Top Rated Beers, Explained

The beers listed on our Top Rated Beers are ranked using a Bayesian-based formula that takes the number of ratings into consideration by applying a weighted rank or rating (WR) behind the scenes. We also aim to strike a balance between recognizing popular beers and allowing newcomers a chance to climb the ranks and be discovered.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/top-rated/

What does this mean?
Basically, the WR assists in pulling (+ or -) the beer toward the list's average based on the number of ratings it has. And the more ratings a beer has, the more the system "trusts" the beer's score. For example:

• The more ratings that the beer has, the closer its WR will be to its score.
• The less ratings that the beer has, the closer its WR will be to the data set (the list) average.

So, a beer with a score lower than the list's average may appear higher on the list (gets pulled closer to the list average) until it receives more ratings (thus getting closer to its score), and vice versa.

What's the minimum criteria for a beer to be considered for a list?
A beer must have at least ten (10) ratings and be active to be considered. Beers that are inactive or listed under breweries that are no longer in business are not considered active.

Where can I find the beer's WR?
It's not displayed to put focus on the BA Score.

Why are the scores not listed in order?
Unless otherwise noted, lists are ordered by their WR (again, not displayed). Averages and number of ratings are displayed for reference purposes.

Do the lists change?
Yes. Beer stats are updated realtime, core stats used by the algorithm are reset and recalculated daily, and the Top 250 and most other lists are also updated daily.

Why isn't <INSERT BEER NAME> listed?
Maybe it's inactive? Maybe it didn't make the cut? If the latter, did you rate the beer? If not, maybe you should.