Enjoying & Rating Beer

I stopped a few years ago myself. I just got sick of it and found that my old ratings didn't really mean much of anything to me...at least score-wise.
I'm guilty of checking in stuff on Untappd for the sake of tracking or noting if something was particularly good, but I don't score anything.

 

Do take this point seriously. A qualitative *description* of a beer trumps a numerical *rating* of a beer any day.

 

If a brewer stands by their product and truly thinks what they are making is worth while, then they should take reviews with a grain of salt and continue to do what they want. I enjoy reviewing, it helps me sort out my thoughts and why I like one thing over another. I also like contributing to this site, and maybe my reviews, adding beers, adding places, etc helps someone out down the line...maybe not. Outside of brewers looking at reviews to just get a general sense of someones likes or dislikes, they should just continue to make what the want and not worry about it. If a brewer is truly worried about reviews on this site, or worse on ratings on Untappd they probably shouldn't be on these sites. I would also hope they get their priorities straight, and just make what they enjoy drinking with a good business plan. Everything else should take care if itself.

 

I like rating beers on here and untappd but actually writing out long reviews feels tedious and almost takes away from the enjoyment of the beer. I appreciate those that take the time tho, since reviews and ratings factor greatly into trading and purchasing decisions. But if a beer sucks, I don't care how much love or passion was put into it, I'm gonna give others fair warning about the quality before they spend their haRd earned money on it

 

Not everyone is going to do the same things in terms of involvement, the key is if it gets to the point that you are not enjoying what you're doing then you should stop doing it, or do it in a different way you find more satisfactory.

Nothing wrong with that, makes perfect sense.

 

I don't think the two are mutually exclusive. In fact, the process of reviewing a beer, just spending a little time thinking about what I'm experiencing with a new beer and jotting down some notes, has invariably enhanced my enjoyment of it.

 

I review for myself to remember what I like and don't like. Whether others take any information out of what is listed, that is up to them.

I'm at 1700+, how could I possibly remember it all? I'm sure there are many even higher.

 

I like enjoying new beer with people. This site is good at looking and/or knowing about that new beer coming out. In regards to ratings, I've come to realize a few things. If it something that sounds good to me, I'm going to try it, ratings be damned! Reviews are also good to a point. Because I enjoy trying new beer with people, I've really noticed how subjective taste can be. As an example, you can talk all you want about how a certain beer imparts notes of vanilla, but I might not notice it at all.

 

I have rated a few beers here but I recently started thinking about not doing it at all. I felt it started taking over my enjoyment of the beer when I was critiquing every mouthful. I do take a couple notes if a beer is really good just so I don't forget what it was.

 

We're all critics. Whether we type it, speak it or make some king of gesture. Assigning something a numerical number like 5/5 is like saying and discussing with friends, "I LOVE THIS" or a 3/5 is like saying "eh, it was OK." I think sometimes when we have a beer alone, typing out a review is like discussing it with someone. I see nothing wrong with reviews and frankly I think they are extremely helpful. I hope at least some of my reviews have been helpful and I'll continue to do them whenever I feel like it, but I'll NEVER feel obligated to do one, that is certain.

 

In order for me to enjoy beer, I only need thirst, said beer and pleasant surroundings. However, in order for me to review/rate a beer, I have to have extra time, access to pen/computer, be relatively free of company so as not to be rude to guests/others, and be in a somewhat creative mood.

I have only just started documenting my reviews. I like the idea of reviewing and will probably do so more on this site going forward. It's a great tool that helps you relive past experiences. The ratio of new beers that I consume to beers that I review is probably 10/1. My priority is enjoyment.

 

I like to rate/review beers on here so if I ever go back to the same beer I can compare notes and see how my palate has evolved. Sometimes I'm baffled by how off I was before. And now that BA only accepts ratings with reviews to count towards the score it's even more incentive.

 

The original thread title was too vague, but the change to the title is unfortunate, because it's leading into a different discussion. "To rate, or not to rate" would be more appropriate in my estimation.

I see BeerAdvocate as a consumer site first and foremost. As such, consumer reviews are a major component. Consumer reviews in general are a big asset to the web, but a reader learns how to appropriately consume such reviews.

If a brewer handed a customer a new beer, and was engaged in conversation with the customer, one would think that the customer's reaction to the beer would be a topic of conversation. If the brewer is interested in getting feedback, then this medium really isn't too different on a fundamental level.

I can understand the brewer's frustration, when strangers who have been drinking beer for 2 months make grand statements like: "best beer ever" or "total garbage," but unfortunately, this comes with the territory... you learn to filter accordingly, and ultimately, a professional brewer should be interested in what the audience thinks. A reviewer can be courteous or rude. A reviewer can use discretion. Be it here, in a taproom, or out with friends, should we always keep our mouths shut?

 

Why stop rating? Look, if a person is going to be in any sort of industry like this, they better grow thick skin. Beer, wine, food, hell, even automobiles are all about taste. Do you really think the designer of the new mustang cares if someone doesn't like his design? We, as humans, all have our personal tastes that we like and dislike. If the brewer is truly a beer advocvate they will want feedback on their beers. I brew at home and am always wanting feedback on my beers. I have friends who have suffered through some terrible beers in the name of beer advocacy, but if they didn't tell me about the shortcomings how would I ever brew better beer...???

 

^ When the day comes that a consumer cannot speak their mind in public about a product then I will ask what country is this anyway?

I forget which pilsner it was that introduced "the conaisseur" as a part of it's advertising. A German one of course. The brewer should be happy to see all manner of good folk at his establishment. From the quiet contemplative sipper in the corner who has been nursing the same pint fro two hours to the gal who walks right up to the piano and says play this one and starts singing. Let's not abridge our voices to be part of a movement that is defined by sameness and silence. Drink this and don't complain no matter what. Let's all be ourselves, sit at at a big table and all talk at once.

 

Im not a beer rating expert by any means, when I rate I dont use the suggested format. I just speak from the heart about what I thought about the beer and the brewery with a few notes on nose and taste sprinkled in...HOWEVER!....anytime I try a beer of a style I dont care for or a beer I know is past its prime...I log but dont give it a rating....as its not really fair to what the beer was meant to be...

 

I think that part of the enjoyment is looking for the aspects that make a beer so good. Ratings don't have to be bad and negative, they can be about all the things you find right with the beer. Personally, I enjoy being able to say to you I prefer Lagunitas New dog town pale ale a touch more than I do Dale's pale ale because the hop profile on NDTPA is brighter and less muddled than dale's. How can you advocate for any beer if you can't effectively compare the two?