How do I review this?

Talk Discussion in 'BeerAdvocate Talk' started by Duff27, Jul 8, 2013.

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  1. Duff27

    Duff27 Pooh-Bah (2,552) Feb 10, 2010 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Drinking a Miller 64 out of a Sam Adams perfect pint glass. Small head remains throughout with lacing over the other half of the glass that I'm drinking from. All I can get from the aroma and taste is very faint corn. Overall the 2.8%abv light lager has no off flavors.

    Do I rate this as a good beer because I feel Miller created exactly what it set out to do, including being visual appealing in the right glassware? Or do I give it a poor score because its bland and uninspiring.

    All BMC-related jokes to the side...do you ever find a "bad beer" that really ain't all that bad?
     
  2. Doc_Hops

    Doc_Hops Initiate (0) Feb 5, 2013 Pennsylvania

    one of the guidelines to reviewing a beer set by the bro's is to rate according to style. just because you may not like it, you still have to ask yourself, "did the brewery create a good representation of the style?" so you could go that route... or, i guess you could say "smell? ...well, it doesn't smell that good at all, so 2 it is!"
     
    beerme411, gueuzedreg, Duff27 and 2 others like this.
  3. BBThunderbolt

    BBThunderbolt Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,846) Sep 24, 2007 Kiribati
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Be fair. Even if you don't like it, give it a fair shot. You don't have to give it huge scores, but don't just rip it because.
     
    dar482 likes this.
  4. TommyLiam

    TommyLiam Initiate (0) Jun 10, 2013 Arizona

    Rating to style only takes you so far. Unlike wine, where there is no bad style, beer has a large well selling bad "style". The only reasonable solution I can think of is to rate it as an American lager and score accordingly. That it happens to be a super low calorie version doesn't put in a unique category, in my opinion.
     
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  5. Bear1964

    Bear1964 Savant (1,171) Dec 12, 2012 Nebraska

    Go to the description of light lager...sounds like what you were drinking, if you like it say so but note its a little light for your tastes...a light lager is just that...so rate it by the style and add your feelings in the overall part of your review.
     
  6. mudbug

    mudbug Pooh-Bah (1,762) Mar 27, 2009 Oregon
    Pooh-Bah

    Truly the most ironic beer in existence. A beer brewed for people that hate beer. The question shouldn't be about how to review it, but why? Tickers gotta tick I guess.
     
    champ103, Kendo and Duff27 like this.
  7. JohnSnowNW

    JohnSnowNW Initiate (0) Feb 6, 2013 Minnesota

    You should always review a beer as it pertains to the style.
     
    Biffster and Kreko7 like this.
  8. Leebo

    Leebo Initiate (0) Feb 7, 2013 Massachusetts

    How does it stack up for American premium light lager ? Bigger question, why is it in your glass?
     
    Dakotah likes this.
  9. Mikecap

    Mikecap Pooh-Bah (2,098) May 18, 2012 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Absolutely correct. If you like it better than other American Light Lagers, then rating it as good is what you should do.
     
  10. RichardMNixon

    RichardMNixon Maven (1,431) Jun 24, 2012 Pennsylvania

    I don't think wine advocates would agree with that statement.

    By all means compare to style, but try some other light beers if that's your plan. Go to a brewpub and try their light lager. It too will be boring, but I'm willing to bet it will be better than Miller 64.
     
  11. Michigan

    Michigan Initiate (0) Oct 24, 2012 Michigan

    So where are the 5s in the American Light Lager section? It seems to top out at 3.29 with Sam Adams Light. This means that almost all American Light Lagers are below-average American Light Lagers. Huh? :confused:
     
    Duff27 likes this.
  12. 2beerdogs

    2beerdogs Grand Pooh-Bah (5,682) Jan 31, 2005 California
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    ^^^Well....um...YES!!!:grinning:
     
  13. thehyperduck

    thehyperduck Grand Pooh-Bah (4,980) Feb 26, 2006 Canada (ON)
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    It doesn't mean they're all below average light lagers, it means they're all below average beers in a general sense (or at least, that would appear to be the meta-BA consensus). A bad light lager will still have a much worse score than a good light lager.

    Rating to scale doesn't necessarily mean that there has to be 5.0-worthy examples of every style. As long as you can differentiate a good example of a style from a bad example of the style then the numbers are doing their job.
     
  14. Duff27

    Duff27 Pooh-Bah (2,552) Feb 10, 2010 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Someone left at it my grandparents at a get together. Tickets gotta tick.
     
  15. Duff27

    Duff27 Pooh-Bah (2,552) Feb 10, 2010 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    This is where I was going with this guys.

    The beer, to me, had no offensive/off flavors but was as close to tasteless as a beer that I've had. In my opinion, most do not drink light lagers for the taste. In this sense I believe this particular beer excels and therefore would warrant a positive rating. Other must not agree with me due to the 1.85 rating here in BA.
     
  16. Ri0

    Ri0 Initiate (0) Jul 1, 2012 Wisconsin

    Wait, why are you drinking Miller? Illinois has a ton of good beer. Why Miller!? Why!!!?

    I say rate it however you damn well please, just like everyone else.
     
  17. Duff27

    Duff27 Pooh-Bah (2,552) Feb 10, 2010 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Too much money devoted to homebrewing lately. I'll drink whatever I haven't reviewed/haded yet.
     
  18. 1fJef

    1fJef Initiate (0) May 4, 2013 Maryland

    Whats the style?
    Light, Flavorless, Low Alcohol American Adjunct?
     
  19. Smakawhat

    Smakawhat Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,191) Mar 18, 2008 Maryland
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    You should review it for what you feel it's worth to you period, regardless of what "style" it is.
     
  20. jstevie

    jstevie Initiate (0) Jul 9, 2013 Massachusetts

    Whether you rate to style or rate based on overall impression is up to you. That said, I don't believe you should be rating a beer style that you dislike (not directed at you Duff27). I don't like sushi. You can put the world's best sushi in front of me and I'm not going to rate it a 5, because I can't justify it, nor would it be fair of me to rate it a 1. If you think all light lagers are garbage, I just don't see the point in giving it a rating. Many on BeerAdvocate would probably take exception to a person who dislikes IPA rating Heady Topper a 1 but it's accepted when rating the BMC's.
     
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