Banish All Ratings!
So says Joe Sixpack, via Appellation Beer:
A wee bit harsh, but overall, good analysis. Ratings are tough. I really dislike RateBeer and the Beer Advocate's rating system, and wondered if I should have them at all. I do, but uneasily.
FURTHER EVIDENCE of the dumbing down of America is now on display on the necks of Pilsner Urquell. The bottles are adorned with a big "93," its most recent score from Chicago's Beverage Testing Institute....
But who needs a score to choose a beer?I dunno - someone who wants to impress his friends, maybe, but doesn't have a clue about style, flavor or quality? Who is so filled with self-doubt, he can't spend a few lousy bucks without an expert holding his hand? Whose vocabulary is so limited he needs a number to describe what's in his glass?