Are you a rater?

I don't rate unless I review also, and I do so very, very casually. My "beers ticked to beers reviewed" (not that I'm a ticker) ratio is probably 4:1. I suppose what mostly drives me to review is the will to expand my knowledge (boredom also plays a part). I feel like reviewing a beer is kind of the equivalent of doing your homework and studying - as you review, you really think about what you are tasting and sensing; thus, you learn about yourself and the beer, resulting in increased enjoyment. Writing it all down just cements it to memory.

Merely throwing a 1-5 rating at something, while fast and convenient, strikes me as the "serial ticker" thing to do. I don't see any point to it besides the desire to say to someone (or yourself), "I had that, looks like I thought it was meh/good/awesome".

I will be the first to admit that studying a beer does slightly detract from the drinkers' hedonistic bliss, which is why I try to review only if I have more than one of a specific beer.

 

I try to rate each beer I drink on the Untapped app... Mostly for future reference of what I like and didn't like. Many times I think I haven't had a certain beer or something and when I check the rating I supposedly gave it months ago, I avoid buying a beer I didn't care for (or the opposite, I buy it because it was so awesome!)

 

I'm a rater for sure... like to keep track of what I've tried, and its great to go back and look at old ratings when revisiting a beer. Especially helpful for newer batches of certain beers, debating freshness of IPAs, or just to see how your palate changes.

 

No.
1. I'm not at that level yet.
2. I personally think my sinuses and olfactory system, which may affect tasting, is not sensitive enough.

I agree with Colingaiser, I usually just give a laymen rate/descript on Untappd.

 

I have been rating beers for many years, although not on BA.

I rate almost every beer I drink and save these rating in a personal database. I use the information in a variety of ways, but primarily to drive future purchasing decisions.

I started rating on BA about a year ago. My primary motivation was to contribute to a site that I have used for many years and has made such a great contribution to Beer Advocacy.

My BA ratings are almost exclusively based on beers I drink at home, with a clean palate, in appropriate glassware, served at an appropriate temperature, and rated at a time when that I can sit down and take notes while I drink it.

 

Yes, for fun.

 

I rate to get a accurate list of beers I've had, I leave a review once in awhile.

 

I spend too much time writing as it is, so I don't review, and as anyone who's ever met me can tell you, I don't rate.

I do, however, enjoy reading reviews here. Keep up the good work, folks.

 

I don't like ratings they seem to be basically meaningless. I would like some words even if badly written to describe the look and taste of a beer. With some beers you just never know what to expect from some arbitrary numbers someone has given them. I personally think just rating a beer is kind of slack, why even bother? I have had a few that I actually did review that got lost and now show up as ratings but every beer I have logged I have reviewed. I think it is good for me to remember what I thought of a beer and it helps out other people who might be interested in what a certain beer is like. Numbers are more meaningful with something expanded to back them up.

 

I scrape off the labels and tape them in a journal on one side of the page with the review on the opposite side. I like flipping through them (I think I'm on journal #4 now) every now and again to remember what styles of beer I was into at different times, where I was and what was going on in my life.

A couple times a year I'll transfer my reviews over into a spreadsheet on GoogleDocs with a simplified rating system (A through F) so I have something to reference easily if I can't remember what I thought of a particular beer.

 

I don't have the technical knowledge to be a true rater - which is why I decided not to.

About all I could do is say, "This one tastes better than that one," or something similar. That really doesn't do anything helpful, so I may as well keep quiet so as to not provide static.

(I hate static. The internet is full of static. So many people feel they have some responsibility to provide their opinion... NO... No you don't. If you have no idea what you're talking about, don't! I heed my own words.)

 

I am a rater and reviewer here on BA. I agree that it helps me pick out flavours and aromas. I also believe that it is a huge benefit if someone can search up a beer and read an honest review on it. I use reviews all of the time when shopping for beer. I don't let them completely sway me but they certainly are a big help.

 

i love reviewing beer.

sometimes i get frustrated and it feels like work but then i get a random message from a stranger thanking me for my honest opinion and it makes it all worth it knowing that some people out there actually care and read what i write.

reviewing also makes sure that im actually thinking about and appreciating what im drinking instead of just throwing it back and moving on to the next pint. ive found that when i engage multiple senses and analyze what im looking at/smelling/tasting it gets commited to a section of my memory that retains strikingly well. i can recall vivid details about hundreds of beers i drank years ago but damnit if i can recall what i had for lunch 2 days ago or what chore/project my wife asked me to work on tonight

when i dont feel like reviewing, ill rate something as an acknowledgement that i had it but for the most part im against rating. i hate seeing an arbitrary number score with no reasoning/explanation of why the beer was bad or great

 

Besides the forums which are a pleasant surprise, I'm on BA for the reference & to catalog using the ratings system. I have journals of reviews not yet entered, the addition of the quick numerical rating system killed that for me, I journal reviews & rate here.

 

I used to review everything I could get my hands on, but now I'm just focusing on CO beers. I just rate them as a hobby, slowing trying all the beer CO has to offer. It's part record, part quest to try as much local beer as possible.

 

i hear that, reviews require to much thought, i just like to enjoy the beer, however, im appreciative of the people that do take the time to write them

 

I've had way more beers than I've rated. I spend more time on these forums lately

 

I rate and usually review, just a couple of sentences, for me, to remember what I've had, and what I thought about it, so if anyone asks me, I can take a quick look....so in short, for reference

 

Definitely a rater and a ticker. I like to keep a tangible log of some sort of everything I've tried and what I thought about it! I typically use this to determine what I'll purchase again in the future.

 

I rate and review every beer I try, although some of my reviews are more detailed than others. I want to contribute my experiences as a way of helping others decide if they might want to try (or avoid) a beer. I often check the ratings and reviews before I try something new, because they can be quite helpful in leading me to new brews and styles. I also love reading the many humorous and/or sarcastic reviews, which can be quite entertaining. Sometimes it can be like a "Night at the Improv" on this site, and that's why I like coming here so much.