Beer rankings

Though beer rankings and the price per bottle are usually closely connected, personal taste is ultimately the one that influences beverage selection. Under certain circumstances beer rankings are not even relevant for the average user since maybe one is actually pleased with a good beer that can be bought for a very modest price. Beer rankings are therefore not that important for the regular consumer, but they definitely mean a lot to a connoisseur or a collector. When going shopping for a good beer, you should always ask for the merchant's advice: you'll learn how to appreciate choices as well, since a good professional will recommend a brand with good beer rankings that comes for an accessible price too.

The important thing is to go beyond beer rankings as such and create your own sets of principles to judge the beer: palates are different after all. How do beer rankings appear? There is a whole system of values put into motion for labelling the products belonging to a certain beer region; the expertise is passed only after professional research and comprehensive trials of the offerings in that beer area. There are special events called “tastings” where beer rankings are given. The procedure is pretty simple and it is carried on “blind”; the experts who taste the beers are only informed on what type of beer they are about to taste and the vintage.

The reason for conducting the tastings in single-blind conditions lies in the need for impartiality. The person who gives the beer rankings mustn't be influenced by the name of the beery or the reputation of a certain beer variety. The same beer is tasted by several experts and the rating is obtained as the average of the general performance in all cases; at the end this score is the one to reflect the standard and the quality of the beer as such. Therefore, beer rankings are not passed indulgently or by any beer drinker.

Too good or too bad first impressions are usually confirmed by reopening other bottles of the same beer variety, and only afterwards beer rankings are passed. The average level under which the quality is doubtful scores seventy points. This value usually indicates that the beer is drinkable but it has certain minor flaws. True specialists who give beer rankings spend lots of time in vineyards every year becoming familiar with the flavour and the varieties of certain vintage products.