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Most craft beer fans have probably rated a beer at some time in their lives. Heck – you can even rate beers here on ACB if you want to. And if you’re anything like me, you’ve spent some time skimming over those random “Best Of…” articles that pop up on social media and in craft beer magazines. But lately I’ve found myself reconsidering all of them and have come to the realization that they’re complete and utter bullshit.
I know what you’re probably thinking. “Hey, but I use beer rating websites all the time to figure out if I should buy certain beers” or “What? ‘Best of…’ lists are fun and great honors for the breweries.” Well poor souls, I’m writing to let you know you’ve had the wool pulled over your blood-shot eyes. Beer ratings and “Best of…” lists are about as useful and meaningful as the opinion of a raving lunatic who just escaped the nuthouse. Here’s why.
Similar to many of life’s arts, reflecting on a beer’s aroma and taste is completely and utterly subjective. One man’s Heady Topper may be another’s Keystone Light because like snowflakes, no two palates are alike. Granted, palates can mature, develop, or change over time, but to hold one person in contempt for enjoying/not enjoying a given beer is basically barstool bullying and downright juvenile.
In addition to differing palates, there are a handful of other factors that play a part in one’s experience of a beer. While most breweries do everything possible to properly brew and bottle their beer to taste the same whether you’re in San Diego or Boston, those precious bottles and cans face countless perils once they leave their birthplace. From distribution warehouses to liquor store shelves to your fridge, the storage and age of a beer weigh heavily on how it will taste when you finally open it. While Jimmy in Denver may have purchased Beer A from the brewery’s retail shop, stored it in his beer fridge, and drank it the next day in a properly cleaned glass, Tommy in Grand Rapids may have had Beer A out of a frozen mug after it had been sitting at distribution for two weeks, in the bottle shop for another three weeks, and in his sweltering garage for another week.
Other dynamics to consider before tasting a beer up for review are what a person may have eaten or drank that could wreak havoc on their palate. And it goes without saying that everyone has tried at least one beer that was spiked with a hearty helping of hype. Popping the cap off a beer that you’ve read and heard endless accounts of how it will “change your life” tends to bias your mental sense of taste. Heck, even a person’s mood or cologne or the general smell of the room can affect their taste. While some of these factors may come off as a bit extreme to some, my point is that, in most cases, identically labeled beers are not going to taste the same day-to-day, month-to-month, or especially year-to-year. So to compare them as absolute equals or rate one bottle of a beer as encompassing its “true taste” is simply ignorant.
To clarify, I’m NOT throwing certified beer judging into the fire as part of the rubbish. This arena focuses more on beers being true to style and follows strict methods to determine overall quality. Beer review apps such as Untappd, however, are fair game. If anyone, especially brewers, is using these apps for anything other than tracking what they and/or their friends are drinking, they’re leading themselves down a dark and jaded road. Users of Untappd are no more qualified to give an official review on beer than kindergartners are to critique poetry.
Where “Best of…” lists really lead us astray is their sample pools. Let’s say Bob & The Suds Buds decide to put together a “Best Imperial IPAs of the Year” list for their blog. Based on the average region’s limits in distribution and an assumption that every other imperial IPA out there wasn’t acquired in a trade or by some other means, it’s safe to presume that their “Best of…” list is fairly restricted to a subset of imperial IPAs from which to judge. In these cases, it’s appreciated when the post includes a disclaimer that calls out the actual confines of their sample pool, but that rarely occurs. In reality, these are essentially a list of recommendations, but it’s more fun and catchy to title them as “Best of…” right? It’s been said many times that the best beer is the one in your hand, so let that be your bar setter.
Basically it boils down to this: follow your own beer reviews, create your own “Best of…” lists, andmake your own decisions when buying a beer. If you like the brewery, beer style, or even just the label, it’s within your rights as a human being to buy whatever the hell you want. And if you like or dislike the beer, feel confident in saying so.
Just know that your opinion is what it is – just your own opinion.
