle or Boston or wherever else I've been by revisiting that notebook. Sadly, I did not use the notebook when I visited Belgium.