Beer Scoring System on DING’S BEER BLOG
Beers in the database are scored as per the old, beeradvocate.com scoring system that existed in 2011 and prior. At that time, beers were awarded a score of 1.0 – 5.0 (with 0.5 intervals available) for each of the following attributes.
- Appearance – What does it look like in the glass? Color, body and head (retention and lace)?
- Smell – What does the nose promise?
- Taste – Self-explanatory, but does it convey what you would expect for the style?
- Mouthfeel – Is it appropriate for the style?
- Overall – What does the complete package do? Would I want it again? Is it more than the sum of its parts?
Those five scores contributed to the old beeradvocate Total score, a score that I now call TOTAL WEIGHTED SCORE, which is a weighted average according to these %s;
Appearance (6%), Smell (24%), Taste (40%), Mouthfeel (10%), Overall (20%)
Any beer that enters the database in the future will follow the same scoring system and has these descriptors.
4.75 and GREATER | WORLD CLASS
These are the beers that redefine and reshape your beer world. The ones that you measure everything else against; the ones that influence you; the ones that move you. Every element of the beer clicks into place and they work in concert, with no discernible flaws. You’ll almost always find complexity and sometimes challenges. You don’t just drink these beers, you experience them.
4.50 to 4.74 | EXCELLENT
Beers that nail their style brief and then adorn it with some memorable asset. These are beers that you actively seek out and recommend time and time again as classics. Beers that reliably offer excellence over extend periods of time, never failing to satisfy and thrill.
4.00 to 4.49 | VERY GOOD
Enjoyable from start to finish, these beers do everything correctly without necessarily causing a kerfuffle. You buy these beers over and over again, pour them for friends, and feel great about the choice. This is the sweet spot of “reliably very good” if not breaking into the categories above.
3.50 to 3.99 | GOOD
Satisfying, competently made beers with no real flaws, though they will lack complexity or a distinctive character that makes them stand out. Beers that hits the spot on a given night, gets a nod of approval, and leave you satisfied, but that aren’t likely to come up in conversation later. Comfortably above average, but clearly a notch below the beers that really impress.
3.00 to 3.49 | DRINKABLE
Fine but unremarkable. Does the job, but these beers aren’t doing much to earn a second thought. There might be small flaws in balance or execution, or it’s simply a competent example of a style that doesn’t excite you. You’d drink it again if it were what’s available, but you wouldn’t go out of your way for it.
2.00 to 2.99 | UNDER PAR
Beers that have some aspect noticeably off or wrong, whether that’s a flaw in brewing, an unbalanced or muddled flavor profile, or a style execution that misses. Each sip is more of an obligation than a pleasure, and you’re likely counting down until the glass is empty or perhaps even leaving.
LESS THAN 2.00 | DRAIN POUR
Context of the Beer Scoring System
It should be stressed that whilst the style of the beer is certainly kept in mind when rating, my reviews are certainly not an exercise in formally matching the attributes of a beer to any strict set of style guidelines. There is no specific consideration of BJCP style guidelines (or any others) for example, for more than one reason.
Having said that, I do expect what it says on the label to have a fairly strong resemblance to what is in the bottle – that’s been a pet peeve of mine for years – and I feel it is a reasonable expectation. So while I am not judging beers against formal style parameters, beers that fall wildly outside what they claim to be, will likely perform badly in my ratings.