Beer scoring Systems For Real Ale In The UK
I have always rated films, books, TV shows, bars and beers with marks out of five.
With beers my own totally subjective grading system is out of step with The Campaign For Real Ale Society (CAMRA) beer scoring and assessment systems which award half points as well as full ones and see a maximum score of 5 as something to give out rarely to only absolutely perfect ales.
The trouble is that my sense of a perfect pint is more generous than that of many. I judge each pint on its own merits rather than in comparison to other ales, just as I wouldn’t avoid giving Return of The Jedi 5/5 because it would then be on par with Citizen Kane and Cannonball Run Two (only kidding about that last film).
To me a perfect beer is one I’d happily drink again and again. At beer festivals such ales predominate as the festivals being organized by CAMRA often have the best of the best ales anyway.
Some beer markers or tickers as they like to be called, deliberately keep great beers marked lower in case something great comes out later in the year. My awards of 5’s even in January are seen as sacrilegious to many and I’ve even been all but ordered to dumb down my scores but I intend to continue to use my own subjective assessments in such matters.
Off to the pub now – if a beer there is a 5, so be it.
Arthur Chappell
Image Credit » Photo beer glass taken by me
Comments
MelissaE wrote on January 29, 2015, 11:39 AM
May the force be with you on your search for the perfect ale.
seren3 wrote on January 29, 2015, 12:16 PM
I haven't tasted that many beers. I prefer the dark ales or porters. I have tasted some local California brewery issue that is very good too - still on the bitter side, which I like. Have a good time today!
Kasman wrote on January 29, 2015, 3:53 PM
I bet you have lots of fun finding out where all the 'Fives' are!