Posting reviews without text to back it up

It’s a way I keep track just for myself as to if I liked a beer or not. I totally forgot I had a DFH 120 a few years ago and almost bought one recently. Did a quick check to find I personally didn’t like the beer and gave it a poor score, subsequently saving myself money and bought a different beer. It’s not always about helping others, but keeping track for myself.

 

While this is understandable and there is no way to police “for me,” there is the concept of advocacy here which many take as being objective in ratings/reviews. For established beers (like DFH 120), a tremendously high or low rating (for whatever reason) will be averaged out.

I would hope for newer beers with less reviews, BAs would be cognizant of their objectivity versus subjectivity as it relates to being a guide to others. We all use the site differently, though, and both “sides” should realize this difference when using it.

Cheers!

 

The numbers are a good way to start, before knowing more and being confident enough to share it verbally or even know, like me for example.

And you can choose the option not to see the numbers without reviews. Call it a win-win.

 

I expect that a fair number of people never post reviews because they don't feel qualified. Reviewers sometimes identify 20 or more smells or flavors, and go on and on about the look and feel. My sense of smell sucks due to heavy solvent exposure when I was young, so I was at first reluctant to review. Then I realized that even those with long detailed reviews are reporting subjectively, and no review is "correct". Some folks are totally full of crap, almost like they drank a completely different beer - but still, it's their opinion.

Forcing folks to review would seriously hurt the site, as few that don't review would start doing it. Most would just stop participating and maybe start reviewing on another site.

 

I see rating as a way for members to contribute without having to write a full review which is something not everybody is comfortable with.

 

This is commonplace for many websites and many apps. I've rated a lot of beers on BA without providing any description because I'm porting over from another rating app.

I personally dislike being forced to write a full description, especially over a certain number of characters, in order to post the review.

I also find it much easier to write a review on BA while I am drinking the beer. If I'm rating the next day, week, month, etc. - any time retroactively, I may not remember all of the details of the beer, especially if I had multiple tasters or beers on one occasion, and so I pull the best that I can from memory, which may just be a rating.

 

In all honesty...yes, occasionally, I am just that lazy! There are those times I don't have the motivation to put "pen to paper" and draft a well-crafted, articulate review. I love the number ratings, it lets me give a personal two bits of what I'm drinking at that moment, quick and easy! Besides, the only thing a written review gives you is the writers opinion...now if it's a particularly glowing review,with high number rating, it may make me want to seek something out even more, but that's about it. IMHO, don't see how a numbers review "drags a beer down"???? Prost!

 

I suppose you could say that less thought might - on average - go into it if you don't bother putting it to words. You see far more scores where they are 4 4 4 4 4 for example, than you would if it were a review. They don't want to worry about the individual ratings and just want to rate it 1-5 like they're on Amazon. I guess they don't necessary drag it down vs up, just that less thought might have gone into it.

 

Makes sense...especially if, as you related, the ratings are one number across the board...that I typically won't do, unless I rate something a rare firewall 5.

 

Yeah. I tend to review those with few to no reviews, to help prospective imbibers of the beer in question. Hoping they get some idea what to expect. Then they can guess whether that appeals to them. Or not.
If it has hundreds, or thousands of reviews, I figure mine isn't going to help much, so just rate it. I have seen some where most/all of the recent reviews didn't reflect my experience, so did do a review. Ex : a gose or Berliner weisse whose last several reviews are by people that don't like sour styles. I do it just to give it a fair shot. ("Respect Beer" , eh? )

My situation, at first.

Which is what I do.

This^.

All that said, I generally don't go by the #s , when considering whether to purchase a beer under consideration. I look at beers that I have had, then see whose assessment , in character, not just numbers, is the same/similar to my impressions. Then I look at their "Beers" , & assessment of the unknown-to-me beer, if that person has had it. Doing that periodically, has led me to look for certain known BAs in the reviews .

 

I try to do a review for every rating, but have to admit my "style" pales in comparison to the beer meisters who can detect all of the various subtle things going on. For that reason, I don't blame folks for just posting a number. Plus, sometimes it's tough to do one. A full review can take some time. I can't do one on my phone without seventy typos.

 

Really?

Some of us relate more to numbers then descriptions. If you really want to put meaning behind the numbers you could look at the person's other ratings and you will get a sense of their bias. But that may not work for a lazy observer.

Numerical ratings have real value. This site uses roughly the same rating system as the BJCP. But who could trust a system used by lazy beer judges.

As for myself, with 2895 personal ratings as of tonight, most of which I have filed rating scorecards, I'll admit I rate here sparingly and review even less. Some of it is constraints on my time, but other factors are I won't publish a public review unless it is under conditions that are fair to the brewer, such as, a clean palette, a bottle that was properly stored, poured into appropriate glassware, and served at the right temperature, Admittedly, I also weigh the value of my review or rating to the BA community, putting emphasis on beers with limited ratings/reviews and/or where I disagree with the trend. I tend add a review when I want to emphasize my rating.

Not sure how I got so lazy in reviewing/lazy beers after more the 20 years of drinking craft beer.

 

Also can’t help but notice you have some beers that are just number rated......

 

I went through a fairly short period of rating by numbers only. Now, if I can revisit those beers, I will write reviews so I can either back up those numbers or refute them...

 

I agree with this in part. Maybe have a median score, such as if your average is 2.5 or below (a negative rating in my opinion) then it wouldn’t let you post the review until you added the 140 character written review as to what was wrong with it. Somebody put work in to brew this beer, don’t just knock it because it’s “too hoppy” and you’re “not an IPA fan”.

 

Personally, I would love to rate it as the pros do on this site however I have a busy schedule between managing beer for two stores, kids, wife and so on. When I drink beer i just leave a quick review. That and I'm nowhere near as descriptive.

 

What’s to figure out if the overall review was 4.5? He loved it, same if it goes the other way, you see a 2.5 not so much. You just have to remember that a good many do not rate to style, you'll find a ton of ipas hitting the top scores, but about zilch on say lagers or Pils even if they’re clearly world class. I don’t really do reviews, but on threads Ike new beer Sunday I’ll often give a ballpark number to reflect my opinion and a really brief review. I really don’t care to add 1000 adjectives to a beer.