Statement on the Reviews: How I rank the beers

As mentioned previously, I will share how I rank the various beers that I have been tasting.  There will be a common format throughout all of the reviews so that you and I will easily be able to compare styles and tastes.  This way I can also categorize between styles, and keep some running tables as to what I liked and what I did not.

The basic format will be:

Name:
Style:
Date Reviewed:
Rating:
Analysis:

Here are the details on the rating, which will be letter based, A through F, and judged on taste, uniqueness and quaffability.  There will be room for a + or -, based on value.

A - Absolutely Fabulous beers.  One of the best beers I have ever had, would jump at the chance to drink again, and will always pick above all others when at the store and in the mood.  A fantastic brew.

B - A very good beer.  Great taste, good cabonation.  Not over-tasted (for example, there is a thing as 'too much hops').  Something that I would return to again and again when at the store.

C - A good beer.  Could be a great beer, if not for one or two things.  Something that I would drink again, but not something that I would spend a great deal of time searching for.  Might be something that I simply grab off the shelf because I can't figure out what else to get, and I know I like this one.

D - Not-so-good beer.  Maybe I got this in a sample pack, maybe a friend had some at a party, maybe I picked some up just to try it and develop my palate.  For whatever reason, I didn't like it.

F - Horrible beer.  There are far more Horrible Beers than Absolutely Fabulous Beers, as it is much easier to mess something up, than it is to create brilliance.  It may be simply unquaffable.  I may lack flavour... whatever the reason, when seeing it on the shelf, I either laugh or cringe.  The beer that is always brought up at parties as a joke or reference.  These may never be sampled again.

This will carry though on all samples, whether it be from packaged bottle or can, at a brewery, or a brew pub from the tap.  And with that... here come the reviews.

  - Tom.