Rating Appearance

Reads 1839 • Replies 23 • Started Saturday, July 16, 2016 9:55:47 AM CT

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Message RichTheVillan beers 10685 º places 101 º 14:06 Sat 7/16/2016 I agree with everything Cliff said
Message Oakes P admin beers 30664 º places 1135 º 14:36 Sat 7/16/2016 Originally posted by 3fourths Usually style expectations are unimportant, though if color is way off for the style I can see points being docked. 5 = permanent rocky head, sticky lacing, effervescent body. 4 = lasting head, some lacing, sparkling body and/or appealing glow 3 = basic thin head, no retention, dull appearance (~90% of beer looks like this). 2 = no head, not even if forced, flat and lifeless in the glass 1 = you’ve got chunks floating around in there... Adjust to taste. My system is more or less like this. I don’t see it as "if a beer looks like it is supposed to", but rather if it looks good. If the appearance can be better, it can’t get a five. But I don’t adjust appearance scores for the rest of the beer. I rate appearance first, and do have ratings with a 4 for appearance and then much lower everywhere else. But I also have the opposite as well, like with some of these turbid IPAs. Some are just too fucking ugly. They score poorly on appearance but they might still smell and taste wonderful.
Message rennat42 P beers 5357 º places 205 º 15:28 Sat 7/16/2016 Originally posted by 3fourths Usually style expectations are unimportant, though if color is way off for the style I can see points being docked. 5 = permanent rocky head, sticky lacing, effervescent body. 4 = lasting head, some lacing, sparkling body and/or appealing glow 3 = basic thin head, no retention, dull appearance (~90% of beer looks like this). 2 = no head, not even if forced, flat and lifeless in the glass 1 = you’ve got chunks floating around in there... Adjust to taste. I generally follow these guidelines. I do tend to be biased though and anything with an SRM greater than 30 I often tend to give at least a 4 to. For me, an Imperial Stout with a lasting brown head is a 5. I just really like the looks of it. Whereas I can have a well done lager and even if it looks textbook, it’s probably getting a 3 at highest. Most likely a 2. The looks just don’t appeal to me. I’d say I give 95% of my rates a 3.

Message Cajun beers 609 º places 4 º 16:08 Sat 7/16/2016 Originally posted by Oakes I don’t see it as "if a beer looks like it is supposed to", but rather if it looks good. If the appearance can be better, it can’t get a five. THIS. And I agree. I more or less meant if it’s as good as it’s supposed to look, then why penalize it? But I can understand the hesitation of rating anything a perfect score.
Message pushkinwow beers 3602 º places 174 º 17:37 Sat 7/16/2016 Way too many fours... But I’m ok with that... Even terrible beers can look good. 5 reserved for something that looks amazing. Originally posted by DietPepsican I used to use it to penalize bad beer but now give an honest opinion of what my expectation was when the beer was brought to me before I smelled/tasted it. I give way too many fours. Most beer looks good to me. Appearance is easily the least important aspect of a beer in my ratings.
Message Patrickctenchi beers 7260 º places 41 º 17:48 Sat 7/16/2016 Interesting topic......it’s all very subjective, of course......I love dark beers, so a black beer with a good tan or dark brown head gets a 5....most get a 4, even if it’s perfect to style.....(IPA, Pale Lager, etc.).....I only go lower if it just doesn’t look appealing......murky, dirty-looking.........3......and only less if it’s some ridiculous shade of whatever the gimmick is.....that being said, sometimes a bizarre colour fits perfectly.....sometimes I’m struck by one that his an interesting shade, or is so pale it’s remarkable........and gets a higher mark......as far as head and lacing......well....I’ll remark and report the colour and size, but it’s really a throwaway aspect to the rate......a festival sample is not going to have the same head compared to pouring your own at home from a bottle, or from a tap at a brewery.....and I could care less about lacing and retention.......to me, appearance is the most "wild card" part of our rating system.....I’d lean towards giving it less impact on the scoring system......I know it’s important to many, but, I imagine some may give a Sake’ a low value because it looks and behaves just like tap water.....or are repulsed by floaties in an unfiltered beer......just too much of an emotional and personal response to truly count.
Message obguthr beers 11685 º places 22 º 09:53 Sun 7/17/2016 My system: +1 Some natural beer color other than piss yellow +1 Measurable head +1 Glass adherence in the form of legs or lacing +1 Color of the head other than snow white -1 Floaties (wisps of very fine sediment are ok, chunks are not) -1 Unnatural color (purple, pink, green...) -1 Extraordinary murkiness (Cloudiness is welcome, but not if it looks like I’m drinking mud) Clarity was a factor when I was a n00b, but over the years, I have found that the beers I enjoy most are unfiltered and/or cloudy: hefeweizens, kellerbiers, New England IPAs

Message slowrunner77 beers 19964 º places 499 º 10:19 Sun 7/17/2016 3 is my default. Lower if it’s flat, chunky, possibly off color for the style. Higher for great lacing, nitro, brilliant color, thick pillowy head. And I do sometimes tweak that slightly to be close to the overall average, and will admit appearance is the least important to me.
Message SudsMcDuff beers 8597 º places 190 º 11:42 Sun 7/17/2016 I burnt my eyeballs out back in ’98 during a solar eclipse so i don’t care what my beer looks like..
Message Cajun beers 609 º places 4 º 12:58 Sun 7/17/2016 I totally understand giving lower scores for some of the negativities that others have mentioned. I guess the real question was to myself. Whenever I see a really good-looking beer, one that I take notice as being as perfect as it can get (if there is such a thing as perfection)....and I STILL score it a 3, by reflex. Why do I do that? Why does anyone do this? I’m pretty sure there is no right or wrong answer. As someone said, It’s all subjective. Palate is another one... and separate discussion for another day. It’s all supposed to be personal opinion, not some "professional" opinion or rating system. So I’ll rate beers a 5 for those I think are worthy of 5, and y’all rate how you want. Cheers!