CraftBeer.com posted an editorial on its site that I think might ruffle the feathers of the tickers out there as well as the hop lovers and anything barrel-aged crowd. You can read the article by Chris McClellan in it’s entirety HERE.
The hypothesis being that beer ratings are creating hype and driving less thoughtful beer purchases.
Now I haven’t been in a crowd that bought up a particular beer before a single mote of dust could sully the bottle (or can) and I am an ex whale chaser. So I am not privy to the mind of current beer hunters and thus more prone to give a “hallelujah” when McClellan asks us to not “let your phone tell you what your taste buds already know about your preferences.”
But I think that it isn’t the rating website that causes the problem. Sure there is bias a plenty when it comes to ranking pilsners vs IPAs but that is more the fault of the people who buy into it.
And in the connected age the people buying in seem to value their opinion less than the groupthink. I have reviewed a fair number of beers on my preferred site, Ratebeer and I have noticed that if I even glance at the score or read a previous review that my score and review might be affected.
Maybe my loathing of star ratings on Amazon or Yelp makes me an outlier but I prefer to make my decision first and then solicit opinion second. But I fear that others faced with a daunting variety of beers do not take the time to do that.
Which I find strange. I think it is easier to develop a coterie of friends or beer blogs to help guide beer choices that you can absolutely trust vs. hoping that a random sampling of strangers will provide you a better selection from the cooler.
But I think we can all agree that it is best to take your time with a beer and enjoy it and not always be playing the ratings game.